One More...

It's been a long season for Grizzlies fans. We've lived through good times, bad times, blah times, bridge-jumping times, and so many roster changes we hardly knew who was on our team for a while. We've seen Captain Kinasewich take over scoring records, and Coach Colley so close to pulling out his hair that the only thing stopping him was how much he paid for the highlights. We've listened to Adrian Denny call away games, taken pictures at home games, and enjoyed countless promotions and fan activities from the team.

And now, it's down to this - one more game.

One more game that will decide whether the Grizzlies move on in the playoffs, or if they're done for the season.

One more chance to cheer them on at the E Center.

And maybe then... one more series.

And maybe one more after that.

And maybe, just maybe, they get one more, and a chance to lift that Kelly Cup.

Think Kevin Colley wants one more championship ring? You better believe it.

Think this team can win one more game? You know it.

Think the Grizzlies can bring Mark Pavli back next season? We're hoping.

E Center tonight at 7:00 pm. All tickets are $10. The time is now. Do it, boys.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs. Stockton Thunder

In case you haven't heard, the National Conference is in a battle. Of the eight teams in the conference, only the Idaho Steelheads have clinched a playoff spot. Let's face it, nobody's catching the potatoheads, but only eight points separate the other seven teams. That means that every point is like gold for the Grizzlies right now if they want to make the playoffs. Since Stockton used to be a gold mining town, it seems like a good place to start.

The last time the Grizzlies played the Thunder it was at home in the E Center, and things got a little bit ugly. There was much yelling, cursing, and mass chaos at high volume. We would have had more video of it, but some clownshoe kept blocking our camera shot. We'll let it go this time. We have too much going on to be bothered about what happened two games ago. We're hoping that holds true for the Grizzlies, and that they stick with playing hockey as opposed to gooning it up on the ice. They need points more than penalty minutes right now.

Utah has won five out of seven games against Stockton this season, but Stockton is three points ahead of Utah in the standings. This means that if the Grizzlies want to pass the Thunder in the standings, they have to win all three games this weekend. They can tie Stockton if they lose one in overtime, but every other scenario puts Utah behind. (Trust us - we did a whole spreadsheet on it. Our bosses at our real job were thrilled.) That said, we think this is a very possible task for the Grizzlies. They just have to stay focused on their game, get into their warrior haze and really put some skunk on the Thunder.

Stockton has won five of their last ten games, one of those against Utah. They haven't really had much of a streak going - they've mostly been winning one and losing the next one - so we wouldn't say they're hot or cold. The Grizzlies have only won three of their last ten, and have lost the last two (against Idaho). We'd say they're fizzling out, but we're going to look at it the other way and say they're due for a couple of good wins. Three in a row would be nice. In regulation.

Utah will have some new faces this weekend in Brian Kilburg (D), who they picked up from Ontario, and Mikko Koskinen (G), both of which are expected to play tonight. Best of luck, New Guys!

This weekend could be a great series for the Grizzlies to launch a serious push to the playoffs. It's a battle out there.

Around the League: ECHL 3/1/10

The Ontario Reign are on a mission.

After digging themselves into a hole in the middle of the season, the coach instructed the team to move past their slump and concentrate on the playoffs. And they did, winning six straight in a row and pulling off their longest winning streak of the season.

Right now the Reign sit a point above Las Vegas in the standings and are the hottest thing on ECHL ice. The Reign haven't been able to win back to back weekend games all season, but over the past two weekends, they've swept their opponents to keep their streak alive. Ontario next match is particularly important; they'll be playing the Las Vegas Wranglers, the same team they've pulled ahead of in the standings.

The next weekend is definitely one to watch for the Pacific Division. We're even interested to see the outcome.

And now for the rest of your ECHL headlines . . .

American Conference
EAST:

Goaltender Andy Chiodo of the Elmira Jackals (31-19-3-2) has been reassigned to the AHL.

