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RWC Archives - October Griffins Report
Club rides red-hot offense to first in North Division...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
November 3, 2005
During the off-season, Grand Rapids Griffins' management talked about reviving a lifeless offense by adding more firepower to the lineup.
So far this season, they have to be pretty happy with the results. The Griffins, coming off a year that saw them average a paltry 2.4 goals per game, have a suddenly explosive attack.
The team is averaging 4.33 goals per game, led by the top scorer in the American Hockey League, center
Jiri Hudler
.
Grand Rapids is first in the North Division with a 6-2-0-1 record.
The following is a review of October:
OFFENSE
' The Griffins' best line has been Hudler (12 goals, nine assists), veteran
Eric Manlow
(four foals, eight assists) and
Kent McDonell
(one goal, 10 assists). Nate DiCasmirro is off to a good start with
Matt Ellis
and
Darryl Bootland
, while a struggling
Donald MacLean
skates with
Eric Himelfarb
and
Tomas Kopecky
or
Valtteri Filppula
.
DEFENSE
' The Griffins took a big hit when Travis Richards was injured and
Andy Delmore
was claimed off waivers. As a result, the team relied more upon
Kyle Quincey
, Jon Insana and Nick Martens. Quincey, in particular, has been excellent at both ends of the ice.
Bryan Helmer
and
Derek Meech
have been a solid pairing.
GOALTENDING
' Heading into the season, the Griffins appeared set in goal with
Joey MacDonald
and
Jimmy Howard
. Injuries, however, resulted in
Chris Osgood
and
Drew MacIntyre
logging the bulk of the time in Grand Rapids. Howard has been up and down from Detroit, while MacDonald appears close to returning from back surgery.
SPECIAL TEAMS
' Grand Rapids sports the second-best power play in the AHL, clicking at a 15-for-60 rate (25 percent).
Eric Manlow
leads the way with four power-play goals. Quincey and
Brett Lebda
have been particularly efficient on the point. Ellis and DiCasmirro have led a struggling penalty kill (80.8 percent).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
'
Jiri Hudler
. Was there ever any doubt? During training camp, new Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock challenged Hudler to work harder, and he has responded. Hudler is not only leading the entire AHL in scoring, he is suddenly a determined forechecker and will fight for position to make a play.
ROOKIE WATCH
' Quincey has been solid, steady and poised in the early going ... Filppula's production has slowed, but he has been impressive with the puck ... Howard stopped 39 shots in his AHL debut, a victory ... Center
Ryan Oulahen
has been impressive in the few starts he's had ... Forward
Michael Hackert
has struggled ...
CURRENT INJURIES
' MacDonald, back, mid-November ...
NOTEABLE MOVEMENT
' Goaltender
Logan Koopmans
, assigned to Toledo (ECHL) ... Goaltender
Chris Osgood
, assigned by Detroit (NHL) for conditioning stint ... Osgood, recalled by Detroit (NHL) ... Howard, assigned by Detroit (NHL) ...
KEY STATS
' Hudler leads the AHL in goals and points ... McDonell is tied for fourth in assists (10) ... Quincey is second among rookie blueliners in points (seven) ... Bootland is third in the AHL with 66 penalty minutes ... MacIntyre is ninth in goals-against average (2.27) ... Hudler has the longest AHL point streak (nine and counting) ...
UP NEXT
' The Griffins open the month at home with two games against the Syracuse Crunch. They play 12 games in total, including seven on the road and five against Canadian teams. Later in the month, former Griffins forward Pete Vandermeer and the Hamilton Bulldogs will visit Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Jason Kasiorek contributes monthly Grand Rapids Griffins reports. They appear on RedWingsCentral.com at the start of each month.
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