Post Game: Condors 3, Grizzlies 1

Grizzlies lose.

In some sort of sick April Fool's day twist, the Grizzlies played surprisingly well but still lost to the Condors 3-1 in front of a record high crowd. There were a few breakdowns - which of course lead to Bakersfield's goals - and some missed chances, but otherwise not much that we have to complain about.

Great job by both goalies. Engelage had some help in front of the net and only allowed 2 goals on 33 shots. However, we do have to give some respect to Condor's goalie Stewart who had a wildly successful game, stopping 39 of the 40 Grizzlies' shots he saw. Damn.

The boys played some good defense and had a much better effort on the forecheck than we've seen in their recent losing streak. While the first goal from Bakersfield came in the 1st, Utah was able to calm things down and keep the Condors at bay until the 3rd. The Grizzlies' sole goal was shorthanded from Carpentier and Carroll who were probably happy to get such an essential goal after getting their asses kicked so heinously on the road.

Nice job on the PK; would love to see the power play come together again.

Get the win tomorrow to close out the season, boys.

Stars of the Game -

1. BAK - S. Goulet
2. UTA - H. Carpentier
3. BAK - B. Stewart

Links -
post game || Record-High Crowd Sees Grizzlies Fall 3-1
gamesheet || Bakersfield at Utah - 4/1/11
highlights || Game Highlights 4/1/11 vs Bakersfield
interview || Leigh Mendleson 4/1/11 post game
interview || David Schulz 4/1/11 intermission

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Victoria Salmon Kings

It's a good thing the Grizzlies have already clinched a playoff spot because their 9-2 loss in Victoria on Wednesday did nothing to help their position in the division. That's all we're going to say about that. From here, it's all about moving on.

The Grizzlies have two more games against Victoria this Friday and Saturday. We'd play the "if" game and go through all the scenarios that could happen if they win and get the four points, but that involves a lot more math than we like on a Friday. We'll just say that there are a lot of factors now determining where Utah will start out in the playoffs - some of which they don't have any control over - and that the 4 points available this weekend really can't hurt. More than the points, we'd like to see the team come out and really try to get themselves in the right mindset to go into the playoffs. It's been a little rough lately, and they're going to need some momentum coming down the stretch. We're just not seeing that with the 3-6-0-1 record they're sporting in their last 10.

If the Grizzlies need a spark right now, it may come in the return of goalie Andrew Engelage to the team. Engelage was doing a terrific job for Utah before joining the Toronto Marlies and could just be the piece they need to get back on track. If he can steal a couple, maybe the team can gain some confidence in their game and make a mental comeback in time for the playoffs. It's not that they lack the ability to win, they just seem to have a hard time focusing recently. They'll need that in the next few weeks, especially if they want to stretch that out to the next few months. The team is also expecting captain Simon Ferguson and Brent Gauvreau back in the lineup this weekend. Riley Emmerson has also returned from Bridgeport, but will not join the team in Victoria this weekend.

Before that thing on Wednesday that we're not talking about, Victoria had lost 5 in a row in series against Alaska and Bakersfield. In those 5 games, Victoria had 8 goals - 1 less than Wednesday's thing, so we figure they've used up their goal allotment for the next 6 games at least, if not the rest of their season. That said, the Grizzlies will want to keep the fish from scoring first, as Victoria's record on such occasions is 24-8-2. Another thing the Grizzlies can take advantage of is their power play - Utah ranks 2nd on the road with a 23.1% success rate. We're not suggesting they get themselves punched in the face or anything - in fact, we'd prefer no one get suspended this weekend - but taking advantage of any power play opportunities that arise would be recommended.

We're coming down to the wire. The Grizzlies have 9 games left in the regular season to get their act together. They won't have time to do it in the playoffs. Games start at 8:05 pm this weekend. You can listen on 1230 KFAN.

Post-weekend scramble

Today's Magic Number (straight from utahgrizzlies.com)
The Grizzlies magic number for clinching a playoff spot is eight. Each time Utah wins or Ontario loses in regulation, two points will be shaved off the number.

The Las Vegas Wranglers and the Alaska Aces were the first two teams to clinch a play-off spot this season. How do we feel about that? Boo. These two teams have proved tough for the Grizzlies lately.

