NHL Prospect Cossa Extends Goalie Points Streak to 17 Games

When you are raising children, you want them to be charitable or giving. When you are developing NHL goalies, you want them to be stingy, downright miserly when it comes to giving up goals.

Sebastian Cossa’s Ebernezer Scrooge-like in his goaltending approach for the past 79 days has served the Grand Rapids Griffins well.

Cossa extended his franchise-record points streak to 17 games (11-0-6) in the Griffins’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals Saturday. He hasn’t lost a game in regulation time since Jan. 12 against Rockford. Defenseman Albert Johansson played a significant role in preserving Cossa’s streak. He tied the game 1-1 with a goal with 40 seconds left in the regulation.

With Cossa pulled for an extra attacker, Johansson ripped a shot from the blue line to beat Milwaukee goalie Troy Grosenick. It was Johansson’s sixth goal of the season.

In Cossa’s 17-game streak, he has given up one or no goals five times (29.4%), two or fewer goals 11 times (64.7%) and three or fewer in 14 games  (82.3%).

NHL Projection

There is no timetable for Cossa’s ascension to the NHL. Cossa is only 21. He’s rotating in the Griffins net with Michael Hutchinson this season. You don’t see many 22-year-old goalies in the NHL. The best guess is he will start next season as the Griffins No. 1 goalie.  If that happens, the Red Wings can monitor how he does with the expanded workload.

“He’s progressing nicely,” Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman said earlier this month. “Wins and losses for goalies, the team wins and loses. He’s really been solid in goal. Still a lot of work to do, but he’s trending in the right direction.”

Center Emmitt Finnie, a Western Hockey League prospect recently signed by the Red Wings, made his pro debut with the Griffins.