The Reading Royals (27-24-1-3) hit a new team record last week: a 7 game road losing streak.

Special Olympics New Jersey athletes skated with the Trenton Devils (24-23-4-5) last Tuesday.

Johnstown Chiefs (15-34-5-3) won their first home game in the last five on Saturday, but lost when they hit the road on Sunday.


NORTH:

Matt Pierce of the Cincinnati Cyclones (36-19-1-2) tied a club record this week of 7 goals in the opening marker of the contest.

The Kalamazoo Wings (31-17-4-3) are currently in the midst of a double-digit unbeaten streak; they have gone unbeaten in their last 11 home games.

The Toledo Walleye (29-24-1-3) recently broke their record for the top professional attendance season.

The Wheeling Nailers (27-27-2-3) are having a little trouble at the end of the season; they are currently 1-7-2-0 in their last 10.


SOUTH:

The South Carolina Stingrays' (35-15-5-6) Shane Connelly is the Reebok Hockey ECHL goaltender of the week.

Kevin Baker of the Florida Everblades (30-19-4-5) tallied his first hat trick of the season last week with a game winning goal against South Carolina.

The Charlotte Checkers (30-19-3-3) held their first ever midnight game last week, but were shut out 7-0 on home ice by the Walleye.

Sam Roberts of the Gwinnett Gladiators (26-24-4-2) is the top points leader of defenseman in the ECHL with 34. His fellow Gladiator Drew Paris comes in 2nd with 33.


National Conference
PACIFIC:

The Bakersfield Condors (30-19-4-1) have held the top spot in their division for over 20 consecutive weeks.

Mark Pavli answered a few questions for the Stockton Thunder (25-22-2-6) this week. Woo!

The Ontario Reign (24-25-3-4) are currently on a 6 game winning streak; that's their longest win streak this season.

The Las Vegas Wranglers (24-25-4-2) won two out of three in their weekend series against Stockton.


WEST:

Richard Bachman and Evan Barlow have returned to the Idaho Steelheads (37-12-1-4) from the AHL.

Defensman Jimmy Sharrow has returned to the Victoria Salmon Kings (30-21-4-2) this week after a stint in the AHL.

James Sixsmith of the Utah Grizzlies (26-23-2-5) was named ECHL Player of the Week for February 22-28.

The Alaska Aces (26-26-3-2) were swept by Idaho in their series this weekend.

Post Game: Grizzlies 5, Thunder 4

It was another regulation win for Utah, earning them a much needed two points. Special teams were key in this win as the Grizzlies shut down all 4 of the Thunder's power play opportunities, and grabbed two power play goals of their own.

Utah opened up the scoring with an early goal by Tom May just 1:35 into the 1st, then followed up 5 minutes later when Kinasewich found the back of the net. The Thunder responded in fashion tying things up with two of their own before the end of the period. At the top of the 2nd, Stockton took the lead to make it 3-2 in their favor. The Grizzlies responded with a power play goal to tie things up, then added another to regain the lead nearing the end of the middle frame, 4-3.

The Thunder tied it once again, but one minute later, Utah regained the lead with a power play goal to end the game 5-4.

From the official post game:

In a game that went back and forth, Utah took a 2-0 lead 6:04 into the game as Tom May (16) and Ryan Kinasewich (33) scored for Utah. Tom May ended an eight-game scoreless drought as Ryan Kinasewich, in his return after two weeks in the AHL got his three-point night started. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Beat Stockton 5-4; Meet Again Wednesday at 7
highlights || Game Highlights 2/23/10 vs Stocton
gamesheet || Stockton at Utah 2/23/10
photos || 2/23/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder
interview || Kevin Colley 2/23/10 post game
interview || Tom May 2/23/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Photo of the Game:


1st period - James Sixsmith prepares for the faceoff. Mark Pavli is ready for the Thunder.


