Game 4: Grizzlies 5, Thunder 0

Wow. They finished it in 4.

So, this is how the series ends for Stockton - not with a bang, but with a whimper. (Give yourself bonus nerd points if you know that reference.)

On to Victoria!

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - J. Lamoureux
2. UTA - P. McIlveen
3. UTA - M. Reber

Links -

post game || Grizzlies Advance With 5-0 Win Over Stockton
gamesheet || Utah at Stockton - 4/10/11
highlights || Game Highlights 4/10/11 at Stockton
interview || Samson Mahbod 4/10/11 intermission

Game 3: Grizzlies 4, Thunder 2

Two down, one to go.

The Grizzlies we saw tonight was not the same team as in Game 1, but we'll take it. The boys were able to respond to each Stockton goal and eventually gain the lead on a power play opportunity at the top of the 3rd. Utah had two special teams goals: one shorty and one on the power play. Even though Stockton didn't completely give up after Utah's shorthanded goal, the momentum had changed. And we want to point out how back to business the boys were after that shorty. No jitters, no impatience - just ready to take care of business.

We're really liking this Mahbod kid.

Also, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the efforts by Ferguson in this series. Simon picked up 4 points tonight, factoring in on every Utah goal. And even though he missed his empty net opportunity, he set up Carroll on his. Nicely done.

And some amazing saves by Lamoureux, who really saved Utah's collective butt once again when the boys weren't able to work the puck out of their own end. We'd liked to see a bit more from the Grizzlies on defense and in the corners. There were just too many close calls when they weren't able to get the puck out.

Finish it on Sunday, boys.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - S. Ferguson
2. UTA - J. Lamoureux
3. STK - R. Constant

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Take 2-1 Series Lead With 4-2 Win
gamesheet || Utah at Stockton - 4/9/11
highlights || Game Highlights 4/9/11 at Stockton
interview || Simon Ferguson 4/9/11 intermission

A loss, a win, a dirty hit

Here is a quick weekend recap: The Grizzlies played Friday and Saturday at Victoria. Friday night's game seemed to be a failure of special teams: they allowed Victoria a shorthanded and two power play goals before scoring two goals of their own. Then two more penalties and an empty net goal came. The goaltender, Engelage, did not allow any even-strength goals.

Saturday night the Grizzlies surged back, winning 3-2 in overtime. They fell behind by two goals, but then Simon Ferguson scored a power play goal, followed by a short-handed goal. Paul McIlveen won the game in OT. Utah is in 6th place overall for the conference.

There is a home game this Wednesday against Las Vegas, then the team is away again for the weekend, playing in Alaska.

The big news in the hockey world today is the 14 game (at least) suspension of Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman, Matt Cooke. He is suspended the rest of the season and the first round of the playoffs.

"Mr. Cooke, a repeat offender, directly and unnecessarily targeted the head of an opponent who was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable position. This isn't the first time this season that we have had to address dangerous behavior on the ice by Mr. Cooke, and his conduct requires an appropriately harsh response." --Colin Campbell

The coach, GM, and some teammates all seem to agree with the suspension.

The hit:

Post Game: Grizzlies 3, Wranglers 2

Grizzlies win.

It was pretty awesome to see this game decided by May's penalty shot. Just goes to show you how decisive a penalty can be in any game situation.

Speaking of, both of Vegas's goals were on the power play. Really, Utah? You have the 5th ranked penalty kill and allowed 2 goals in 6 shorthanded situations against the Wranglers' 15th ranked power play? Since the Grizzlies won, we won't give them too much guff, but we wouldn't mind seeing the PK tightened up a little.

Both goals tonight were from Ferguson. Nice to see him getting in there with the goal scoring. Taking the lead against Vegas is a major aspect of any game against them, and he helped out with that with some style.

Glad to see the Crowders & Carpentier back together. Tonight they looked good, meshing well again as usual - but now we want to see them pick up some goals. (Yes, we're demanding and we don't care.)

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - S. Ferguson
2. UTA - T. May
3. LV - N. Ross

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Win 3-2 In Las Vegas
gamesheet || Utah at Las Vegas - 2/10/11
highlights || Game Highlights 2/10/11 at Las Vegas
interview || Paul Crowder 2/10/11 intermission

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

Post Game: Grizzlies 5, Reign 1

Win. And tied for first in the league with points.