This weekend Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames became only the 10th player in NHL history to score 30 or more goals in 10 consecutive seasons. He joins the like of Wayne Gretzky , Bobby Hull, and Jaromir Jagr. He did the even after a slow start, only score 2 goals in 15 games.

This article by Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune was featured on the Grizzlies site. In it, he calls February a disaster for the Grizzlies. Part of this was blamed on the loss of players such as Jake Gannon, Nick Tuzzolino, and Andrew Engelage.

"It’s definitely an adjustment. You start seeing that anybody can beat anybody in this league if you don’t bring your best every night."--Kevin Deeth

Another article in the Tribune feels a little more upbeat about the situation. "The Utah Grizzlies didn’t just end their seasonlong seven-game winless streak Saturday at the Maverik Center — they did so with authority." In comparing Saturday night's game to a professional wrestling match, it echoes the sentiment "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." 118 penalty minutes and 10 game misconducts? Definitely a WWE event.

“Tonight was just a matter of putting the nail in the coffin,” Kevin Deeth said. “We let teams hang around. We get a lead and then give it up. We didn’t let up after we got up one or two, we kept pouring on ’em.”

So what do you think? Which article seems more upbeat about the Grizz?

18 more: 9 at home, 9 away

Rough weekend for the Grizzlies, losing both games to the Wranglers. Two things come to mind when thinking over these games: Shoot more, and quit taking penalties at the end of the game. Sounds easy to us, right? On Friday, Las Vegas out shot the Grizzlies in the second period by some atrocious ratio around 4,395 to 4. Saturday, the Grizzlies were leading until the last 3 minutes, when they took some penalties which lead to Las Vegas scoring 2 power play goals for the win. Like I said, sounds easy to us office working, desk sitting, internet-surfing-for-hockey-news mortals.

In happy news, Saturday's game drew a big crowd as nearly 7,000 people (and a couple hundred dogs) watched the game. Over $12,000 was raised for the Angel's Hands Foundation.

More happy news: Andrew Engelage (who was called up last week to the Toronto Marlies) won his debut on Saturday in a shoot out, and again today saving 33 of 37 shots. Way to go, Andrew. Do we keep cheering him on, hoping he continues to do well and stay at this level level, or do you want him to end up back in Utah? It's kind of a catch 22, isn't it?

Our NHL affiliate, the Calgary Flames shut-out the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic yesterday. (Totally random note: I like the set up and look of that game re-cap page) It sounds like the game was a fun (like outdoor games should be), cold game. Good thing they had heated benches! The Flames are currently in a play-off position.

Game Day - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers

There seems to be a shortage of games this week, and nothing at home for the Grizzlies. Hopefully you've already pulled out your Costco card and picked up your rations to make it through the famine. ($2.50 off a giant tub of cookie dough with coupon until the end of the month.) They'll make up for it next week, when they have 4 home games in 5 days. But for now, there's only one game, and it's tonight in Vegas, baby.

The Las Vegas Wranglers currently lead the Western Conference by 4 points. The Grizzlies are in 2nd... still. Utah has its next three games against, Vegas while the Wranglers have a couple of games this weekend against Victoria sandwiched in the middle. So again, the Wranglers come out with the upper hand, having more chances to get points than Utah. That makes these games against Vegas all the more important. The Grizzlies can't just worry about earning points, they've got to be about keeping Las Vegas from getting them. NO OVERTIME!!! Just our suggestion.

Another suggestion would be to not let the Wranglers score first. They have a record of 21-3-3 when they get the first goal in a game. This is kind of a weird statistic and we don't really know what it means, but they always report so it must be important. We are all for getting the first goal anyway. Or not letting your opponent score first. Either way works for us.

We know that Andrew Engelage has been stellar in net for the Grizzlies, and again earned Goalie of the Week honors, but Las Vegas recently got Michael Ouzas back from Peoria. Oddly enough, this is where Utah just sent captain Jake Gannon. We're kind of confused about this, but then again, we're confused about most things to do with moving players around, so everything is status quo. Anyway, Ouzas is currently ranked 6th in the league in GAA (goals against average). Engelage is 3rd in that statistic. We're thinking that last meeting between the two where Engelage got a shutout and Ouzas gave up 5 goals may have had something to do with that. We'd like to see a repeat performance. However, we think Vegas might still remember that, and might possibly be ticked, so we'll settle for a win. In regulation.