Additional Photos: [Flickr]




Scoring Summary:
UTA T. May (16), 1:35 1st period (Sorteberg, McJannet); Grizzlies 1, Stockton 0
UTA R. Kinasewich (33), 6:04 1st period (Perry, Sixsmith); Grizzlies 2, Stockton 0
STK J. Dacosta (3), 11L48 1st period (D'Alvise, Bates); Grizzlies 2, Stockton 1
STK J. Cauldron (14), 17:41 1st period (Eizenman, Czuy); Grizzlies 2, Stockton 2
STK M. Robinson (16), 3:13 2nd period (Marcoux, Bates); Grizzlies 2, Stockton 3
UTA P. Aston (4), 7:53 2nd period (Kinasewich, Sixsmith); Grizzlies 3, Stockton 3
UTA J. Sixsmith (15), 19:02 2nd period (Kinasewich, Perry); Grizzlies 4, Stockton 3
STK D. Marcoux (2), 5:46 3rd period (Young, Gongalsky); Grizzlies 4, Stockton 4
UTA L. Galbraith (10), 6:46 3rd period (Sixsmith, Aston); Grizzlies 5, Stockton 4


What Worked Well: Special Teams
Both the power play and penalty kill looked good tonight. Converting 2/4 on the power play and killing all 4 penalties in this game, the special team combinations were looking increasingly better as the game progressed. We don't know if they've looked this great in a while (not to say they looked bad, but . . .); nice job.

What Could Have Worked Better: Puck Handling
The puck handling wasn't terrible, but it could definitely use some tweaking. There were quite a few spaz-tastic moves that resulted in silly turnovers, but we didn't see much to correct from the full 60 minutes.

Who Made the Difference: James Sixsmith
While it was nice to the captain back in the line up and the effect he had on the game, James Sixsmith's drive to the net continutally generated chances, which led to some nice goals. Sixsmith picked up 1 goal, 3 assists, the #1 star of the game, and extended his scoring streak to 6 games. We said this about Perry a few games ago, but if you're picking up that many assists, then you're where you need to be, doing exactly what you need to be doing. Colley referred to Sixer as the goal spark plug, and we have to agree. Awesome performance.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - J. Sixsmith
2. UTA - R. Kinasewich
3. UTA - P. Aston


Additional Notes:

> James Sixsmith extends his scoring streak to 6 games.
> Four Grizzlies picked up mulitpoint games tonight: James Sixsmith (1g, 3a), Ryan Kinasewich (1g, 2a), AJ Perry (2a), and Peter Aston (1g, 2a).
> Four Grizzlies led the rest of the team with 4 SOG each: Tim Crowder, Peter Aston, Hugo Carpentier, and Lance Galbraith.
> Mitch O'Keefe stopped 24 out of 28 for the win.
> Mark Pavli returned to E Center ice with Stockton for the first time since being traded by Utah in January. We miss you, Pavli!

Mid-Week Game Preview and Other News.

Game Day: Stockton Thunder.

So we're hoping that tonight will be Mark Pavli's return to E-Center ice. Pavli has tallied 3 assists with the Thunder, two of those in his last 3 games, since being traded by the Grizzlies in January.

Based on the daily spread at ECHL.com, it sounds like Tim Crowder and Tony Romano are the Grizzlies to watch in this matchup. Crowder currently leads Utah in points against the Thunder with 1 goal and 3 assists, and Romano has scored two 3rd period tying goals as well as a shootout game-winner over the Grizzlies' last 5. Not bad. But it sounds like Stockton's goaltender Perugini will be a tough one to beat since he leads the league at .925 SV% and comes in at second with 2.48 GAA.

Both the Grizzlies and the Thunder have two of the top power plays in the league going into the match. However, Utah added Captain Ryan Kinasewich back into the lineup yesterday as he returned from a stint in Bridgeport where he tallied 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in 5 games. And with another powerhouse on the power play like James Sixsmith, who's currently in the midst of a scoring streak (5 games, last count) and AJ Perry in the lineup, we expect to see some lethal action.