We'll admit that we're quite spoiled with the Grizzlies power play percentage against Ontario, having 100% on the man advantage in their first 5 chances earlier this season against Ontario and going 3 for 5 last night. But honestly, any time you can pick up 3 power play goals in a game your really can't complain about your special teams and the work they do.

While we generally just assume Nick Tuzzolino as a given for awesomeness, but we really wanted to give him special notice for his work on the 4-on-3 in the 1st - that is until he broke his stick. Tuzzolino was everywhere the puck was and with his size, he made it virtually impossible for Ontario to get set up around the net. Tuzz also picked up an assist in the game. Nicely done.

And what can we say about Simon Ferguson. He earned every bit of that hat trick. After being genuinely skeptical at the first of the season of Simon, we've become quick fans of the winger. After his third goal was waved off, we weren't sure if we'd get to see Fergie get his reward, but like a pro, he went back to work and secured himself the hat trick. Congrats, Simon!

Also, wanted to give a shout out to James for chatting with us on the B2 during the game. Good times.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - S. Ferguson
2. UTA - A. Engelage
3. ONT - S. Collymore

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Roll 5-1 In Ontario
gamesheet || Utah at Ontario - 1/8/11
highlights || Game Highlights 1/8/11 at Ontario
interview || Matt Sorteberg 1/8/11 intermission

Character Development

If you're anything like us, you probably uttered (or yelled, depending on where you were) something not repeatable in polite company when you found out last week that the Grizzlies had traded their leading scorer, Brad Snetsinger, away to Bakersfield. Our rant went from "Wha- why?" to "That makes no sense," to "They'd better get someone amazing back," to "Why do they do this to us?" in just under five minutes. Yeah, we get that this is the ECHL and players move around a lot, but the leading scorer? Not to mention how well he was doing in the Grizzlies' line up as of late. It almost seems like a conspiracy to make us pull our hair out before the playoffs even start. (It's probably Coach Colley's revenge on us for commenting on his highlights last season.)

During the game on the 21st, Adrian Denny interviewed Simon Ferguson, and he mentioned this trade. He pointed out that Coach Colley felt pretty secure in making this move, even though Brad Snetsinger had been great for the team. Ferguson's response was this:

"I think we've got a lot of really good character guys in there, that everyone wants to work for each other, everyone wants to play for each other. So it's a good mix, and hopefully we can continue the way things are going right now."

We've been saying for most of the season that this team isn't really a team of all-stars, nor do they have any one player who is the big scoring threat, but we don't even really listen to ourselves half the time. But Simon Ferguson IS a character guy, and they say it takes one to know one.

Ferguson has 287 games of AHL experience (including 19 playoff games) with 4 different teams, including last season's Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears. He's been around a while and has seen it takes to make a successful team. This is a guy who isn't afraid to put in the effort to improve himself and his game. He even trained with boxer Jesse James Leija, and it's telling what Leija had to say about him after the workout - "You know why he's good - because he wants to work hard all the time." (Watch here - interview about the 6:39 mark.)

So when Simon Ferguson says the team is full of character guys who want to work for each other, we can trust he knows what he's talking about. As much as we fans like to whine and complain, the team is still going in the right direction.

Not that we still won't miss Snetsinger... especially when we play Bakersfield.

Speaking of Simon Ferguson, he had two goals in last night's 5-3 win over Las Vegas. Tim Crowder also had a goal, just like we guessed he would. Apparently Timmy likes playing in Vegas. Next up, the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday. Uh... welcome home, Brad?

We would be remiss if we didn't mention just a couple of items outside the Grizzlies realm.

First of all, the World Junior Championships started last weekend in Buffalo, New York. USA and Canada both won their first games. Anyone hoping for a gold medal rematch from last year? For more information, you can check out USA Hockey's website.

Secondly, the NHL Winter Classic is on Saturday, January 1st in Pittsburgh. The hosting Pittsburgh Penguins will match up with the Washington Capitals on an outdoor rink. Check out the Winter Classic website - you'll find everything you ever wanted to know about this event, including a live webcam where you can watch the ice being built at Heinz Field. If you're not a little bit excited for this, turn in your "hockey fan" badge now.

