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RWC Archives - December 17 Grand Rapids Griffins Update
Injury-depleted lineup maintains one of league's best records...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
December 17, 2003
The Detroit Red Wings' injury problems have depleted the Grand Rapids Griffins lineup, but haven't stopped the Wings' top minor-league affiliate from maintaining one of the AHL's best records.
The Griffins are second in the Western Conference with a 16-8-4 record -- despite missing key players Kevin Miller, Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Darryl Bootland and Mark Mowers.
The following is a report on the Griffins players (statistics listed as GP-G-A-PTS-PIM):
Paul Ballantyne (4-0-0-0-6) has shown improved mobility and looks like a different player, joining the rush without hesitation. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound defenseman is also using his size to his advantage.
Ryan Barnes (26-0-8-8-36) has picked up his defensive play along with his usual strong game along the boards and in the corners. He took advantage of the extra ice time and earned a call-up to Detroit.
Matt Ellis (14-1-2-3-4) stands out with his tremendous energy and hustle, and he's easily the team's best penalty killer. Ellis scored his first AHL goal this week, and is showing signs of improving his offensive game with 17 shots in his past five games.
Danny Groulx's (28-1-5-6-31) offensive game remains quiet, but he's playing a physical game and has a team-high plus-13 (third in the AHL). He is playing in all situations and has been bumped to the No. 1 defense pairing with Dave Van Drunen.
Jiri Hudler (15-4-12-16-2) found his game after gathering some rust in the NHL press box. He used his quick hands to collect three points in two games before getting recalled to Detroit.
Derek King (27-2-6-8-4) is struggling and has even seen spot duty on the blue line. With just one assist in 15 games, King's on-ice value is diminishing but he remains a valuable influence on the younger players.
Tomas Kopecky (9-3-0-3-6) has started going to the net again and has three goals in his last five games to show for it. Kopecky's shot and speed have improved but he needs to take the next step and use his size more aggressively.
Marc Lamothe (19 GP, 1.93 GAA, .928 SPCT) started slowly but is now in top form. After seeing his eight-game unbeaten streak snapped, Lamothe has kept his undermanned team in every game -- even when they haven't deserved to be.
Joey MacDonald (8 GP, 2.07 GAA, .938 SPCT) is taking the brunt of the Curtis Joseph debacle, although he earned a brief call-up to Detroit as a backup when Dominik Hasek and Manny Legace were out with injuries. He'll find himself in Toledo soon.
Anders Myrvold (28-0-6-6-28) struggles with inconsistency and has a knack for taking bad penalties. He's seen fewer minutes as a result.
Michel Picard (24-6-9-15-8) has started to rebound from injuries that slowed him early in the year. With a pair of goals and an assist last week, he's a lot more noticeable on the ice and more dangerous around the net.
Nathan Robinson (24-5-11-16-13) returned from his NHL debut and collected three points in three games. He has tremendous speed but still has to improve his strength on the puck.
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