What You Should Know About Red Wings’ Farm Team

The Red Wings’ Grand Rapids Griffins affiliate team (19-9-3-0) takes on the Cleveland Monsters for the third consecutive game tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. in Cleveland. Here’s what you should know about Grand Rapids’ strong play:

1. Defenseman Antti Tuomisto

Don’t sleep on this Red Wings’ 6-foot-5 defenseman. He leads all Grand Rapids defensemen with 14 points, and he has 10 of those points in the last 11 games. He has taken a significant step in his development under coach Dan Watson.

2. Three Goalies in GR

Sebastian Cossa hasn’t played since Dec. 22. Ville Husso and Jack Campbell have been in the net for the last two wins against Cleveland. Cossa has played 58% (18 of 31).

Cossa ranks sixth in the AHL in minutes played (1,063:16), tied for seventh in games played (18), 10th in GAA (2.31), tied for fifth in wins (10), and ninth in save percentage (.919)

3. Soderblom Heating Up?

The Red Wings would like more from 6-foot-8 forward Elmer Soderblom, and he currently owns a three-game points streak with a goal, two assists, eight shots on goal, a fighting major, nine penalty minutes and a plus-3 plus-minus.

4. Lombardi Still Out

Amadeus Lombardi took his game to another level (15 points in the first 20 games) for the Griffins. But he has now been gone for a month with an undisclosed injury. No word on when he will return. Last week, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said Carter Mazur will be out another month.

5. Shai Buium Strong Start

With 10 assists in 27 games and a plus-six plus-minus, Buium is having the kind of rookie AHL season the Red Wings want to see from him. His plus-minus ranks sixth among rookie AHL defensemen.