Around the League: ECHL 3/29/10

This week we stumbled upon an interview by a local North Carolina sports news show of ECHL defenseman TJ Reynolds of the Charlotte Checkers, and we had to share it. It covers everything from scoring to the Kelly Cup to travel in the ECHL.

TJ Reynolds leads the league in PIM with 248 minutes spent in the box. (Lance Galbraith is about a game misconduct away from the the first place spot with 239 PIM.) When asked about the stat Reynolds responded, "Well, I don't know if it's something to be proud of or not . . . I play tough, I stick up for my teammates, and every team has a few guys that helps the other guys out."

After learning about his league leading PIM, it wasn't long before Reynolds was asked about his personal speciality: fighting, and more particularly how fights on the ice actually start. In the course of the conversation, the topic of whether or not Reynolds’ mother approved of his magnanimous statistic: "No, she doesn't like it at all. She doesn't like me fighting." Best answer ever.

If you have five spare minutes, definitely give this a watch. It's a fun take on the ECHL we generally don't get to see.

And the rest of your ECHL headlines . . .


American Conference
EAST:

The Elmira Jackals (35-25-6-3) clinched a playoff spot last week, now they have a chance to clinch the division title on their home ice.

The Reading Royals (35-28-1-5) are in the midst of a 5 game winning streak and their playoff chances look a lot like the Grizzlies' (if a, then b - but if not b, then c, OR if not c or a, then possibly d . . .)

Dave Caruso of the Trenton Devils (32-29-4-5) picked up the ECHL Goaltender of the Week award for March 22-28. Caruso went 3-0-0 and got the Devils' first shutout last week.

The Johnstown Chiefs (17-41-7-4) are raising money to help out one of their greats who was recently admitted to a medical center: Galen Head scored 601 points in 8 seasons with Johnstown.


NORTH:

Andrew Fournier of the Kalamazoo Wings (40-20-6-3) was named the ECHL Player of the Week for March 22-28. Fournier had 8 points (4g, 4a) in 4 games - nicely done.

We just really liked this headline from the Cincinnati Cyclones (42-24-1-2): Cyclones Lose To Kalamazoo at Home...Finally...6-3 - apparently it's the first Cyclone loss to Kalamazoo on home ice this season.

The Toledo Walleye (35-28-2-4) announced their first season attendance in their new hometown: 226,575. That's an average of 6,300 fans per game.

The Wheeling Nailers (32-32-2-4) took some time off of hockey this week to help out the Soup Kitchen of Wheeling.


SOUTH:

TJ Reynolds of the Charlotte Checkers (41-21-4-3) did a great interview for Fox News Got Game about his team and his league leading PIM.

The South Carolina Stingrays (38-19-6-6) signed former Grizzlies' goalie Beau Erickson to a contract last week.

The Florida Everblades (37-24-4-5) clinched a playoff spot last week with their win against Charlotte.

Coach Jeff Pyle of the Gwinnett Gladiators (31-30-4-3) coached his 500th game with the Gladiators on Sunday. That's a lot of hockey!



National Conference
PACIFIC:

The Bakersfield Condors (35-28-4-1) are one point away from clinching a playoff spot. However, the ECHL standings show it as a done deal.

Jason Pitton rejoined the Stockton Thunder (32-27-2-7) this week after a stint in the AHL.

The Las Vegas Wranglers (32-29-4-4) defeated the Aces in overtime 8-7 last Thursday. That's a lot of goals!

The Ontario Reign (30-29-3-7) won their last home game of the season and are hoping for a push to the playoffs on the road.


WEST:

The Idaho Steelheads (47-16-1-4) won the Brabham Cup which is the trophy awarded to the ECHL team that finishes with the most points in the regular season.

The Alaska Aces (33-27-4-4) had a 10 game unbeaten streak going last week, but it was snapped by Ontario on Friday.

The Utah Grizzlies (32-28-4-5) announced their player awards for their Awards Banquet this week. Are we surprised that Snatch was voted Fan Favorite . . . not so much.

Taylor Ellington of the Victoria Salmon Kings (33-30-4-2) was called up to the AHL's Moose on Monday.

Post Game: Thunder 6, Grizzlies 5 (OT)

This was a tough one, but the Grizzlies were able to pick up a point in the loss. Utah came from behind to tie the game twice, then take the lead twice, only to lose in overtime during a short handed situation.

