Griffins 2012 first practic.JPG

Tom McCollum, who enters his fifth season with the Griffins, will start in the season opener. He started 31 games last season with a 2.63 goals against average and two shutouts.

(MLive file photo)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Would Grand Rapids Griffins coach Jeff Blashill like more time to get his roster settled before the season starts?

Definitely.

Does that matter to him with the season opener tonight?

Definitely not.

“I think we’re prepared in a lot of areas,” Blashill said. “Our philosophy of how we want to play is solid. It’s hard to tell where we need to be in specialty teams, but that’s based on the reality of not having the group together long enough.

“But with that said, boy, we better be ready to execute (on Friday). These two points are critical.”

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The Griffins open the season in New York, the state where the team finished last season with the Calder Cup trophy. However, this time the Griffins bused to Rochester, not Syracuse, for tonight’s 7 p.m. opener. The Griffins play in Toronto on Saturday.

Tom McCollum will start in goal, Blashill said, with newcomer Jared Coreau to start against Toronto. Petr Mrazek, last year’s starter, remains in Detroit as Jimmy Howard’s backup.

The top line to start will be center Calle Jarnkrok flanked by Tomas Jurco and Gustav Nyquist, Blashill said. The second line with be center Luke Glendening with Jeff Hoggan and Teemu Pulkkinen. Blashill was uncertain Friday on the other two lines with one more forward expected to be moved.

Forward Landon Ferraro, third on the team in scoring last year (24-23-47) is expected out another week with a foot injury.

Unlike the lockout last year, which provided little player movement and a relatively calm camp, the Griffins’ roster this preseason has been a revolving door with Detroit. Mrazek, for one, has been shuffled between locations twice the past two weeks. That has also made it difficult for Blashill to decide on his power play and penalty kill teams.

Nyquist is not expected to remain in Grand Rapids for long, while Mrazek is expected back in Grand Rapids once Jonas Gustavsson is healthy.

Defensively, Blashill has been impressed with Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul, although Ouellet spent much of camp in Detroit. Another expected to anchor the blueline is Adam Almquist, who also got an extended look in Detroit.

NOTE

The Griffins will face two former team captains against Rochester in Matt Ellis and Jamie Tardif. Ellis, the Amerks current captain, played for the Griffins from 2003-07 and is eighth all-time in scoring with 153 points. Tardif, with the Griffins from 2006-11, is seventh with 154. It's the first time they will face their former team.

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