For the mid-week matchup, the Grizzlies are running a promotion where you can attend the game by the carload; up to six people can receive a ticket package for just $25 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, students can attent the game for $5 and snack on $2 fries, sodas, hot dogs, and/or beer.

Also, make sure to check out Adrian Denny's game day blog for both matches.

Other News

We just wanted to give a heads up about our game and other photos on Flickr. We're currently in the process of deciding if we want to upgrade the account or switch to a different service, so the uploads have been sporatic and small at best. We have a lot of pictures to add to the account, going as far back as Training Camp, and we hope to start on that soon. We hope to have these up during the regular season, but if worst comes to worst, we will get them uploaded from 2009-2010 during the off-season.

Also, the photo of the game can only be found in the post game blog. Since we typically don't get photos past the 1st period uploaded when we initially do our write up, we decided to post the photo of the game only on the blog for organizational purposes at this time.

Go Grizzlies!

When the hell did Utah trade Mark Pavli?

Mark Pavli was traded to the Stockton Thunder on Thursday. WTF?

So, we've had it driven into our skulls all season that the ECHL is a developmental league and trades happen. That's fine; we expect that. However, it seems that the only things developing on the Grizzlies' end are Colley's skills as a Wall Street day trader.

Think about it. Stoflet getting traded for Prokop who was traded for future considerations, Shea Guthrie traded to Florida for rights to an AHL player. Jason Dale was due to higher powers, but really . . . We follow this team religiously, consistantly, daily, but we don't even recognize most of the roster anymore.

Hell, we'll admit it. We're biased. We liked Pavli a lot. It was nice to see someone playing their guts out during every shift over that last slump when over half the team couldn't be bothered to show up. We won't claim he was the best player or having the greatest season, but every time Pavli was on the roster, we knew we'd have something to watch. He stuck up for his teammates, played a gritty, hard game, and seemed incredibly easy-going with fan interactions. It would be an understatement to say that he has been a fan favorite during his time here in Utah. And while we understand that a team can't be based around fan expectations (see Calgary, Theo Fleury), the fans should be able to expect some balance from their hockey club.

Yes, we are in a developmental league; we're feed for the farm teams. But in our opinion, the organization also has a responsibility to make their own playoffs, compete for the Kelly Cup, and allow the community to identify with their home team. How can we possibly identify with our team if, as dedicated fans, we have no idea who's stepping onto the ice to represent said team?

Just from the rumor mill, it sounds like this was a hard trade to make for everyone involved and was necessary due to the influx of contract players from the higher leagues. It still pretty much ruined our day.

Luck, Pavli!


Other Transactions:

Defenseman Peter Aston was assigned to Utah by the Florida Panthers last week. In his debut with the Grizzlies on 1/22/10 at the E Center, he tallied two assists for a multipoint night. So far, so good for the blueliner.

Jake Gannon and James Sixsmith have been called up to the AHL. Gannon will join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Sixsmith has been loaned to the Milwaukee Admirals. Luck, Gannon and Sixsmith!

Dylan Hunter returned to the ice on the 23rd against Ontario and proved once again how essential he is to the team. Hunter picked up two assists in his first game back.

The Grizzlies have signed defenseman Chris Allen to a contract. Allen has been playing with the EIHL in the UK this past season, but has a strong background in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL. He will also add some height to the team average, standing tall at 6'3". Nice.


**note: Sorry for the lack of updates; life hasn't been kind.

Utah Grizzlies vs Idaho Steelheads 1/13/10

We just want to say that Mitch O'Keefe is a rock star.

O'Keefe ended the night with 38 saves, and most of those were pretty damn incredible. Other highlights from the game included random goals by Kinasewich and Crowder (we'll take it), and a nice wrap around goal from May. Not to mention the luckiest 1st for the Grizzlies who spent the period playing defense, but still kept their lead intact.