The Grizzlies will get Paul Crowder back in the lineup tonight. This is perfect timing - before he went out with injuries, he had two goals and two assists in two games against the Wranglers in November. It would be great if he picked up right where he left off. We're sure Timmy will be happy to see Paulie back in the game. Especially if they're also roommates, because having to watch your brother play while you can't has got to make a guy kind of cranky.

Only game of the week tonight. Puck drops at 8:05 pm. Hang with Adrian Denny on 1230 KFAN while you inventory your toilet paper and cookie dough.

Another beaming goaltending report

The Grizzlies have had an amazing season so far, and it would be hard to pick the biggest factor to this, but might we suggest the goaltending? Andrew Engelage was again named as goaltender of the week in the ECHL for January 31-February 6. He earned this nomination earlier in January as well. He is currently tied for 3rd in the league with 17 wins. Last week he only allowed 8 goals in 4 games. (Photo from the Salt Lake Tribune)

Former Grizz goaltender, Mikko Koskinen, was called up to the NHL to play with the Islanders. This is the second former Grizzlies goaltender called up to the NHL this season. Here is a great stat for your enjoyment: Koskinen was 6-0-0 in his games with the Grizzlies. Maybe he didn't play here long, but let's at least assume that his time playing here helped his development. J.P. Lamoureux played with the Grizzlies and was named the goaltender of the week before being called up to the Abbotsford Heat. Go ahead, count how many that is. Yup, 3 goaltenders called up from our team, and another with 2 goaltender of the week honors in 1 month.

Speaking of being called up and re-assigned back to a team, the ECHL posted an article about this very thing. The first point is that it is a way of life for professional hockey players. A player might be called up to fill a spot due to injury or illness, then often re-assigned back down. What does he get from this? Experience. That is an important part of the process, and it can be very beneficial to his "home" team.

Often overlooked is the fact that many players recalled often return to bolster ECHL rosters, particularly come playoff time, allowing fans the opportunity to witness great talent at a critical time of year.

Plus it keeps things interesting.

Post Game: Grizzlies 2, Thunder 1

Grizzlies win against Stockton. Sweet.

This was definitely a disciplined game against the Thunder. Only six minors were committed by Utah during this game and only one power play goal was allowed by the Grizzlies. This is how we like to see Utah play against Stockton. While the Thunder outshot the Grizzlies in each period, Utah didn't allow any major momentum changes throughout the game or allow Stockton to control the emotional level of the game. We hope to see this going into tomorrow night's game as well. Keep your heads, boys.

Another great game by Engelage, who only allowed the one power play goal on 28 shots. Amazing.

Parnham continues his goal streak as well, scoring the game winner for the boys and tallying his 14th of the season. That puts him on top of the bunch for goals scored in 2010-11. This makes us happy - we like Brett Parnham.

Rematch tomorrow at 8:30pm.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - A. Engelage
2. UTA - B. Parnham
3. STK - J. Gimblett

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Earn Big Road Win In Stockton
gamesheet || Utah at Stockton - 2/4/11
highlights || Game Highlights 2/4/11 at Stockton
interview || Matt Clarke 2/4/11 intermission

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder

The Grizzlies are on the road this weekend in Stockton, California, home to the ever-popular Asparagus Festival. Fortunately that isn't until April, so there should be no distractions for the team. Let's just hope they don't play Stockton in the playoffs.

The Grizz are coming off a recent successful home stand where they came up with 7 of 8 points. Their last game against Vegas was won in particularly commanding fashion, cutting down the current conference leaders 5-0. That's right - we said the Wranglers are the current conference leaders. We're not necessarily complaining about that, but the Grizzlies are 2nd, and only two points away, which makes this weekend pretty important. The Grizzlies have two games this weekend followed by 4 days off, then one game next week and another 4 days off. That's a lot of not playing hockey, so they need to make these games count to stay in the race. The Wranglers will play 6 games in the time Utah plays 3.