And if you're planning on going to the game on Wednesday night, watch out for the weather. We're hoping our mom will let us spray down her back yard before the cold front settles in. Hey, it's Winter Classic time.

Post Game: Grizzlies 4, Wranglers 2

Awesome to see the boys win at home.

A great game to watch all around. The Grizzlies did a spectacular job of coming out ready in the 1st and controlling the puck. Of course, a couple of lulls in the 2nd after Utah's third goal by Crowder and at the top of the 3rd made us a little nervous, but the boys held on and added another goal from Gergen to snatch the win from the Wranglers.

The boys went 3 for 3 on the penalty kill and 1 for 3 on the power play against the ECHL's top ranked PK. Utah also managed to pick up some 5 on 5 goals, which we know Colley wanted to see. Special teams have been a big factor in Utah's success rate this season. But in a game with as few penalties as this one it's necessary to be successful in 5 on 5 play, and the Grizzlies pulled it off with style.

Kevin Deeth ended the game one goal shy of a hat trick. He had some nice looks in the 2nd, but just wasn't able to knock a 3rd one home. We were definitely hoping for some pizza, but impressed by Deeth nonetheless. Nicely done.

Chris Donovan picked up the last Utah penalty of the game. Denny mentioned his animation in the penalty box during the post game, wanting to know if Chris had some plan as the Grizzlies scored 20 seconds after his release. Colley's response? "Well, he had 2 minutes to think about it."

Game Photos -



Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - K. Deeth
2. UTA - S. Ferguson
3. UTA - N. Tuzzolino

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Beat Las Vegas 4-2
gamesheet }} Las Vegas at Utah - 12/15/10
highlights || Game Highlights 12/15/10
photos || 12/15/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers
interview }} Kevin Colley 12/15/10 post game
interview || Kevin Deeth 12/15/10 intermission

Post Game: Grizzlies 1, Reign 0

And Lamoureux gets the shut out.

But let's talk about the Grizzlies' amazing 3rd period. Utah did a great job on the forecheck, rarely letting Ontario out of their own end for a good portion of the final frame; the Reign weren't even allowed a shot on goal until 7 minutes into the period. This is the kind of play we'd like to see on home ice. And while we realize that defending a 1 goal lead is an entirely different level of desperation than defending a 3 goal lead, we now know that the boys can do it.

Good job to Ferguson and the boys on the power play for the first and only goal of the game.

We do have to shine on Ontario and former Grizzlies goaltender Beau Erickson for his stunning performance in this game. His reward? A broken down car in the Maverik Center parking lot.

We love this dude. (Crappy screengrab is crappy, but if you watch the B2, you'll know who we mean.)


Brad Snetsinger on the kiss cam - brilliant. Brad's mauling of the player next to him takes the cake on players on the kiss cam. Go Brad.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - J. Lamoureux
2. UTA - S. Ferguson
3. ONT - B. Erickson

Links -
post game || Grizzlies Blank Ontario 1-0
gamesheet || Utah at Ontario - 12/10/10
highlights || Game Highlights 12/10/10 at Ontario
interview || Jake Gannon 12/10/10 intermission

Post Game: Grizzlies 3, Stockton 2

What a great game!

Even if the boys had lost, this was an incredibly entertaining match to watch. The Grizzlies played a full 60 of hard, fast hockey. Not only did they escape their usual 2nd period slump, Utah recovered beautifully after Stockton's second goal of the night.

In the 3rd, JP Lamoureux was the game winner, earning himself another well deserved first star of the game. He made with some epic saves and redeemed the Grizzlies from more than a few sloppy mistakes which could have resulted in a game tying goal. Lamoureux stopped 34 out of 36, including a perfect 20 of 20 in the 3rd. Nicely done, JP.

Parnham also picked up another 2 point (1g, 1a) game, along with Simon Ferguson (1g, 1a). And Donovan with help from Deeth and Carroll picked up a little extra insurance at the end of the 2nd to help propel the boys toward the win.

