Grand Rapids and Chicago renew rivalry in Central Division Final opener
Grand Rapids opened the Central Final as the bracket’s last division champion, with Michal Postava and Cayden Primeau shaping a rematch built for one mistake.
Grand Rapids opened the Central Division Final at Van Andel Arena with more than a series lead on the line. The Griffins were the last division champion still alive in the Calder Cup bracket, while Providence, Laval and Ontario had already gone out without winning a round, the first postseason since 2014 in which three first-place clubs failed to survive a series.
The matchup also brought back a familiar rival. Grand Rapids and Chicago met in the playoffs for the seventh time overall and for the first time since Chicago’s 2019 division-semifinal win. That history came with a sharp contrast in how each club reached this point. Grand Rapids rolled out to a 29-1-1-1 start and built a 24-point lead over Chicago by early January, but the second half tightened fast. From Jan. 9 on, the Griffins had only the Central Division’s third-best record at .588, behind Texas at .641 and Chicago at .607.
Dan Watson did not try to soften the stakes. He called Chicago “a dangerous team” and said he expected “another hard fought battle.” The goaltending numbers backed up the warning. Michal Postava posted a 1.11 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage in six regular-season appearances against Chicago, including five starts, then followed that with a strong first-round series against Manitoba, allowing five goals on 91 shots while going 3-1 with a 1.25 GAA and a .945 save percentage. Chicago countered with Cayden Primeau, who went 3-2 in the postseason with a 2.27 GAA and a .918 save percentage, and was even better against Grand Rapids in the regular season at 1.48 and .948.
The same low-margin feel was shaping the North Division Final, where Cleveland and Toronto arrived after upset-heavy paths through the first round. Toronto eliminated first-place Laval in a Game 5 win at Place Bell, while Cleveland got past Syracuse with two road overtime wins, including a triple-overtime clincher. The teams split their eight regular-season meetings, and three of Cleveland’s four wins came in shootouts, a strong sign that little separated them over 60 minutes.
Toronto’s Logan Shaw led the season series with 12 points, while Vinni Lettieri led the Marlies’ playoff scorers with five goals and nine points after scoring the Game 5 winner against Laval. William Villeneuve led all AHL defensemen in playoff scoring with eight points. Cleveland’s offense was spread out, with nine different skaters accounting for its 10 goals against Syracuse and Luca Del Bel Belluz collecting four assists. Game 2 of that series was set for May 16 in Cleveland, with Game 3 moving to Toronto on May 20, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton already held a 1-0 lead over Springfield in the Atlantic Division Final.
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