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Stephen Weiss of the Griffins battles in the corner for the puck during Saturday's game against Lake Erie.

(Robert Wilcox | White Spot Images)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- In two games with Grand Rapids over the weekend, Stephen Weiss matched his two-goal output in 27 games with the Red Wings over a pair of campaigns.

It certainly helps that he finally feels completely healthy for the first time since training camp with Detroit last season, and just in time for a call-up to the Red Wings on Sunday.

"It's always nice to score, but it's just nice to play in the game and feel healthy," Weiss said. "Starting in training camp last year I was playing with one leg and pretty much no stomach, and it's a hard enough league to play at that level when you're healthy, let alone when struggling with injuries."

After scoring at least 49 points from 2008-12 -- and playing at least 76 games every season -Weiss only participated in 44 games the past three seasons due to a myriad of injuries. While his physical health appears to have returned to form, the mental half of his recovery was part of the process of his conditioning stint with the Griffins.

"Coming off a seven-hour travel day in Cleveland, it was a little worrisome, as I was worried that (the groin injury) would tense up," Weiss said. "I was a little tentative early tonight, but that stuff has got to get out of my mind. I just have to trust that everything's fine, and go play."

This was Weiss' second stop with the Griffins this season, as his first attempt to rehab his groin injury in late October resulted in a setback. The second time appears to have been the charm, however, as Griffins coach Jeff Blashill saw an improvement in Weiss' performance just from Friday's game to Saturday's.

"I was real happy with his play and even the progress from last night [Friday] to tonight," Blashill said. "He competed hard on pucks, he was good defensively and he obviously has the offensive ability."

Weiss spent his time on the Griffins' first line with Mitch Callahan and Teemu Pulkkinen Saturday, and that line got Grand Rapids the momentum back after a first-period goal by Lake Erie started off the scoring. Off a nice pass from Callahan, Weiss fired a shot past Monsters goalie Sami Aittokallio and sparked a three-goal first-period burst for the Griffins.

Scoring was Weiss' calling card when he excelled as a Florida Panther, and he's looking to get back to being that player when he returns to Detroit Sunday.

"I'm looking forward to being healthy now, being able to play and play consistently," Weiss said.

Although Weiss was not in Grand Rapids for long, his veteran presence did have an effect on some of the Griffins' players, including first-round draft pick Anthony Mantha.

"It feels good to have Stephen here," Mantha said. "He helped us a lot this weekend, and I hope for him that he goes back up and does a lot."

That's the plan now for Weiss, who hopes this will have to be the last rehabilitation he will have to do for a while.

"I've put in a lot of work," Weiss said. "I've changed up some things I've been doing off the ice as well, and that seems to be really helping."

Weiss hopes to return to the lineup for the Red Wings' next game - Monday at home against Ottawa - but knows he can only control what he does.

"I'll go back at it Monday, and if I'm not in (the lineup) Monday I'll keep grinding it out and get in sometime soon, and hopefully play well enough to keep going," Weiss said.