Stockton dominated the initial period, tallying 18 shots to Utah's 10 and scoring the first goal on the power play. Lance Galbraith responded at 13:16 of the 1st with a Utah power play goal. The Thunder regained the lead to end the period 2-1. However, the Grizzlies added a Kinasewich goal 1:05 into the 2nd to tie things once again before Stockton responded, 3-2. Utah mounted another comeback, adding a goal midway through the 2nd from Perry, then another at 16:07 from Sixsmith to take the lead and end the period 4-3 for Utah. Stockton evened it once again on the power play, and after than we're not sure what happened, but Carpentier and Stockton's Hunt declared it time for fisticuffs and threw in some death threats for good measure. Captain Kinasewich regained the lead for the Grizzlies with their own power play goal, 5-4. The Thunder were not to be ignored, picking up one more on the man advantage to send things into overtime, 5-5.

Utah fought to kill a 4-on-3 short-handed situation from a penalty at the end of the 3rd, but to no avail. Stockton scored the sudden death game-winner just 0:45 into overtime to end the game 6-5 in their favor.

From the official post game:

The Stockton Thunder (28-24-2-6) scored a power-play goal 45 seconds into overtime to defeat the Utah Grizzlies (27-25-3-5) 6-5 before 4,910 at the E-Center Saturday night. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Stockton Takes Overtime Contest 6-5
highlights || Game Highlights 3/13/10 vs Stockton
gamesheet || Stockton at Utah 3/13/10
photos || 3/13/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder
interview || Kevin Colley 3/13/10 post game
interview || Malcolm MacMillan 3/13/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Photo of the Game:

2nd period - Tim Crowder speeds after the puck.

Additional Photos: [Flickr]



Scoring Summary:

STK O. Eizenman (18), 6:16 1st period (Dacosta); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 0
UTA L. Galbraith (16), 13:16 1st period (MacMillan, Aston); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 1
STK M. Robinson (23), 16:05 1st period; Thunder 2, Grizzlies 1
UTA R. Kinasewich (35), 1:05 2nd period (Perry, Hunter); Thunder 2, Grizzlies 2
STK J. Bates (22), 8:42 2nd period (D'Alvise, Robinson); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 2
UTA A. Perry (23), 9:04 2nd period (Kinasewich, Hunter); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 3
UTA J. Sixsmith (20), 16:07 2nd period (Galbraith, Crowder); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 4
STK C. D'Alvise (25), 2:12 3rd period (Aeillo, Robinson); Thunder 4, Grizzlies 4
UTA R. Kinasewich (36), 4:02 3rd period (Aston, Sixsmith); Thunder 4, Grizzlies 5
STK R. Constant (6), 5:35 3rd period (Eizenman, Cauldron); Thunder 5, Grizzlies 5
STK M. Robinson (24), 0:45 OT (D'Alvise, Bates); Thunder 6, Grizzlies 5


What Worked Well: Perry-Hunter-Kinasewich
We absolutely love this group together. As much as we enjoy (we were going to say adore, but the love theme was a little too much for us) James Sixsmith (who really makes any line work), this is The Line for the Grizzlies. They work like a well-oiled machine and make things happen. If you want to see a gorgeously executed goal, make sure you're watching when these boys are on the ice.

What Could Have Been Better: Controlling rebounds
We saw a lot of good opportunities fall flat because nobody was in position to get the rebound. Not only did this cut down on scoring chances, but more often than not, the boys would get one shot off, then head back down to defend in their own end as Stockton picked up the puck. Do it better.

Who Made the Difference: Brock Wilson
While it seems an unlikely pick due to the offensive domination of this game, Wilson (and also Sorteberg) was constantly in place to cover up holes in the net, snatch up Stockton's rebounds, and push the puck out of the defensive zone. We really noticed a great defensive presence from both Wilson and Sorteberg on the ice during their shifts. Nicely done.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - R. Kinasewich
2. UTA - J. Sixsmith
3. STK - M. Robinson


Additional Notes:

> James Sixsmith continues to push his scoring streak higher; he currently sits at 13 games.
> Beau Erickson saw a crazy 44 shots during the match. He stopped 38 of those.
> Six Grizzlies had multipoint games: Ryan Kinasewich (2g, 1a), James Sixsmith (1g, 1a), Peter Aston (2a), AJ Perry (1g, 1a), Lance Galbraith (1g, 1a), and Dylan Hunter (2a).
> Captain Kinasewich seems to be back in the swing of things, leading the team with 2 goals, 1 assist and 8 SOG.
> We weren't really happy with the way the game was called, and listening to the post game, it sounds like everyone on the Utah end concurs.
> Not only did Hunt and Carpentier get into it through the plexiglass, but it sounds like Kevin Colley and Stockton Head Coach Matt Thomas did as well. Fisticuffs!