Stockton has been on a tear lately, winning 7 of their last 10 games, and moving up the conference ladder. They're 6 points behind the Grizzlies, with only Idaho in between. It should be easy enough to climb over those potatoheads, as long as it's not at the Grizzlies' expense. The Thunder are 20-8-6 when outshooting their opponent, so we think it will be important for the Grizzlies to 1) take plenty of shots on goal, and 2) keep Stockton's shot count down. Of course, that's nothing they shouldn't be doing anyway, so we'll just keep our coaching advice to ourselves. What do we know anyway?

With the way they played at home recently, we're hoping Utah can keep it up for their next three games. This will depend a lot on goaltender Andrew Engelage staying on top of his game and healthy. According to Coach Colley, Engelage is the team's backbone. He has consistently been able to bail the team out when they have breakdowns and keep them in the game. Not to mention that pretty slick 5-0 shutout on Wednesday night.

Now, you may or may not recall that Stockton and Utah don't really get along very well. In fact, the last time these two teams got together for a weekend, the infamous stick-tossing incident occurred. Not that it wasn't one of the highlights of the season, but starting that game off with a fight didn't seem to be the right choice for the Grizzlies, as everything kind of went ice jungle from there on out. We would say it would be wise for the team to stay out of as many distracting, momentum-killing altercations as possible while in Stockton. We don't want any Rick DiPietro situations. (Out 4-6 weeks from a punch in the face - ugh.)

Chance for 4 points this weekend. We're going for Grizzlies win and Wranglers lose. Stockton is in there somewhere. The fun starts at 8:30 pm.

Post Game: Grizzlies 5, Wranglers 0

Grizzlies win.

We can honestly say we weren't expecting this one. We thought the game would be a bit tighter, but the Grizzlies really broke out here to make for one amazing game. Denny said that the boys caught Vegas on an off night, but we'd rather look at it as Vegas caught Utah on an ON night.

The name of the offensive game for the Grizzlies was timing. Timing made Carpentier's goal work, we can't say enough about May's timing on the shorthanded goal, and Parnham swooping in just in time to push a rebound in for the fourth goal was brilliance. Both Deeth (3a) and Ferguson (1g, 2a) had three point games, while Hugo picked up 2 points (1g, 1a).

Engelage was on fire: 40 saves for the shutout. And while the boys may have hung Andy out to dry a bit in the 3rd as Colley put it, we have to say that they made just as many necessary defensive clears on rebounds as Engelage made saves. Just a great performance from everyone.

On to Stockton . . .

Game Photos -



Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - K. Deeth
2. UTA - S. Ferguson
3. UTA - A. Engelage

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Blank Las Vegas 5-0: Win Battle Of Division Leaders
gamesheet || Las Vegas at Utah - 2/2/11
highlights || Game Highlights 2/2/11 vs Las Vegas
photos || 2/2/11 - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers
interview || Kevin Colley 2/2/11 post game
interview || Hugo Carpentier 2/2/11 intermission

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Ontario Reign

After a nice little All-Star break, the Grizzlies welcome the Reign to the Maverik Center this weekend. We hope they've got their heads all cleared out, and maybe had some good practices, because the Grizzlies are no longer at the top of the Western Conference.

Shocking. Absolutely tear-jerking.

The fall from the top spot was a combination of the Grizzlies having a few not so great games, and Las Vegas really picking it up and winning 7 of their last 10. We know it's not the end of the world, and we're not all that upset - 2nd is still pretty good. But 1st is better than 2nd. Hence the numbering system. We're posting the sign until they're back from 2nd.

Anyway, the Reign are currently in last place in the conference, and have lost 6 of their last 10. So have the Grizzlies. Just an odd little congruency we thought we'd throw in for no particular reason. The Reign, however, are also last place in the league with only 28 points. This is exactly the kind of position that can make a team dangerous because they have nothing to lose. Sitting back and trying to hold their spot makes no sense, so they may as well go all-out and see what happens. Utah is going to want to keep this in mind, as sitting back is probably not their best option at this point either. There is still a lot of hockey to be played between now and April, and anything could happen. Oh, and keep an eye out for Ontario's lone All-Star representative, Aaron Lewadniuk - we hear he's got a great shot. Plus we really liked this feature on him.


