Griffins’ historic regular season meets playoff chaos in Central finals

Grand Rapids spent six months looking like a machine, but the playoffs have turned that dominance into a survival test. A 23-1-0-1 start and a 51-16-4-1 regular season put the Griffins near the top of AHL history, yet Chicago has already dragged the Central Division finals into a place where one bad period can erase all of it.

The numbers still scream power. Grand Rapids finished second overall at 107 points with a .743 points percentage, scored 255 goals and allowed only 159, the fewest in the league. The Griffins also set an AHL record by going 17 straight road games without a regulation loss, a run that underscored just how rarely they were rattled before the spring arrived. That regular-season edge was honored when Sebastian Cossa and Michal Postava won the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award on April 19, recognizing the league’s best goals-against average, 2.21 per game. For Grand Rapids, it was the first Holmes Award since 2001-02 and 2002-03.

But the postseason has been a different sport. Grand Rapids dropped Game 1 to Manitoba in Winnipeg on May 2, then answered with a 2-0 win in Game 2 on May 3 before closing out the series 3-1 with a 5-2 victory in Game 4 at Van Andel Arena on May 8. The next round has been even more volatile. Chicago beat the Griffins 2-1 in Game 1 on May 14, with Josiah Slavin scoring the deciding goal in the third period. Two nights later, Grand Rapids jumped in front 2-0 in just 4:08, only to watch the Wolves claw back and win 4-3 in overtime on Felix Unger Sörum’s second goal of the night.

That is the pressure point for a team built to dominate: regular-season control does not guarantee postseason finish. Grand Rapids has already shown it can answer a loss, but it has also shown how fragile a lead becomes when the Wolves keep attacking and the game turns into a track meet. Michal Postava has handled all six starts, while Cossa remains an elite option in reserve, but goaltending alone will not solve the issue if the Griffins keep handing Chicago openings.

The bracket around them has only heightened the volatility. Providence, Laval, Charlotte and Ontario were already gone, and the AHL said this was the first postseason since 2014 in which three first-place clubs failed to win a playoff series. Grand Rapids was the only division champion left standing, and the Detroit Red Wings organization carried extra tension after the parent club missed the NHL playoffs. The Griffins’ regular season was historic; the Calder Cup grind has made history feel fragile.