Post Game: Grizzlies 5, Thunder 2

What a stellar 3rd period by the Grizzlies. Tallying 4 goals and 22 SOG in the final 20 minutes allowed Utah to win the match and pick up a much needed 2 points.

The Grizzlies struck first only 6:36 into the 1st period when James Sixsmith knocked one in to extend his scoring streak and give Utah an early lead. With some amazing defense and goaltending, Beau Erickson and company held off the Thunder until 11:49 into the 2nd, when Stockton tied things up, 1-1.

Utah came out strong in the 3rd, tallying two back to back goals in the first 4 minutes of the period. The Thunder attempted a comeback, picking up another goal of their own to close the gap to a single goal, 3-2. However, Lance Galbraith quickly responded to the challenge, lighting the lamp with his second goal of the match, and Captain Kinasewich sealed the deal with an empty netter with 0:27 left in the game.

From the official post game:

The Utah Grizzlies (27-25-2-5) scored four third period goals to defeat the Stockton Thunder 5-2 Friday night at the E-Center before 5,111 fans. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Four Goal 3rd Period Lifts Utah over Stockton
highlights || Game Highlights 3/12/10 vs Stockton
gamesheet || Stockton at Utah 3/12/10
photos || 3/12/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder
interview || Kevin Colley 3/12/10 post game
interview || Dylan Hunter 3/12/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Photo of the Game:

2nd period - Beau Erickson makes the save.

Additional Photos: [Flickr]




Videos: [YouTube]

Scoring Summary:

UTA J. Sixsmith (19), 6:36 1st period (Crowder, Aston); Grizzlies 1, Thunder 0
STK J. Bates (21), 11:49 2nd period (Vanoosten, Robinson); Grizzlies 1, Thunder 1
UTA L. Galbraith (14), 2:57 3rd period (MacMillan, Crowder); Grizzlies 2, Thunder 1
UTA S. McJannet (3), 3:17 3rd period (May); Grizzlies 3, Thunder 1
STK R. Constant (5), 4:49 3rd period (Hemingway, Eizenman); Grizzlies 3, Thunder 2
UTA L. Galbraith (15), 6:01 3rd period (Sixsmith, Crowder); Grizzlies 4, Thunder 2
UTA R. Kinasewich (34), EN 19:33 3rd period (Aston); Grizzlies 5, Thunder 2


What Worked Well: Shooting the puck.
When you're up against the 2nd leading goalie in SV%, you're going to have to shoot more to make it into the net. The Grizzlies did just that, tallying a crazy 47 SOG, with 22 of those in the 3rd period.

What Could Have Been Better: Power Play
While the boys did end up with a 20% conversion rate (1 out of 5) on the power play, they weren't able to capitalize on a 5-on-3. With a power play like Utah's this should have been no problem.

Who Made the Difference: Tim Crowder
While we do want to draw attention to Erickson's stellar goaltending, Tim Crowder was having an amazing game. Whenever he was on the ice, he was where the puck was. Tallying 3 assists and a 2nd star of the game performance, he definitely made a difference by being exactly where he needed to be to get the job done. A great game for Crowder.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - L. Galbraith
2. UTA - T. Crowder
3. UTA - J. Sixsmith


Additional Notes:

> Five Grizzlies had multipoint nights tonight: James Sixsmith (1g, 1a), Tim Crowder (3a), Peter Aston (2a), Malcolm MacMillan (2a), and Lance Galbraith (2g).
> Beau Erickson stopped 28 of 30 shots for the victory.
> James Sixsmith extended his scoring streak to 12 games - Nice.

Post Game: Reign 3, Grizzlies 1

This was a tight match the whole 60 minutes through, and we honestly thought that the Grizzlies would pull out one of their 3rd period 19:00 goals. Unfortunately, the boys had no such luck.

Utah scored first on the power play at 1:53 of the 1st with a goal from Vlady Nikiforov. This would be the only time the Grizzlies would see the back of Ontario's net in the contest. Four minutes later, the Reign tied things up with one of their own. The match remained tied until Ontario scored midway through the 2nd to gain the lead.

Though the Grizzlies battled, the Reign held their one-goal lead through the 3rd, then tacked on an empty netter to end things 3-1, Ontario.

From the official post game:

The Ontario Reign defeated the Utah Grizzlies (26-23-2-5) 3-1 Saturday night at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Reign added a late empty-netter to seal the contest and break the 2-1 score.

