Griffins open Central Division semifinal against Moose in five-game series

Grand Rapids gets the matchup, and the burden, that comes with a No. 1 seed. The Griffins will open the Central Division semifinal against the Manitoba Moose in a best-of-five series that starts Saturday, May 2, at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, moves to Game 2 on Sunday, May 3, then shifts to Van Andel Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday, May 6. If the bracket runs long, Game 4 will be Friday, May 8, and Game 5 would come Saturday, May 9, back in Grand Rapids.

The format only sharpens the contrast. The American Hockey League’s Division Semifinals are best-of-five series played in either a 2-2-1 or 2-3 setup depending on building availability, and this one follows the 2-2-1 path. Grand Rapids finished the regular season at 49-13-4-1 with 103 points in 67 games, the kind of record that turns home ice into a demand rather than a perk. The Griffins are not just trying to advance. Their release frames the run as a push for a third Calder Cup championship.

Manitoba has already shown why the schedule matters. The Moose went 35-29-5-3, then survived Milwaukee in a 2-1 first-round series win, their first series victory since 2018 and their first trip back to the Central Division Semifinals since 2023. Domenic DiVincentiis made 31 saves in the decisive Game 3 win, and that matters because it was not a comfortable closeout. It was a grind, the kind that can either drain a team or harden it for the next round.

Grand Rapids still has every reason to like the numbers. The Griffins went 6-1-1-0 against Manitoba in the regular season and outscored the Moose 32-17. Three of the eight meetings were one-goal games, but five saw Grand Rapids score four or more goals, which tells the real story: the Griffins did not merely edge Manitoba, they repeatedly forced the Moose to chase the game. That is the edge a top seed wants when a series opens.

Still, the playoff danger is obvious. Manitoba comes in battle-tested, with a goalie fresh off a 31-save elimination performance and the confidence of ending a seven-year series drought. Grand Rapids comes in rested, deeper, and armed with the better season and the better head-to-head record. One side brings proof of dominance; the other brings proof it can survive. That is the argument the series will settle in Winnipeg and, if necessary, at Van Andel Arena.