|
| |
RWC Archives - December 1 Griffins Monthlye
Griffins overcome early setbacks, remain road warriors...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
December 1, 2004
The Grand Rapids Griffins started the month in the midst of a four-game losing streak, and things looked bleak with
Jiri Hudler
and
Nathan Robinson
out of the lineup.
Then,
Joey MacDonald
stepped up and pitched a 1-0 shutout against Houston, and
Niklas Kronwall
,
Eric Manlow
and
Eric Himelfarb
provided the extra offense to lead the team in an 8-2 run and put them just two points back of first in the Western Conference.
Grand Rapids is the only team undefeated on the road.
OFFENSE
' After averaging three goals per game in October, the offense dipped last month. The Ontario connection of Robinson,
Matt Ellis
and
Darryl Bootland
has played well, while Manlow chipped in with nine points. There isn't much balance to the attack, however, as players such as
Todd Jackson
need to contribute more.
DEFENSE
' The team has been plagued by defensive lapses, and forwards have been guilty neglecting their defensive responsibilities. Still, the Griffins have allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the league.
Derek Meech
has seen ice time on special teams, and had 25 shots in the past 12 games.
Paul Ballantyne
is also looking more comfortable.
GOALTENDING
' MacDonald went 6-3 last month, but was chased from the net twice after being left out to dry by his teammates. Rookie
Drew MacIntyre
, meanwhile, has been active and aggressive, challenging shooters, and has very quick feet. He stopped a team-record 45 shots in his first start, and missed a shutout Sunday by 33 seconds.
POWER PLAY
' The top-ranked road power play at 26.8 percent is a stark contrast to the 26th-ranked home power play at 9.3 percent (7-for-75). They appear to have the right personnel, but can't seem to set up plays.
Danny Groulx
has been effective from the point with the extra man, while Blake Sloan leads the Griffins with four power-play goals.
PENALTY KILL
' The penalty-killing unit is humming along at a 90.3 percent efficiency rate, good for third in the league. The Griffins have allowed just 10 goals on 103 chances, while Himelfarb has fired home two shorthanded goals. Ellis and Bootland have been a terrific tandem, while Manlow has logged some key minutes.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
' There were several worthy candidates, but Himelfarb gets the nod based on his clutch play. Three of his six assists set up game-winners; he was 2-for-3 in shootout goals; and he led the club with two shorthanded goals. Himelfarb logs a ton of ice time in all situations, and generates team energy with his boundless enthusiasm.
LINE OF THE MONTH
' The Ontario connection of Robinson, Bootland and Ellis clicked right away when Hudler was out of the lineup. Ellis digs up pucks, Bootland creates space and crashes the crease, while Robinson uses his big-league wheels to create chances. The trio combined for seven goals and 12 assists last month.
DEFENSE PAIRING OF THE MONTH
' Groulx and Kronwall have been the team's best pairing all year. Although Groulx's offensive totals took a dive, the pair logs tough minutes defensively and rarely surrenders an even-strength goal. Groulx, in particular, has been on the ice for just nine of 38 goals-against this season.
ROOKIE WATCH
' Meech made impressive strides, and was rewarded with more ice time... Himelfarb's eight-point month puts him in a tie for ninth in AHL rookie scoring ... Defenseman
Brett Lebda
has been unimpressive, scoring no points in the past 12 games and getting brief auditions on the wing ... Jackson had no points last month.
CURRENT INJURIES
' Kopecky, broken finger, 3-4 weeks ... Hudler, ankle, day-to-day.
TRANSACTIONS
' C Todd Robinson signed to PTO from Muskegon (UHL).
KEY STATS
' Kronwall leads all AHL defensemen with seven goals and 12 assists, and has been on the ice for 65 percent of the team's goals for ... MacDonald is seventh in the league with a 1.87 goals-against average ... Ellis leads the team with 57 shots and a plus-8 ...
Pete Vandermeer
is a team-worst minus-4 and hasn't scored yet.
UP NEXT
' The team plays eight of its next 11 games on the road ' not necessarily a bad thing if you look at their track record this season. It kicks off Friday against conference-leading Milwaukee, then continues with games against St. John's and Utah. There are also key home match-ups set against Chicago, Cleveland and Hamilton.
Jason Kasiorek contributes monthly Grand Rapids Griffins reports. They appear on RedWingsCentral.com on the first of each month.
|
|
|
|