Utah had three power-plays in the third period but was unable to beat Reign goaltender Curtis Darling who stopped 28 of 29 Grizzlies shots. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Fall 3-1 in California
highlights || Game Highlights 2/27/10 at Ontario
gamesheet || Utah at Ontario 2/27/10
interview || USA/Canada Gold Medal 2/27/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Scoring Summary:

UTA V. Nikiforov (14), 1:53 1st period (Perry, Sixsmith); Grizzlies 1, Reign 0
ONT J. Francisco (13), 5:34 1st period (Voce, Pelech); Grizzlies 1, Reign 1
ONT M. Egener (6), 11:57 2nd period (Pelech, Jackson); Grizzlies 1, Reign 2
ONT M. Howe (5), EN 19:18 3rd period (Francisco); Grizzlies 1, Reign 3


What Worked Well: Penalty Kill
Special teams were on it again. Even though Utah stayed out of the box for the most part, the few penalties the Grizzlies did allow, they killed off with style. Nice job once again by the PK units.

What Could Have Been Better: 5-on-5 Play
While we're completely impressed by how Utah's special teams have been working, Ontario wasn't. The driving force behind both contests was really 5-on-5 play, and the Grizzlies, while we know they can do it, didn't really match up to the Reign on this.

Who Made the Difference: Tim Maxwell
Beau Erickson in net was amazing and we saw some great puck handling from Sixsmith and Vlady, but Maxwell just had a really good game. He was a real boost to special teams, particularly on the PK and also rallied on the 5-on-5. One of the things we really like about Maxwell is that he has this uncanny ability to keep the puck in, and he showed off that talent superlatively.


Stars of the Game:

1. ONT - C. Darling
2. ONT - M. Egener
3. UTA - V. Nikiforov


Additional Notes:

> James Sixsmith continues his scoring streak tallying an assist in the contest.
> Utah is now 11-1 when Vladimir Nikiforov scores a goal.
> Beau Erickson stopped 29 out of 31 in the loss.

Post Game: Grizzlies 7, Thunder 1

We had a feeling that the Grizzlies were going to sweep this series, we just didn't expect this kind of a margin.

The 1st period remained a tight match, with Stockton tallying 10 SOG over Utah's 8. However, the Grizzlies struck first early in the period and held their one-goal lead throughout the rest of the frame. In the 2nd, the Grizzlies packed on 3 more goals before Stockton tallied one of their own, but this would be the only time the Thunder would beat Beau Erickson. Utah responded with one more goal before the end of the period, 5-1.

At the top of the 3rd, Galbraith tallied his three goals for a hat trick, and May increased the gap with one of his own to end the game 7-1 in the Grizzlies' favor.

From the official post game:

The Utah Grizzlies (26-21-2-5) defeated the Stockton Thunder 7-1 Wednesday night at the E-Center as the Grizzlies completed the two-game in two-night series sweep of the Thunder. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Take Second-Straight from Stockton, 7-1
highlights || Game Highlights 2/24/10 vs Stockton
gamesheet || Stockton at Utah 2/24/10
photos || 2/24/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder
video || UtahGrizzBlog's Channel at YouTube
interview || Kevin Colley 2/24/10 post game
interview || Matt Sorteberg 2/24/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Photo of the Game:

3rd period - Hugo Carpentier watches the game while he waits for a line change.

Additional Photos: [Flickr]



Videos: [YouTube]

Radke vs Bendfeld:

Radke vs Gongalsky:

Scoring Summary:

UTA V. Nikiforov (13), 3:28 1st period (Galbraith, Sorteberg); Grizzlies 1, Thunder 0
UTA L. Galbraith (11), 3:27 2nd period (Carpentier, Aston); Grizzlies 2, Thunder 0
UTA T. Romano (8), 4:24 2nd period (Crowder, Galbraith); Grizzlies 3, Thunder 0
UTA A. Perry (21), 11:06 2nd period (Galbraith, Sixsmith); Grizzlies 4, Thunder 0
STK M. Robinson (17), 11:45 2nd period (D'Alvise, Dacosta); Grizzlies 4, Thunder 1
UTA L. Galbraith (12), 14:18 2nd period (Romano, May); Grizzlies 5, Thunder 1
UTA L. Galbraith (13), 4:34 3rd period (Romano); Grizzlies 6, Thunder 1
UTA T. May (17), 17:39 3rd period (Wilson); Grizzlies 7, Thunder 1


What Worked Well: Special Teams
This game would have been a much different story if it weren't for the penalty kill, especially considering the strength of Stockton's power play. Utah killed all 6 of its shorthanded situations and also capitalized on 2/5 power play opportunities. The special teams have really been shining over the last few days.

