In a thrilling Game 4 of the Central Division semifinal, the Grand Rapids Griffins punched their ticket to the next round with a commanding 5-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose on Friday night at Van Andel Arena. The night belonged to Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who delivered a jaw-dropping highlight-reel goal that had fans on their feet.
With the game tied 1-1 in the second period, Sandin-Pellikka collected the puck at center ice, split the Manitoba defense with dazzling speed and precision, and buried a power-play goal to give the Griffins a lead they would never relinquish. The play quickly became the talk of the hockey world, with the Griffins' social media team sharing the electrifying moment.
Carter Mazur was also a force to be reckoned with, notching two goals and an assist to power the Griffins' offense. Between the pipes, goaltender Michal Postava stood tall, turning aside 19 of 21 shots to secure his third straight win of the series.
With the series now in the rearview mirror, the Griffins set their sights on the Central Division best-of-five final against the Chicago Wolves. The action kicks off at home on Thursday, May 14, followed by Game 2 on Saturday, May 16. Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Chicago on May 19 and May 21 if needed, with a potential deciding Game 5 back in Grand Rapids on Saturday, May 23.
In other hockey news, Michigan State University head coach Adam Nightingale announced the addition of Andy Contois as an assistant coach on Friday. Contois, who shared the ice with Nightingale during their time at Lake Superior State in 2001-02, brings a wealth of experience to the Spartans' bench.
Contois spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Michigan University under head coach Dave Shyiak. A former standout player for the Wildcats, he recorded 97 points in 131 games and led the team in goals during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. Before returning to NMU, Contois served as associate head coach for the Youngstown Phantoms, where he helped develop 20 NHL draft picks and guided the team to its first Clark Cup title in 2022-23. His resume also includes two seasons as an assistant coach for the ECHL's Indy Fuel, where he helped the team lead the league in AHL call-ups and secure a playoff berth in 2020-21.
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