Grand Rapids Griffins vs Toronto Marlies

Anthony Mantha has 15 goals and 33 points for the Griffins this season.

(MLive file photo)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Top Red Wings prospect Anthony Mantha will not play in the final three regular season games, coach Jeff Blashill said Tuesday, following a hard hit over the weekend in San Antonio,

"Precautionary reasons, we'll probably hold him out," Blashill said. "It's day to day but we also don't want to take on risks for the final three games. Although they are important, we want to put him in the best position possible when playoffs start."

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Mantha did not return for the third period of Saturday's game at San Antonio after a hard check with just over three minutes remaining in the second period.

Mantha was skating along the right side when he was checked by San Antonio's Shane O'Brien just beyond the Griffins' bench. No penalty was called and Mantha sat out the third with a lower body injury.

"We didn't want to take any kind of a chance," said Mantha, who missed the first part of the season with a fractured tibia. "I had my mind full of the injury back in Traverse City. I kind of got scared the same way I did in Traverse and so just didn't want to take a chance."

Mantha said he did not have a problem with the hit.

"I tried skating off after the period, and turning and things, but it was a little bit sore," he said. "So we'll see how it goes the next few days."

Mantha, who did not have a point in the two games against the Rampage, had been playing well of late, including back-to-back two-point games.

For the season, Mantha has 33 points (15-18-33) in 62 games with a rating of plus-5.

Here's a video of the play:

FINALS WEEK

The Griffins have three games remaining before the regular season ends Sunday, and a lot could still happen. They play three consecutive nights - at Lake Erie on Thursday, then home against Charlotte on Friday and Saturday.

Click to enlarge

The Griffins, at 44-21-6-2 will have home-ice advantage for the first round as one of the top four teams in the Western Conference. They are currently third, one point behind San Antonio and two behind Utica, and one ahead of Rockford. Texas, meanwhile, is in fifth and seven points behind Rockford.

Beside the conference race, the Griffins look to hold off Rockford for their second Midwest Division crown in three seasons.

The best-of-five quarterfinals of the Calder Cup Playoffs begin next week, likely either April 22 or 24. Opponents more than 300 highway miles apart play 2-3 format, with the higher seed having the option of opening or finishing at home. Otherwise, it is 2-2-1 pending building availability. I

HOME COOKING

Through 36 games, the Griffins have average of 8,001 fans to Van Andel Arena, which is fifth-best in the league. With two games home games remaining, if the Griffins average 7,979 for the two (and presale is almost there already), the Griffins will surpass 8,000 for the first time since 2000-01 when they average 8,022.

The Griffins have nine sellouts this season, the most since 10 in 2005-06.

SLED WINGS CHAMPS

The Grand Rapids Sled Wings junior team, sponsored by the Griffins Youth Foundation in partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, won the Division A National Championship on Sunday. They defeated two-time defending champion Bennett Blazers 4-2 at the 11th annual USA Disabled Hockey Festival in suburban Buffalo, N.Y.

Sweeping through the three-day Division A tournament, the Sled Wings compiled a 4-0 record while outscoring their opposition by a 27-8 count. With an average age of 13 in an 18-and-younger tournament, the Sled Wings were led by 12-year-old goalie Taggart VanderMolen and 16-year-old defenseman Tanner Gentry, whose 14 goals and 16 points paced all players.

The team will be recognized during the second period of Friday's home game against Charlotte.

Here's a video of the team celebrating:

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.