The Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings' minor league affiliate, won the first round of the American League playoffs after a 1-0 loss in Manitoba. However, they bounced back and won three consecutive games and advanced to the best-of-five series, 3-1. The Griffins will face the Chicago Wolves in the Central Division Finals, which they won 6-3-1 in the season series. The team's performance was praised by Eduards Tralmaks, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Carter Mazur, who each scored one goal in Game 4's 5-2 victory over Manitoba. Goalkeeper Michal Postava performed well in the series, saving 86 of 91 shots in four games. Coach Dan Watson expects another tough battle with the Wolves, who play a similar style the Hurricanes play.