Two weeks ago, the Grand Rapids Griffins were pushing for the best record in the Western Conference and home-ice in the playoffs.

On Sunday, they barely made the AHL playoffs.

Yeah, it has been a heck of a change.

The Central Division battle remained ridiculously close down the stretch with seven of eight teams in contention for four playoff spots. That it was the Griffins who ended up grasping the No. 4 spot was a testament to its tightness, but even more a reflection of the team's poor play to close out the season.

Once a team in first or second place for all but one game from Jan. 9, the Griffins went winless in nine straight (0-8-1-0), including four at home. They capped off the regular season with three losses last week by a combined score of 16-4.

By then it was out of their control as they made the playoffs shortly after a 4-1 loss Saturday and then slipped to a No. 4 seed Sunday as Milwaukee defeated Rockford on the final day of the season.

They now have a week to figure out how to fix themselves before they play at No. 1-seed Chicago on Friday to open the best-of-five divisional semifinals.

If looking for positives, the Griffins also have a week to calm down and settle in. Their season ended with seven games in 14 days, including a California swing, after a six-game road trip over 11 days in mid-March.

Here are five things that need to change:

Special teams

A problem all season, special teams was painfully exposed in the final week. The power play, which finished second to last at 14.2 percent, was 0-for-13 the past three games and often struggled to get set offensively.

The penalty kill wasn't much better. Last Wednesday, Iowa converted 3-of-5 opportunities. The Griffins, 29th on the PK at 78.5 percent, have allowed at least one power play goal in 11 consecutive games.

Better starts

It's hard to win playing from behind. During the nine-game winless streak, the Griffins have two goals in the first period total, and they have been outscored 22-7 in the first two periods.

Part of the problem has been penalties. During the skid, 10 of the 22 goals in those first two periods came on the power play.

The Griffins also have been whistled for more infractions than opponents in eight of nine. They've had a least three penalties in the first 20 minutes in six of those games.

Defensive play must improve

At the start of last week, the Griffins got back four key defensemen from the Red Wings, three of whom spent most of the season in Grand Rapids in Dylan McIlrath, Joe Hicketts and Jake Chelios. Plus, they got back a confident Filip Hronek, who played in Detroit like he will be staying there next season.

Then, the defense allowed 16 goals in three games.

In addition to the four blueliners above, the Griffins also have veteran Brian Lashoff plus prospects Dennis Cholowski, Libor Sulak and Vili Saarjarvi to form the deepest - perhaps too deep - defensive corps in years.

The group needs to figure it out because it's not like they're allowing a lot of shots a game (just over 27 the past three).

Settle the goaltending

Harri Sateri and Patrik Rybar were a steady under-the-radar combo in goal most of the season. Then, Sateri broke a broke in his finger on his blocker hand in the first period against Chicago on March 29 and nothing has been the same since. Rybar, once among the league leaders in save percentage and goals against, allowed at least three goals in the next four, gave up five in an overtime loss and then was crushed with seven against Iowa last Wednesday.

Sateri came back earlier than expected in a 4-1 loss to Manitoba on Friday and then Rybar got the start Saturday at Milwaukee. That proved to be a wrong choice as he allowed three goals on three shots in the opening two minutes before Sateri came in.

It would seem the Griffins have to ride Sateri. The team signed Filip Larson on Monday to a three-year entry level contract that begins in the 2019-20 season, but he will sign an amateur contract and be around for the playoffs if needed.

More needed from stars new and old

Veteran AHL star Chris Terry and Red Wings top forward prospect Filip Zadina haven't been as productive as needed. Terry, who was battling for the league's goal-scoring title through early March, has two goals in the past 16 games and is still looking for that power play knack he displayed in the past. He had five PP goals in the regular season after 14 and 19 each of the two previous seasons, with Laval and St. John's, respectively.

Zadina, meanwhile, came back March 16 after a promising nine-game stint with the Red Wings and has produced one goal and three assists in 14 games.