One of the best recommendation usually comes courtesy of a telephone name from Wallaceburg, Ont., right-winger Seth Griffith’s hometown.
It is his dad, Brian, who watches all of his video games on-line. His father’s mantra is often the identical, imploring his 27-year-old son to be extra of a scorer and fewer of a distributer.
“I nonetheless get heck from my dad on a regular basis to shoot the puck,” says Griffith with a smile. “And other people right here, too.”
Previous to his seventh season as a professional, Griffifth, who joined the Moose a season in the past, determined to take the strategies to coronary heart and labored diligently to enhance his power and shot.
Bumping his photographs per sport common from 1.72 per sport in his first season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to 1.78 per sport up to now in 2019-20 has been modest, however the true boon has come along with his capturing proportion — leaping from 13.four to a 27.three per cent success charge at mid-season, which might be a profession finest.
“Whoever he performs with, he is been profitable,” says Moose head coach Pascal Vincent. “All people needs to attain targets and everyone needs for use on the ability play — to provide persistently that is a number of strain on the participant. You have to have actual good reads and actual good expertise with the intention to try this persistently. Our energy play is within the prime 10, he is on a line that is persistently producing, these are the expectations on him and he is been constant in that regard.”
Griffith’s manufacturing, with 18 targets and 32 factors in 37 video games to guide the Moose coming into Monday’s dwelling date with the Belleville Senators, has him on tempo to problem a profession better of 24 targets and 77 factors in 57 video games established in 2015-16 with the Windfall Bruins.
“I am positively capturing extra,” says Griffith, who has spent the majority of the season growing a pleasant chemistry with linemates C.J. Suess and Andrei Chibisov. “That is one of many issues that I’ve lacked in the previous few years, passing up alternatives to shoot the puck. It is by no means a foul factor if you shoot the puck.”
To this point, Griffith’s excellent yr hasn’t resulted in a callup to the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Whereas Moose teammates Suess, Logan Shaw, Joona Luoto, Michael Spacek, Mason Appleton and Jansen Harkins have loved time or are presently with the massive membership, Griffith hasn’t had a sniff of a promotion. However he is not complaining.
“It is robust generally, however on the similar time you have gotta know your place down right here,” mentioned Griffith, who has 79 NHL video games on his resume however hasn’t performed above the AHL stage since suiting up for the Buffalo Sabres on March 17, 2018.
“I am a top-six ahead on this league and basically, if a top-six ahead goes down up there, that is when my alternative’s gonna come. All people works laborious, everyone’s deserving of a call-up. On the finish of the day, I nonetheless need to play within the NHL — that is my finish aim — I am simply making an attempt to work laborious every single day to attain that.”
Griffith understands his 5-9, 193-pound body is not well-suited to a bottom-six position with the Jets.
“If I am taking part in on a 3rd or fourth line within the NHL, I am not efficient,” mentioned Griffith. “That is the distinction between up there and down right here, proper? I can do issues down right here that I can get away with however if you get known as up and are anticipated to play on the third or fourth line, it is a completely completely different sport for me.”
Vincent places Griffith in a category with basis gamers similar to Shaw and goaltender Eric Comrie.
“These sort of guys — they’re so low maintainence and so they’re at all times optimistic,” says Vincent. “It is about at the moment and he is acquired this maturity in how he approaches this entire factor. I am right here at the moment, I will give my finest, (they’re) actual good teammates… What he does very well is he is aware of when he would not play nicely. He is acquired some quiet confidence… When he is not joyful, you recognize it however it’s at all times respectful. However to his credit score, he is been actually optimistic and by no means as soon as has he talked about, ‘Hey, when’s my likelihood?'”
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Mike SawatzkySports Reporter
Mike has been engaged on the Free Press sports activities desk since 2003.
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