According to Adrian Denny's game day blog, the Grizzlies should have their All-Star Captain (that has a nice ring to it), Jake Gannon, in the lineup tonight. It will be good to see him back on the ice here in Utah - we've missed him. We'll also see the two new guys - Brandon Milnamow and Maxime Tanguay. We're looking forward to seeing how they fit in. No updates on Andrew Engelage, which is maybe good news. We hope to see him uninjured and back in the net. The rest of the cast should be ready to play as well, and we're looking for them to rebound after some disappointing games last week. If you haven't yet read the article from Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune (no, we didn't make that up), check it out. Great article, and it really shows how these guys want to win together. A few little setbacks aren't going to cloud their overall goal - to win a championship.

With Friday being a "Pack the House Night" where all tickets are $5 with a Maverik receipt, we expect a great crowd to cheer the team on and start this weekend right. If you haven't got your tickets already, you'll want to hurry - they've gone fast in the past.

Games in town Friday, Saturday and Monday. Come see the Grizzlies claw their way back up to the top.

Game Day: Idaho Steelheads

Idaho tonight.


The Grizzlies are currently tied for the top position in the league for points. The boys are looking to keep it that way, while extending their current win streak to 4 games.

Special teams on both the Utah and Idaho side will be a big factor in this matchup. The Grizzlies are at the top of the pack with a power play conversion percentage of 23.6, which is pretty stellar - until you realize that the Steelheads sit at second in the league on the penalty kill. We've seen these stats in action during the last series between these two teams. Utah went 0 for 6 on the man advantage in a penalty heavy game and lost 6-3, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Idaho PK.

However, the Grizzlies have some not-so-secret weapons up their sleeve in their rookie line of Deeth, Donovan, and Carroll. Kevin Deeth currently leads Utah in points against the Steelheads with 3 goals and 6 assists. Carroll is not far behind with 3 goals and 5 assists against Idaho. And let's not forget the spectacular showing from Ferguson in Ontario this weekend.

Also on Utah's side is the recently awarded Goalie of the Week Andrew Engelage. With a SV% of 0.924, he currently sits at second in the league for save percentage. And over his last 3 wins, he allowed an average of only 1.67 goals. That's one beauty of a GAA number.

Puck drops at 7:05 tonight. If you're a student, you get in for $5 with an ID. If you're attending at all, you get $2 food specials.

And Andrew Engelage for the win.

Congratulations to Andrew Engelage as the Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week!


Engelage went 3-0-0 this last week and had a - get this - 1.67 GAA for those games. His save percentage was 0.937, just above his total SV% which sits at 0.924 and puts him in at second in the league. He's also fifth in GAA. Color us impressed. Always looking solid in net, we're definitely fans of Engelage's size and style.

Goaltending has been a big boon for the Grizzlies this season. And with Utah's netminders earning back to back Goaltender of the Week awards (Lamoureux 12/27-1/2, Engelage 1/3-1/8), we don't feel overzealous in saying that this is the hottest goalie duo in the league right now. Apparently, the ECHL agrees.

Even with Lamoureux in the AHL, the Grizzlies can depend on Engelage, who - for us at the UGB - has proved himself invaluable this season in net. This kind of solid reassurance can't be overstated enough for Grizzlies' fans who have often had to rely on shaky backup goaltenders when callups or injuries snatch away their prized starters.

Though Utah started with a strong duo, the unofficial goalie development in the Grizzlies system has also been a bonus for these boys. It has helped them develop their skills even further in a league where goalies like Ouzas and Grumet-Morris grace the stage. So what makes the difference?

Start with Assistant Coach Leigh Mendelson, who played as a goalie during his hockey career and has worked with goalies in the past. While the ECHL doesn't have goaltending coaches, this sort of background in an assistant coach can build a better goalie system in spades. On top of Mendelson's background and efforts toward helping his netminders, both Engelage and Lamoureux work with and learn from each other during practices. As Engelage puts it, "There's nothing better than having a second pair of eyes. You can't always critique yourself or grade what you're doing, so it's great to have somebody else watching." And we definitely feel that it shows. Whether it's back to back shutouts or or stopping 74 SOG in a week, Utah can definitely depend on their goalies to save the day.