The official post game is up at the Utah Grizzlies site, the gamesheet at ECHL.com and there are some highlights (and lowlights) at the Idaho Steelheads site. Our post game is below.


FIRST PERIOD

Utah goes on the power play a minute in; May comes from behind the net with a wrap around goal. Perry picks up the only assist. Then, the boys spend the rest of the 1st in their own end. Between penalty kills and a lackluster 5-on-5 performance, O'Keefe and company spend the rest of the period defending their one goal lead. 12 SOG for Idaho compared to Utah's 3. Utah gets a power play at the end of the period, but the aggressive work by Idaho on the penalty kill gives them no chances before time runs out.

End of first. 1-0, Grizzlies.

SECOND PERIOD

Grizzlies start the 2nd still on the power play. Randomly, Kinasewich scores from behind the blueline :26 in; the puck bounced off the goalie and went in, 2-0. Hand and Huxley drop the gloves and dance. Huxley got a few more punches in, but Hand gets the takedown. You can see the replay on the ISH site. Idaho scores off of their first shot this period. Pavli gets called for boarding, then Parnham joins him giving Idaho the shortest 5-on-3 ever. The Grizzlies kill the first penalty, but Idaho scores on the second to tie it up. By the end of the period, the Grizzlies looked like they could use the intermission to break up Idaho's momentum.

End of second. 2-2.

THIRD PERIOD

Idaho takes the lead a minute in. With no SOG for Utah 6:40 in, it doesn't seem like the boys showed up to play this period. Then, Crowder hacks it toward the net and ties it up. We didn't expect that; he looked like he was about to trip. The boys are re-energized and push it into OT. Some of the best play of the game came as a result of the Crowder goal. The Grizzlies pick up a point.

End of third. 3-3.

OVERTIME

Both teams are going all out for this one. Grizzlies get a penalty with 30 seconds left, and Idaho takes a time out before the 4-on-3. O'Keefe makes some awesome saves, and time runs out.

End of overtime. 3-3.

SHOOT OUT

Idaho gets two, Grizzlies get none.

Game.

4-3, Steelheads.

Utah Grizzlies vs Idaho Steelheads Post Game 12/16/09

Sad game for Utah.

4th loss in a row.

Sure, the Grizzlies have been playing top ranked teams, but the effort over the last 3 games has not been there. The boys looked completely out of sync. We're surprised heads haven't rolled by now. The boys have given up short handed goals in the last two games and haven't scored a power play goal in the last 3 games. And penalties have been on the rise; Idaho had 9 power play chances last night compared to 2 for the Grizzlies.

Something to consider: since the tough loss to Idaho on December 5th, we've lost Bartley, Stoflet, Guthrie, Hunter, and Dale. We've picked up Romano, Prokop, and Hand. Carpentier's first game with the Grizzlies was December 5th. That's a lot of change.

The nice thing about having your own blog is that you don't have to write about anything you don't want to.

Like this game.

So we'll only be doing an abbreviated version.

However, you can find the official post game on the Utah Grizzlies site, the gamesheet at ECHL.com, and some video highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be) at the Idaho Steelheads site.

FIRST PERIOD

RJ starts a fight straight from the faceoff.

Idaho gets two power play goals.
Pavli cut off his hair?!

O'Keefe gets stuck in the net after Idaho and Kotsy run him over.

SECOND PERIOD

Hugo has an awesome chance, but it hits the crossbar.

Idaho gets a (almost power play) goal and a shorthanded goal.

Utah plays some of the 2nd outside of their own end.

THIRD PERIOD

Pavli throws some awesome checks.

Idaho gets another one: Lampl's first pro goal.

Holy $%@#! We scored? Perry, from Snatch and May.

Aaaaaaaand . . . .

Game.

5-1, Idaho.

eTA: Inspired by this (ugh) game, we created a little holiday-themed ditty for Idaho. They can consider last night's game a gift . . .

