Griffins head coach Dan Watson will be stressing a quick start against Texas in Game 2 tonight.
Grand Rapids dropped a 4-0 decision at home in Game 1 that left Watson reaching for a silver lining. Seven Griffins made their Calder Cup Playoff debuts in that game; defensemen Shai Buium, Anton Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka along with forwards Ondřej Becher, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Emmitt Finnie and Gabriel Seger all got an up-close look at the elevation in pace and speed that comes when the AHL postseason arrives.
“We just didn’t have the spark early on that we really needed to get us going,” Watson said after Game 1. “We looked slow, we looked tired… We didn’t look quick at all.”
The Stars, meanwhile, certainly looked the opposite of slow and tired in Game 1.
Another victory in Grand Rapids tonight, and the Stars would force the Griffins to have to win three consecutive games in Cedar Park. If there were any playoff nerves going into the opener, the Stars certainly did not display any. They attacked quickly, putting two goals past the Griffins in the opening 6:45 of the game. Before the game’s midpoint, they had already built their 4-0 lead.
“Obviously both teams came out a little bit nervous, a little on the edge with playoffs finally here,” said Matěj Blümel, who had two assists in the win. “You want to have that great start, and we scored those two early goals. That was huge for us, and kind of shifted the momentum on our side.”
With a six-day gap between games and plenty of time for nerves to reappear, another fast start is a top objective for Texas.
“It’s hard,” Blümel said. “You have to stay focused, stay motivated and get yourself ready for Game 2, and that’s what we all did. We just can’t wait to play.”
Oliver Kapanen made his AHL debut for the Rocket on Sunday after being assigned by Montreal.
Kapanen was selected by the Canadiens in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old played 36 games on loan to Timrå in the Swedish Hockey League, recording 35 points. He added three points in six games during the SHL playoffs.
Kapanen made his NHL debut with the Canadiens on Oct. 10 and recorded two assists in 18 regular-season games. He also appeared in three Stanley Cup Playoff contests, picking up an assist.
Kapanen’s uncle Sami played 831 games in the NHL with Hartford/Carolina and Philadelphia, and his cousin Kasperi, now with the Edmonton Oilers, played 119 games in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Toronto.
― with files from Patrick Williams
