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RWC Archives - December 30 Grand Rapids Griffins Update
Robinson and Picard power Griffins to top of Western Conference ...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
December 30, 2003
The Grand Rapids Griffins stand atop the Western Conference with a 20-9-4 record, despite missing key players Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Darryl Bootland, Jamie Rivers and Mark Mowers.
Nathan Robinson has seven goals and an assist in his last five games, powering the Griffins to a 4-1 record in that span. Linemates Michel Picard (eight assists) and Jeff Nelson (one goal, six assists) have ridden Robinson's coattails.
The following is a report on the Griffins players (statistics listed as GP-G-A-PTS-PIM-+/-):
Paul Ballantyne (5-0-0-0-6, -1) sat out as a healthy scratch before being demoted to the Toledo Storm (ECHL).
Ryan Barnes (31-1-8-9-60, +3) has played feisty, hard-nosed hockey along the boards and is dropping his gloves more. Barnes scored his first goal of the season a game after making his NHL debut.
Matt Ellis (19-2-3-5-6, even) brings spark and energy to the team with his spirited game. His offensive game has started to come along as he led the team with 21 shots in five games while scoring his second goal of the season.
Danny Groulx (33-3-5-8-37, +13) and his powerful point shot have earned a permanent home on the Griffins' power-play unit. He had two goals during the most recent stretch and elevated his game, particularly in the defensive end.
Derek King (32-3-8-11-6, +2) broke into the goal column with an empty netter, his first since October. While he hasn't offered much on the ice, he's still smart with the puck on the power play and has the ability to create space for linemates.
Tomas Kopecky (13-3-0-3-6, -1) seems content on playing a perimeter game instead of going through high traffic to get to the net. He needs to use his size to fight for the puck instead of coasting into the zone and dumping it off to avoid hits.
Marc Lamothe (22 GP, 1.81 GAA, .932 SPCT) rode his hot streak and boosted his win total to 12, second in the league. Lamothe is cool under fire and in traffic, and gives his team a chance to win even when they're out-shot.
Joey MacDonald (10 GP, 2.05 GAA, .936 SPCT) contributed a pair of road wins to remain undefeated away from Van Andel Arena. He has played well despite several unsettling recalls and demotions over the past few weeks.
Kevin Miller (27-10-8-18-4, +1) has been nearly invisible since returning from Detroit. He has battled inconsistency this season and has been moved around the lineup.
Anders Myrvold (33-0-7-7-48, +4) has seen fewer minutes following a stretch of poor penalties. A mobile defender who likes to move the puck, Myrvold is plagued by bad decision-making.
Michel Picard (29-6-17-23-12, +1) rang up eight assists in the past five games and showed good chemistry with the surging Nathan Robinson. Picard appears to have fully recovered from troublesome early-season injuries.
Nathan Robinson (29-12-12-24-21, +4) used his trip to Detroit as a learning experience and has been on fire since his return. Robinson has gotten more dangerous in 1-on-1 situations, using a Denis Savard 'spinorama' move to beat a defenseman and score a goal.
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