Defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka and forward Carter Mazur, both of whom got NHL experience with the Detroit Red Wings this season, have helped the Grand Rapids Griffins advance to the Central Division finals.
While the Detroit Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, their American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids is halfway to capturing its third Calder Cup championship.
The Griffins closed out their series against the Manitoba Moose with a 5-2 victory at Van Andel Arena, powered by a pair of goals from Carter Mazur and a highlight-reel tally from Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
With the win, Grand Rapids advanced to the Central Division Finals, where they will battle the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes.
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Mazur, Detroit's third-round selection (70th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft, upped his playoff goal total to four with his second straight two-goal performance for the Griffins.
This season with the Red Wings, he appeared in eight games but didn't register a point.
Sandin-Pellikka, who made the Red Wings' roster out of Training Camp, scored a highlight-reel second-period goal for the Griffins, who also got goals from Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Eduards Tralmaks.
It was Tralmaks who opened the scoring in the first period on the power-play for Grand Rapids. While Manitoba knotted the score, Sandin-Pellikka restored the lead, and Brandsegg-Nygård added an early third-period tally.
Like Sandin-Pellikka, Brandsegg-Nygård also made Detroit's roster out of Training Camp, but was returned to the Griffins after registering an assist in 12 NHL games.
After making it 4-1, Mazur added his second goal of the evening into the vacated Moose net with goaltender Thomas Milic, who was making his first start of the series, on the bench for an extra attacker
Griffins goaltender Michal Postava continues to author an impressive stretch of play in his first season in North America, making 19 saves.
Game 1 between the Griffins and Wolves is scheduled for Thursday in Grand Rapids.
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