(to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas)
During the Grizzlies/Steelheads match-up, Utah gave to you:

Twelfth goal for Barlow,
Eleven Utah penalties,
+10 for the team,
Nine power plays,
Eight shots in the 3rd,
#7 with an assist,
Six men on the ice,
Five for fighting in the 1st,
4-on-5 goal,
Three stars of the game,
Two assists for Rome,
And a pro goal for Lampl!


But we still love you, Grizzlies. :)

Angel's Hands Foundation Jersey Auction

After the game last night, the boys auctioned off their jerseys for the Angel's Hands Foundation. The Utah Grizzlies website reported that:

$14,300 was raised for the Angel’s Hands Foundation in a post-game jersey auction of the Grizzlies game-worn specialty jerseys.

Not bad. Here's the breakdown of what each jersey went for.

• Grizzbee, MVB - $400
• Jake Gannon - $400
• Vic Bartley - $450
• Evan Kotsopoulos - $575
• Ryan Kinasewich - $700, re-sold for $600 ($1300 total)
• Bobby Hughes - $425
• Jason Dale - $400
• Shea Guthrie - $775, re-sold for $700 ($1475 total)
• Tom May - $600
• Matt Clarke - $325
• Dustin Friesen - $400
• Hugo Carpentier - $375
• Mark Pavli - $1300, re-sold for $1000 ($2300 total)
• Evan Stoflet - $450
• Jadran Beljo - $425
• Chris Brooks - $350
• Tim Maxwell - $475
• Brett Parnham - $450
• AJ Perry - $600
• Vlady Nikiforov - $500
• Dylan Hunter - $525
• Mitch O'Keefe - $725
• Parker Van Buskirk - $550

And of course we have pictures for anyone that missed it.

Kinasewich with the fan that won his jersey.

Pavli strikes a pose. Apparently, it worked. $2300 for Pavli's jersey.

May tries the Pavli pose . . . or mocks it. Whichever.
We were laughing, anyway. But so was May.

Beljo skates off to meet his buyer after he sold. But we really wish we could have gotten a picture of his reaction to the bidders saying he was hot.
We didn't know if he wasn't sure how to take the compliment or if he was worried about getting razzed later.

Dale helps auction off Hughes jersey. We're not sure where Hughes was, but nice job, Dale - way to hold a jersey, man!

At least the boys had a little fun with the auction after the OT loss. We actually love when they're having a good time. It makes for good candids.

Keep it up, boys.

For more information on the Angel's Hands Foundation, check out their website.

Go Grizzlies!

Utah Grizzlies vs Alaska Aces Post Game 11/28/09

What a night for Alaska.

One of their players got a hat trick and two assists, several of their players had multipoint games, their captain got a 5-on-3 short handed goal, and their goaltender was on fire.

The Grizzlies 3 top players, on the other hand, finished up the game with a -5.

Seriously depressing.

However, Pavli did get his first goal of the season, which was probably the one good thing to come out of this for Utah.

But don't just take our word for it. Go read the official post game at the Utah Grizzlies site and the gamesheet at ECHL.com. Our post game is below.

FIRST PERIOD

Alaska gets the first goal a minute in on Parker.

1-0.

Damnit, this is going to be a repeat of last night.

In the neutral zone: Snatch, Perry, Hunter, Friesen, and Gannon.

Utah pretends to play some defense.

Gannon gets a penalty for tripping.

Killed.

Snatch talks to the ref.

But the Grizzlies hold off Alaska until the end of the period.

When they get their second goal of the night.

End of first. 2-0, Aces.

SECOND PERIOD

Alaska repeats the 1st period, getting a goal in under a minute of play.

3-0.

Different goalie, same lack of defense on Utah's part.

Hughes mourns a missed shot.

Alaska gets a penalty, and the Grizzlies capitalize.

May knocks one in. 3-1.