In other news, Jason Fredricks has been traded to the Ontario Reign for future considerations. Coach Colley's statement, according to the Utah Grizzlies' website, is that “We’re deep right now on defensemen and wanted to give Jason a chance to go and play every night.” Funny, we said the same thing when we read it on the ECHL website. (Always nice to know we can read Colley's mind . . . sometimes.) We thought Fredricks was a great d-man to have, making some genuine and timely efforts. But we're also pretty pleased with the defense that Utah has in place right now, so it's nice to see Fredricks go to a team that needs some help. Badly. (No offense, Ontario.)

Best of luck, Jason!

Post Game: Grizzlies 4, Wranglers 1

And Utah completes its sweep of the Wranglers.

While we know the boys have it in them, we weren't expecting this, particularly with the slow start the Grizzlies had in the 1st. But Utah picked things up and by the 2nd period, the match was looking a lot more like Wednesday's game.

The PK was looking sharp once again, killing all 5 short-handed situations.

Matt Clarke was awarded a goal after being smacked down in front of an empty net. It seemed a bit odd to us, but apparently it's standard to award a goal if a player is hauled down on an uncontested breakaway in front of an empty net. Hey, we're not going to complain.

Andrew Engelage was on his game tonight, stopping 38 of 39, with the one goal allowed a serious beauty of a slapper through traffic from the point. Any other chances Vegas had were stopped short by the 6'5" goalie, whose save percentage now sits at 0.923. Awesome job.

Victoria tomorrow night at 7:05pm.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - C. Donovan
2. UTA - B. Parnham
3. UTA - A. Engelage

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Beat Vegas Again: Win 4-1
gamesheet || Las Vegas at Utah - 12/17/10
highlights || Game Highlights 12/17/10 vs Las Vegas
interview || Kevin Colley 12/17/10 post game
interview || Michael Gergen 12/17/10 intermission

Grizzlies Live - And the answer is . . . True

This week Denny was joined by Assistant Coach Leigh Mendelson, Brock Wilson, and Andrew Engelage for Grizzlies Live.

We learned that Colley likes to look at the Grizzlies at the top of the league standings almost as much as we do. It's awesome to see your team high in the standings, but Mendelson put this in perspective: "By yourself you can look at the standings and smile, but as a team you need to keep a clear mindset each night." We liked that.

Mendelson also addressed the Grizzlies winning road trip, where the boys went 4-0 over the Thanksgiving weekend. He commented on Emmerson's positive influence on the bench, even when Riley is playing grocery stick. Talk also included Brett Parnham and his spectacular week; Brett took full advantage of his top line opportunity to make a big impression in the league.

Denny then turned attention to Brock Wilson's goal. Brock expressed his surprise that he got that goal, since he was trying to center the puck for Parnham. "When Parnham skated over to me after the goal, he let me know it was mine," Wilson said. "I could have sworn he'd gotten it." Andy piped in with his two cents, joking "I think it was just a poor centering attempt that ended up in the net."

Brock also discussed his confidence in the Grizzlies goalies, JP and Andy, as well as his summer work with youth hockey groups. He also shared that his Thanksgiving dinner was from the 7-11. Tasty.

Engelage discussed his roll with Reading in the playoffs last season, along with playing with former Grizzlies Olivier LaBelle and Ryan Cruthers. When asked what he thought of the Royals coming from behind 3-0 to tie the series and lose in Game 7, Andy responded that he felt it was a lack of mental preparation: "I think some of the guys went into the series expecting that we'd win at least one. And you can't really do that and expect to get the win."

Denny and the boys ended the evening with a quiz of Bakersfield or West Valley City, since they've spent more time in Bakersfield than on home ice. Our favorite part? Denny asked the question "The movie The Sandlot was filmed near West Valley City or Bakersfield?" Andrew, missing the Bakersfield option, answered with a confident "True." After a pause, Brock responded with a confused "West Valley City." This is why a goalie needs his defensemen. (Kidding . . .)

Yeah, that's about the face we made too, Squints.

Next Grizzlies Live airs December 7, at 7pm on 1230AM.

