Griffins End 2025 with a Loss, Start 2026 with Back-To-Back Wins

Photo Credit: Ross Dettman/Chicago Wolves

The Grand Rapids Griffins ended 2025 with an overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals,3-2, but kicked off 2026 with back-to-back wins against the Chicago Wolves, 3-2 and 4-1.

​Below are four positives and one negative from this stretch of three games

​As Hawkins hero Eddie Munson once said, “Bad news first, always.” So, today, that’s where we shall begin.

​Negative

​Power Play Woes and Inconsistency

Now, it may seem like nitpicking to say a team with a historical record of 28-1-1-1 needs to focus on consistency. However, as the season heats up and teams across the AHL begin to gel, consistency in all aspects of the game will be key to staying at the top of the league.

A great example of inconsistency is Friday night’s 3-2 overtime win against the Wolves. The Griffins played a disjointed and sloppy game for around 56 minutes. Players fanned on shots, the power play couldn’t get anything going, and Chicago was able to fire off one high-danger shot after another. Every time the Griffins had any positive momentum, they made a mistake that allowed the Wolves to gain the upper hand for a lengthy period of time.

​Goaltender Sebastian Cossa was truly the only thing keeping Grand Rapids from having an implosion for the bulk of the game. By the end, he ended up saving a career-high 47 shots.

​Onto the power play. Over the course of these three games, the Griffins went 0 for 8 on the man advantage. Now, it’s not always the worst thing to have eight straight power plays without a goal. Sometimes you’re playing an incredibly hot team, or the opposition’s goalie is standing on his head to save the game. Unfortunately, in this situation, it’s something to keep an eye on as the reason why they haven’t been able to convert is due to spotty and, at times, sloppy play.

A consistently good power play will help the flow and energy of the Griffins’ game in a positive manner.

Now onto the four positives from the week.

​Positives

The Glow Up of William Wallinder

​Early in the season, defender William Wallinder struggled to put together a complete game. Defensively, he was often out of place. Offensively, he wasn’t quick enough to be useful in the attack zone, or accurate enough to find the back of the net.

Fast forward to the middle of December, and glimpses of a new man began to appear. Now, things look to be coming together for the young Detroit Red Wings prospect. For the past three games, the 6’5”, 210-pound defender has been knocking opponents off pucks and laying their bodies into corners in the defensive zone. If they didn’t cough up the puck, Wallinder relentlessly kept trying to push them around until he reached the desired outcome. “I want to play more physical and use my size to my advantage,” said Wallinder on his new style of play.

​Wallinder has also been using his stick more to extend his already long body. This has helped him on the offensive side of things, especially in scoring his first goal of the season on New Year’s Eve.

​It’s been a pleasure to watch Wallinder’s recent glow up. Head Coach Dan Watson agrees, “To see the growth from day one to now, it’s fun to be part of.”

​Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is a Force to be Reckoned With

​As of late, rookie forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has been a force to be reckoned with on the ice.

​Brandsegg-Nygard saw the end of his six-game point streak on January 3, but he didn’t go down without trying. He was driving plays, setting up teammates, and trying to finish a play or two. Unfortunately, nothing came to fruition for him.

Defensively, Brandsegg-Nygard spent the week hitting anything on the opposition that breathed. Especially if they had the puck in their possession.

In my opinion, his first period goal in Friday’s win over the Wolves was a beautiful moment to watch unfold. First, he forced a turnover at the blue line, which allowed John Leonard to take off on a breakaway. When Leonard’s shot was foiled, Brandsegg-Nygard found himself unattended at the top of the slot. Once he received the puck, there was no stopping him from finding the back of the net.

​Michal Postava is Back in Action

​Almost two months after sustaining an injury, goaltender Michal Postava made his triumphant return to the net, stopping 21 of 22 shots in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Chicago. He looked calm and comfortable, knocking away shots with ease. The leg work from Postava was quick, clean, and smooth. Honestly, it saved the game a few times for the Griffins.

However, he had to use his legs a bit too much to stop some high danger shots off rushes. Hopefully, the next time Postava is in net, the defense will give him a break by shutting down those chances further back in the zone.

​Emotional Toughness Reigns Supreme

​As the clock wound down on Friday night’s game, tempers began to flare between Chicago and Grand Rapids. It felt like Saturday was set to be a barn burner between the two squads, and not because the Wolves have a full-on fireworks show before every game.

During post-game, I asked center Gabriel Seger how the team can stay mentally even-keeled in emotional games. His response was quite good.

​“You just have to take the emotion and let it feed you instead of getting distracted,” said Seger. “You just have to keep playing the right way. Be poised and make your plays.”

​It appears the Griffins took his mantra to heart, because despite Chicago’s best effort, Grand Rapids was able to let the high emotions feed them enough to focus on the task at hand, beating the Wolves 4-1.

​Next up for the Griffins is a two-game home stand against the Texas Stars, who are currently riding a three-game win streak.