What Could Have Been Better: erm . . . no.
Not a lot could have been better. The Grizzlies could have done a slightly better job staying out of the box, but with the penalty kill working the way it did, we didn't see a huge issue there, either.

Who Made the Difference: Lance Galbraith
With a hat trick, 3 assists, and a +4 coming out of this game, Galbraith certainly led the rest of the team with points, and effectively contributed to all but one goal of this game. What a great game for Lance; he definitely deserved the #1 star of the game with this performance. And, of course . . .

Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - L. Galbraith
2. UTA - T. Romano
3. UTA - B. Erickson


Additional Notes:

> Lance Galbraith ties with Ryan Kinasewich for the top scoring night in Grizzlies' history with 6 points (3g, 3a).
> Three Grizzlies had multipoint games: Lance Galbraith (3g, 3a), Tony Romano (1g, 2 a), and Tom May (1g, 1a).
> Beau Erickson saved 29 of 30 for the win.
> 11 Grizzlies made the scoring column during the match.
> The team is now something like 11-0 when Vladimir Nikiforov scores a goal.

Post Game: Grizzlies 3, Wranglers 1

If Friday's game centered around offense, Saturday's game was all about defense. And if you missed both of these games this weekend, well . . . shame, shame shame on you. What a great way to celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America.

Both teams were held off of the scoreboard during the 1st period. Despite having 3 power plays, Utah was unable to control the puck in the offensive zone and capitalize on the advantage. At the top of the 2nd, Clarke found the back of the net for the first goal of the game. Vegas responded 2 minutes later with a goal of their own to tie things back up.

The score remained tied throughout the 3rd period. With 2 minutes left in the game, Galbraith put it in the net to regain the lead, 2-1. Hunter tacked on an empty netter with the help of Perry and Kinasewich to wrap up the game, 3-1.

From the official post game:

Lance Galbraith knocked in a rebound with 2:01 left in regulation and Beau Erickson stopped 31 of 32 shots to give the Utah Grizzlies a 3-1 win over Las Vegas Saturday night at the E-Center before 7,043 fans. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Beat Vegas 3-1
highlights || Game Highlights 1/30/10 vs Las Vegas (audio)
gamesheet || Las Vegas at Utah 1/30/10
interview || Pat Curcio post game 1/30/10 (audio)
interview || Peter Aston intermission 1/30/10 (audio)
photos || 1/30/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog

Photo of the Game:

Additional Game Photos: [Flickr]

Scoring Summary:

UTA M. Clarke (2), 5:58 2nd period; Grizzlies 1, Wrangers 0
LV J. Schwartz (1), 7:07 2nd period (Lawrence, Prudden); Grizzlies 1, Wranglers 1
UTA L. Galbraith (4), 17:59 3rd period (Romano, Sorteberg); Grizzlies 2, Wranglers 1
UTA D. Hunter (11), EN 3rd period (Kinasewich, Perry); Grizzlies 3, Wranglers 1


What We Think Worked Well: Defense
This was an excellent defensive game for both teams. The Grizzlies have had some struggles with their defense lately, particularly in terms of holding a lead, so it was nice to see them settle down and play this type of game. We saw a lot more pressure put on the opposing team when they had the puck in their own zone, rather than waiting for the puck to get to neutral ice and beyond and some beautiful goaltending. A good job by all.

What Could Have Worked Better: Power Play
We've said this already, they know it needs work, and we don't want to be this guy:

Who Made the Difference: Beau Erickson
Everyone agrees on this; Beau was past amazing. Saving all but one of the 32 shots that came near him, Beau turned cartwheels (sometimes literally) to keep Utah in this game and claim his first win in a Grizzlies jersey. The Grizzlies definitey couldn't have done this without his star of the game performance.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - Lance Galbraith
2. UTA - Beau Erickson
3. UTA - Matt Clarke


Additional Notes:

> Happy Birthday, Brett Parnham! Glad the guys could knock out a win for Parnham's birthday.

Utah Grizzlies Transactions: Erickson and Crowder

More transaction news.

The Utah Grizzlies picked up Beau Erickson from the Reading Royals in exchange for future considerations. He seems like he has some pretty nice stats. You can read the official announcement at the Utah Grizzlies site.

Utah also signed forward Tim Crowder, who played with Bakersfield earlier this season.


Pier-Olivier Pelletier was placed on waivers by the Grizzlies yesterday and is listed as a free agent as of today.

Looking forward to seeing how the new additions work with the team.

Luck to all.

Go Grizzlies!