Points to Hughes and Vlady on the assists.

Goal celebration!

Then Utah gets a penalty.

Parnham goes to the box for high-sticking.

Alaska scores. 4-1.

Some guy at the game got arrested during the 2nd.

This was the most interesting thing to happen for the whole game.

Seriously.

Unfortunately, the picture we got of it is way too blurry.

Alaska gets two more goals in this period.

One of them was a short handed 5-on-3 goal.

Utah was alseep on the ice.

At this point in the game, Kinasewich, Hunter, and Perry all have a -5.

This is not the same team we saw two games ago.

End of second. 6-1, Aces.

THIRD PERIOD

The best thing about this period was Pavli's goal.

His first of the season.

We were actually talking about him getting a goal earlier in the game.

So we were excited about it.

Assists to Dale and Maxwell on that.

Dale is pretty much awesome.

If Kinasewich put in as much effort as Dale did during his shifts, this would have been a completely different game.

There were a lot of penalties.

And two Gannon fights.

The first he was totally punked from behind.

It was ridiculous.

But Alaska probably knew if they didn't cheap shot him, they'd be the one's going down.

Which is what happened in the second fight.

Gannon took Alaska out.

But our camera had died by that point.

Along with the Grizzlies will to live.

Game.

6-2, Alaska.

Post game skate with the team photo:

Stars of the Game:

1. Not Ryan Kinasewich

2. Not Dylan Hunter

3. Not A.J. Perry

NOTES

We're not going to sugar coat this at all. This was quite the pathetic display. And we're pretty sure the boys got an earful from Colley and Curcio, as they should have.

We did have a few questions, though . . .

What happened to our excellent defense?

It seems like Utah was stellar defensively prior to the last two games. Now, all of the sudden the Grizzlies can't break up a play to save their lives, let alone protect the net. There were a couple of moments last night where the defense just let the Aces waltz past them while they were looking at the bench. We could actually see the Aces' setting up the goal from center ice, yet our boys failed to stop it. What gives?

Why aren't we checking anyone?

When Vlady (and Dale) is the only one consistantly throwing a decent check, there's something wrong. May was the only one on our team that looked close to the size of the Alaska players, yet Vlady was the one throwing the checks on these guys? Come on.

Kinasewich, really?

We actually love Kinasewich, don't get us wrong. And when the kid is on fire, he's lethal. He even tallied 9 SOG during this sad excuse for a game. But when you play an entire shift in your defensive zone and your stick doesn't even touch the ice . . . dude. Really? That's a poor show of effort, no matter who you are - from Ovechkin down to peewee hockey. Now, there could be a myriad of reasons as to why Snatch put on such a sad show (jetlag, time zone changes, emo-ness, whatevs), but we still expect to see him play hockey when he steps on the ice.

But again. Who said we knew anything about hockey.
We're just calling it how we see it.

To better luck next time.

Go Grizzlies!

Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wrangers Post Game 11/14/09

There was so much awesome in this game, we don't even know where to begin.

We could start with the utter domination of the Wranglers on the ice. Or with the multipoint nights for Hunter, Sixsmith, Bartley, and Perry. Or even with Caria's Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal-assist-fight).

But really, we have to start with Kinasewich, who stole the show again. A hat trick with 2 assists to make Snatch the all-time leading scorer in Grizzlies history. UtahGrizzlies.com called this a storybook evening, and we couldn't agree with them more.

The official postgame is at the Utah Grizzlies site, the gamesheet is up at ECHL.com, and our version is below.

PreGame Introductions: The boys did a tribute to the armed forces. Very nice stuff.

Anthem picture.

FIRST PERIOD

Perry gets the first goal of the night 1:07 into the 1st. 1-0.

Points to Maxwell on the assist.

5 minutes later, Snatch picks up his first of the night. 2-0.

Points to Sixsmith and Perry for the assists.

Kotsy-Pavli-Kinasewich on the face off.

