from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
The Grand Rapids Griffins are heading into the playoffs — it's just not the way they envisioned.
Any hockey team will tell you that ideally, you like to go into the postseason with some momentum. Even if it's just a little.
But the Griffins, the Red Wings’ minor-league affiliate, will open the American League playoffs Friday in Chicago having lost nine straight games.
Momentum? Maybe, but it was going in the opposite direction.
“It’s a fresh season, that’s the way we look at it,” said defenseman Dennis Cholowski, who started the season with the Wings, but was sent to Grand Rapids midway in the season.