MILWAUKEE— The Grand Rapids Griffins fell 5-0 to the Milwaukee Admirals at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday, but a Manitoba loss to Chicago the same night allowed the Griffins to clinch a berth to the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The clinching scenario marked only the second time in the franchise’s 23-year history in which Grand Rapids’ playoff spot was determined on or after its final regular season game. Regardless, the berth extends the Griffins’ franchise-record postseason streak to seven years and marks the 17th time in the franchise’s 23-year history in which they have qualified for the league’s playoffs.
Matchups and dates for the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals are still to be determined, as the Admirals (35-24-14-2) are back in action tomorrow against Rockford. A Milwaukee win over the IceHogs would place Grand Rapids at fourth in the standings for a matchup with Chicago, while a loss for the Admirals would lead the Griffins to a faceoff against Iowa.
Grand Rapids closes its regular season with a 38-27-7-4 record before entering the postseason next week.
Read the full story at GriffinsHockey.com.