Vegas gets a penalty.

Grizzlies can't capitalize.

Not to worry.

Caria gives the Grizzlies their third.

3-0.

Points for the assists to Bartley and Guthrie.

Not sure who that is, but this is cool.

Friesen, Caria, Shea, and Kotsy on the ice.

Vegas gets another penalty.

Grizzlies power play is shortened when Kinasewich gets called for hooking.

Then May joins him for delay of game.

4-on-3.

Then, 5-on-3.

Killed.

So far, the game has been all Grizzlies. We hope it keeps up.

End of first. 3-0, Grizzlies.

First Intermission: We debated about getting food but were too lazy to leave our seats.

We don't even have any pictures or witty comments.

Whatevs.

SECOND PERIOD

Face off.

Vegas gets the first penalty of the 2nd.

Grizzlies can't do anything with it.

Then they get the first goal of the 2nd. 3-1.

Vegas takes another penalty.

And the Grizzlies take advantage of it.

Snatch scores his second of the night. 4-1.

Points to Hunter and Sixsmith as well.

2 minutes later, Perry gets another one past Ouzas. 5-1.

Points to Kinasewich for the assist.

Both boys just picked up 3 point nights.

Snatch just tied for the all-time leading scorer in Grizzlies history.

Perfection.

Colley is pleased.

Then Bartley and some Vegas joke go at it.

We didn't get video, but we got a decent picture.

Later, Kotsy gets a little Penny Candy.

Both boys go to the box for roughing.

Then some Vegas joke tries to run down O'Keefe.

Because O'Keefe is awesome. Check him out.

Vegas for the penalty.

And Utah for the goal.

Sixsmith tips it in. 6-1.

Points to Snatch and Bartley on the assists.

Kinasewich is now the all-time leading scorer in Grizzlies history.

History, folks. You witnessed it.

End of second. 6-1, Grizzlies.

Second Intermission: There's more cool stuff for Armed Forces night. We have nothing to show for it.

THIRD PERIOD

The boys take the ice.

This is the period of awesome fights.

But first . . .

Vegas gets a penalty.

Then Meyers shortens it up with his tour for interference.

Killed.

The boys watch from the bench.

Kinasewich gets a hat trick. 7-1.

Nice!

Of course we have to stick this in here:

His 16th goal and 2nd hat trick of the season.

Points to Hunter and Caria on the assists.

Then May decides to shake things up.

He and some Vegas punk get some time for roughing.

Few seconds later, Caria drops the gloves to round out his Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

You might want to keep the sound down on this one.

There's a lot of screeching from us - embarrassing.

Jen did an awesome job in capturing this.

Then Pavli starts it and laughs all the way to the box.

Another great job from Jen on the vid.

And Pavli cackles in the box as well.

Pavli and Caria were vastly amused with their work.

As they should be. As were we.

Awesome.

Snatch discussing the calls. He looks annoyed.

The fighters in the box.

To add insult to injury, Sixsmith knocks another one in. 8-1.

Kotsy picks up a point on that as well.

Vlady-Sixsmith-May face off.

Shea gets a penalty.

Vegas finally gets a goal. 8-2.

They're not even celebrating anymore.

Those poor bastards.

Vegas is down on the ice.

The Grizzlies are moving so fast they're just blurs.

Somewhere in there, Maxwell gets a penalty.

Killed.

And Vegas gets another goal.

But we're too busy comparing Pavli's and Stephenson's hair.

This is one contest Vegas wins.

But is that really much of a bragging point?

Game.

8-3, Grizzlies.

Stars of the Game:

1. Kinasewich
2. Sixsmith
3. Perry

NOTES

Hmm, do we really need to say more?

We don't think so.

We think the boys said it all for us.

Go Grizzlies!

*We actually ended up with a ton of amazing pictures due to Jen's camera, so we'll probably get the extras up on Flikr (or some picture hosting service) sometime this week.