Post Game: Aces 5, Grizzlies 4 (OT)

Grizzlies lose in OT, pick up a point.

Unfortunately, we called this one. Sitting in 121 with the 3rd goal just under the Grizzlies belts and half the game left to play, I leaned over to fellow blogger Joni and muttered, "These boys have a tendency to lose their lead. 4-4 going into overtime."

It is a little disheartening to watch a 3-0 lead go down the drain. We've seen it happen before, where the other team takes advantage of simple mistakes that Utah makes. One of Alaska's goals formulated on a 3-on-1, where defense was just not in position. It happens. Sometimes the Grizzlies get lucky when they take an on-ice breather. But when the opposing team pushes the advantage, it makes Utah's miscalculation that much more apparent. Assistant Coach Leigh Mendleson articulated on this in his post game, stating "We haven't learned our lesson yet. We haven't learned that once you get a lead going you don't sit back, you don't play the scoreboard, you don't feel good about things. You put your work boots on a little tighter and you finish the game."

But now for the good. The Crowder boys lit things up again, with 3 points (1g, 2a) for Tim and 2 for Paul (2a). Kevin Deeth, playing with the Crowder line, also lit up the scoreboard with 2 points (1g, 1a) of his own.

We also wanted to shine on Jason Fredricks. We'd actually been commenting on Fredricks' defense throughout the night. He was always where the puck was and from that was able to generate his first goal of the season with the Crowder line. Nicely done. Andrew Engelage made some amazing saves through the night, stopping 32 of 37. After all of his hard work, it was difficult to see the game go on such an easy goal, which we're sure he'd love to have back. And Riley Emmerson picked up his first point of the season with an assist and added another fight to his resume. Overall, it was an entertaining game for the 7,887 fans in attendance.

Rematch tonight at the Maverik Center @ 7:00pm.

Stars of the Game -

1. AK - B. Miller
2. UTA - T. Crowder
3. AK - K. Falite

Game Photos -



Links -
post game || 7,887 See Alaska Take Overtime Contest In Utah
gamesheet || Alaska at Utah - 11/19/10
highlights || Game Highlights 11/19/10 vs Alaska
photos || 11/19/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Alaska Aces
interview || Leigh Mendleson 11/19/10 post game
interview || Kevin Deeth 11/19/10 interview

Post Game: Grizzlies 4, Condors 2

Grizzlies win. Bakersfield looked so depressed we wanted to feel bad for them, but we figured turnabout is fair play.

While the talk of the night was definitely the Snetsinger hat trick, we also wanted to highlight the goaltending of the second star of the game. Engelage was solid throughout the show, stopping the first 24 shots he saw. It's hard to express how much solid goaltending has done for this Grizzlies team on the back end, but Andrew definitely carries his weight and more in every contest. Thumbs up.

We noticed Riley Armstrong shares his brother's habit for checking himself into the boards.

We couldn't help but notice that the boys started out the 2nd period a little sloppy yet again, but were fortunate enough to hold on until the shorthanded second goal put some wind in their sails. There were some pretty goals in this game. And of course, Brad Snetsinger with a hat trick, which means we get to post this:


Nicely done, Brad.

We could snark about the power play, but . . . we're not gonna.

And also, just a quick hats off to former Grizzly Vladimir Nikiforov for his power play goal which brought the Condors to 2.

The only question we were left with at the end of the night was - what in the hell is the goalie from Slap Shot doing in Bakersfield?


He did want to get traded after all . . .

Go Grizzlies!

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - B. Snetsinger
2. UTA - A. Engelage
3. BAK - J. Lepine

Links -

post game || Grizzlies Continue To Roll On Road: Beat Bakersfield 4-2
gamesheet || Utah @ Bakersfield - 11/10/10
highlights || Game Highlights 11/10/10 at Bakersfield
interview || Paul Crowder 11/10/10 intermission

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Idaho Steelheads

Happy Halloween!

Will it be a trick or a treat for the Grizzlies this weekend when they once again face the Idaho Steelheads for two more games? We consulted our crystal ball, but the future looks partly cloudy with a chance of showers, so we're not sure. This is definitely the weekend for treats, however, so we're hoping the Grizzlies can come out and play Idaho tough two more times.

