Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
head coach Dan Watson Sees a silver lining in his Grand Rapids Griffins' recent slump.
He said his team was “100 percent” back to reality.
When you lose a regular-season game within three months of the season, you have more wiggle room. Watson's Griffins posted a staggering 29 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in 32 games before suddenly losing six of their next nine games.
Looking at the bigger picture, Watson believes the brief coma reinforced the belief among his players that their pursuit of a Calder Cup title won't come easily.
“We faced some really good teams,” Watson said. “Our players have to understand that we're going to be facing everyone's best players and we have to be ready for that.”
Even the celebrations of officially clinching a playoff spot were tempered by the loss. The Griffins lost 3-2 to Iowa State on Friday — trailing them by 45 points in the standings — meaning Grand Rapids would need to wait for a loss in Rockford later that night to earn a playoff invite.
One of the dangers of locking down a playoff spot so early is that they still have a quarter of the season without the pressure that usually comes with stretching. Bad habits can spread. So is complacency. With the Griffins leading the division by 21 points, they are expected to receive a first-round bye in the playoffs, which means there will be some time off before the regular-season finale on the road against Cleveland on April 19.
Then there's Detroit's own battle to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. How will the Red Wings approach this week's trade deadline?
Of course, the Griffins also view history as history. They are poised to capture their first division title since the 2014-15 season. They are trying to prevent Providence and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from claiming the regular-season championship McGregor Kilpatrick Trophy, an award last won by Grand Rapids in 2005-06. They have a chance to break the AHL record by surpassing the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers, who went 57-13-10 and posted a league-record .775 field goal percentage. The Griffins need 26 points in their last 19 games to surpass that mark.
Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman and assistant general manager Sean Holkov Keep an eye on operations in Grand Rapids. Yzerman made it clear he wants to create a “winning environment” for the Griffins.
Watson believes his team's foundation has the staying power to serve them well into the spring.
“I thought we were competitive,” Watson said. “Whether it’s practice or training, our players have an incredible work ethic [or] The game that’s been instilled in them since training camp. I think they do a really good job of trying to push each other to be better.
“That’s how you develop a good culture and identity.”
After some recent setbacks, Watson and his players are ready for whatever is to come.
“You have to go through adversity, be tested and see how you come out of it.”
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
