Griffins Seek Elusive Chemistry With Season on Line

As the top farm club of the Detroit Red Wings readies for Game 2 of their AHL Calder Cup playoff series, the hope is that Cinco de Mayo will not also be leading to sink-0 de Griffins.

The Grand Rapids Griffins went down meekly 4-0 on home ice in the opener of their playoff series against the Texas Stars last Tuesday at Van Andel Arena. Game 2 in this best-of-five set goes Monday in Grand Rapids.

Under normal circumstances, going five off days between playoff games would not be construed as optimal circumstances. In the case of the Griffins, it could turn out to be just what the doctor ordered.

Roster Upheaval For Griffins

The Griffins underwent a late-season roster upheaval. Players such as forwards Dominik Shine, Elmer Soderblom and Austin Watson were all returning to GR from the Red Wings. Center Emmitt Finnie arrived after his Kamloops WHL missed the playoffs. Defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka and winger Michael Bandsegg-Nyagard crossed the Atlantic Ocean after their Swedish club Skelleftea was ousted from the SHL playoffs. Defenseman Anton Johansson also joined from Sweden after his club Leksands didn’t qualify for postseason play.

The besties 🫶 https://t.co/n0tc8fmtdF

— x – Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) April 30, 2025

In the opening playoff game against Stars, only one forward line and one defense pairing consisted of players who’d been with the Griffins thoughout the month of April.

Change Business As Usual in AHL

The fact of the matter is that life in the minor leagues means that change is a team’s constant companion. Players go up. Players come down. It’s just business as usual.

Griffins captain Josiah Didier didn’t want to be hearing any excuses that the roster overhaul was cause for their listless Game 1 performance.

“Yeah, you gotta be ready, you gotta do your job,” Didier said. “We all know what it is and we just gotta go out there and do it.

“I think we know what we got in here and anyone can play any given night, so I think it’s just a matter of doing it together and competing harder and getting the job done.”

One of the new guys was also in agreement on this point.

“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s pretty easy,” Sandin Pellikka said of making the transition. “A group of really good guys in here, so they’ve been taking care of me as soon as I got here.

“So we’re feeling welcomed and if you feel welcome, it’s easy to get into the team and into the system and start playing hockey. So I think it’s been pretty comforting.”

Future Of Red Wings On Display

Much of the future of the Red Wings is on display in this series, including four Detroit first-round picks – Sandin Pellikka (17th overall, 2023), Brandsegg-Nygard (15th overall, 2024), goalie Sebastian Cossa (16th overall, 2021) and center Nate Danielson (ninth overall, 2023).

Swedish Trouble 😈 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/LR0n6G7n12

— x – Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) April 29, 2025

If they want their immedite hockey future to continue, the Griffins must come together and win Monday night. The final three games are slated to be played on the road in Austin, Texas. The chances of Grand Rapids winning all three of those games would fall somewhere between slim and none.

“Yeah. I mean, crazy as it sounds, we have been a better road team than we have been a home team this year,” Griffins coach Dan Watson said, before grounding the conversation in reality.

“Next game is huge. We know that. We understand that and our guys will understand that.”