The Steelheads had a strong showing in their first game of the season, shutting out Victoria 5-0, but since then they've struggled. They've dropped their last three games like Jason dropping bodies on Friday the 13th. Their last three games have gone to overtime, so they've picked up points, but it hasn't been enough to keep them from last place in the division.

Wednesday's shootout victory was the Grizzlies' first match up against the Steelheads this season. The Grizz seem committed to playing hard this season, and it's been paying off for them. Idaho is always a tough opponent though, and we're sure the coaching staff has drilled it into the Grizzlies' heads that they can't let up. They still have a chance to get 6 out of 6 points this weekend, which would keep them at the top of the division.

Andrew Engelage is expected to be in net again tonight for the Grizzlies. He had a great showing in his first game with the team, so we're hoping he's just getting started.

Tricks or treats? Well, we'd consider a hat trick for the Grizzlies a better treat than candy for Halloween. No sugar crash from that one.

Six out of six - let's do it, boys.

Post Game: Grizzlies 4, Steelheads 3 (SO)

We missed the first goal of the game because of traffic school - thanks, City of American Fork. We got home just in time to see the long string of penalties that the Grizzlies committed. Stay out of the damn box, boys (. . . Chad)! Eight short handed situations in this game with two Idaho goals allowed.

But the real game was the 5 minute overtime period with the 4-on-3 penalty kill. Utah controlled the puck for most of the 5 minute stretch picking up 6 SOG, which was just one shot less than their entire 20 minute 3rd period. And even after going shorthanded at the worst possible moment, the boys were able to drive the game to a shootout. Now, this is Grizzlies hockey.

Also, this was definitely a game for firsts. First pro goals for Deeth, Ruegsegger, and Carroll. First time in net this season for Andrew Engelage. First point of the season for Chad Denny. And we'd definitely be remiss in not saying congrats to all! Engelage stopped 41 of 44 in his season debut, and stopped 4 of 4 in the shootout.

Outside of the action on the ice, we really have to give props to this guy:


Everyone watching on the B2 will know exactly what I'm talking about. But for those of you who weren't, just imagine this guy doing a dance somewhere between a booty shake and the Jump on It dance from Fresh Prince to C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat" and you'll have a pretty close visual. We salute you, random Idaho fan.

Let's go for Friday!

Stars of the Game -

1. IDH - M. Derlago
2. UTA - K. Deeth
3. IDH - J. Swanson


Links -
post game || Grizzlies Top Idaho 4-3 In Shootout
gamesheet || Utah at Idaho - 10/27/10
highlights || Game Hightlights 10/27/10 at Idaho
interview || Hugo Carpentier 10/27/10 intermission

Game Day: Idaho Steelheads

Ah, the Idaho Steelheads.

After splitting a two game preseason series with the Steelheads, the Grizzlies look to start their 8 game road trip on the right foot. According to Adrian's blog this morning, it may be an uphill battle: "Last year, Utah was outshot 361-252 in 10 games played here and outscored 10-7 in the first period while being outshot 110-68 in the opening frames." On top of these stats, Idaho's goalie Mike Zacharias is tied for fifth in the league with a 2.01 goals-against average, which means Utah will need to look sharp in all areas tonight.

The Grizzlies picked up some new help this week in the form of defenseman Nick Tuzzolini and forwards Kevin Deeth and Tyler Ruegsegger. D-man Tuzzolino is no stranger to Grizzlies fans, having spent 2 seasons in Alaska and should add to the experience of the defensive lines. Deeth adds speed and a strong, accurate shot to the front end, while Ruegsegger brings an ability to take the puck to the net for the goal. This will be much needed with Parnham out on the 21-day IR. We found a nice goal of Ruegsegger's on YouTube and fans should recognize former Grizzly Tom May in the clip as well.



Andrew Engelage will get his first start of the season. Derlago is the man to watch out for, leading the Steelheads with 4 goals.

Game starts tonight at 7:10 pm, and the pregame show at 6:40, on 1230 KFAN-2 or you can watch online at the B2 Network which is probably what we'll be doing . . . after we finish traffic school.

Go Grizzlies!