Back to Bakersfield tomorrow night. See you at 8pm.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - J. Lamoureux
2. STK - J. Pitton
3. UTA - B. Parnham

Links -

post game || Grizzlies Beat Stockton 3-2; Lamoureux Stops 20 In Third Period
gamesheet || Utah at Stockton - 11/26/10
highlights || Game Highlights 11/26/10 at Stockton
interview || Simon Ferguson 11/26/10 intermission

Post Game: Grizzlies 3, Condors 1

Well, hello Brett Parnham.

Grizzlies came out and played a full 60, which was nice to see after their home debacles. While the top of their 2nd period could still use some work, they were able to bounce back rather nicely and add a goal in the 3rd for the win.

The boys did a great job on the power play, with 2 of their 3 goals on the man advantage. Brett Parnham really turned things up, picking up both power play goals on his second game back. (We thought Tim Crowder had one of those, but it looks like they both went to Brett.) Marcus Carroll added his 3rd goal of the season to snatch the win from the Condors, 3-1. The Grizzlies had an additional goal, but it was waved off as the refs assessed it to be thrown in.

JP Lamoureux had a great comeback game, stopping 27 of 28 and earning himself the first star of the game. We also need to highlight Ferguson's fight, and his razzing of the crowd as he made his way off the ice. Nicely done.

Stars of the Game -

1. UTA - J. Lamoureux
2. UTA - B. Parnham
3. BAK - V. Trukhno

Links -

post game || Grizzlies Win 3-1 In Bakersfield
gamesheet || Utah at Bakersfield - 11/24/10
highlights || Game Highlights 11/24/10 at Bakersfield
interview || Andrew Engelage 11/24/10 intermission

Post Game: Grizzlies 6, Thunder 2

Two points down, four to go. As we hoped for in our weekend preview, Utah was definitely in a warrior haze tonight, scoring 6 goals on 29 shots.

Stockton struck first scoring on the power play, but the Grizzlies responded before the end of the period to end the 1st tied, 1-1. In the 2nd, the Grizzlies scored 4 times which included 2 short handed goals from Ryan Kinasewich. Mikko Koshkinen and the Grizzlies' defense held Stockton off the scoreboard to end the period 5-1.

Tom May picked up an early goal in the 3rd period to increase the Grizzlies lead 6-1, but the Thunder picked up a short handed goal 5 minutes later to end the game 6-2 in Utah's favor.

From the official post game:

The Utah Grizzlies scored six unanswered goals after falling behind 1-0 in the first period and Islanders rookie prospect Mikko Koskinen stopped 36 of 38 shots in his ECHL debut as Utah (29-27-3-5) defeated the Stockton Thunder (29-25-2-7) 6-2 Friday night in California. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Koskinen Stops 36 In Utah Debut; Grizzlies Win 6-2
highlights || Game Highlights 3/19/10 at Stockton
gamesheet || Utah at Stockton - 3/19/10
interview || Tom May 3/19/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Scoring Summary:

STK J. Bates (23), 4:14 1st period (D'Alvise, Aiello); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 0
UTA S. Ferguson (1), 10:19 1st period (Sorteberg, Hunter); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 1
UTA V. Nikiforov (17), 3:30 2nd period (Suda, May); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 2
UTA A. Perry (25), 5:31 2nd period (Hunter, Sixsmith); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 3
UTA R. Kinasewich (40), 9:22 2nd period; Thunder 1, Grizzlies 4
UTA R. Kinasewich (41), 11:46 2nd period (Clarke, Wilson); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 5
UTA T. May (21), 1:15 3rd period (Sixsmith, Kilburg); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 6
STK M. Robinson (26), 5:18 3rd period (Vanoosten); Thunder 2, Grizzlies 6


What Worked Well: Penalty Kill
Utah only allowed Stockton one goal on the man advantage. The boys were able to come back and kill 5 penalties, including picking up 2 short handed goals from Kinasewich. Nicely done.

What Could Have Been Better: 1st period
The Grizzlies looked a little shaky in the 1st and trailed Stockton in shots on goal, tallying 9 to the Thunder's 15. Fortunately, they were able to come back in the 2nd, but we'd much rather they were able to come out strong and stay strong for the entire 60 minutes.

Who Made the Difference: Dylan Hunter
While Utah's new goalie Koskinen made things look easy and Ryan Kinasewich was in his warrior haze, Dylan Hunter really brings an aspect of consistancy to this hockey team. Picking up two assists, Hunter is amazing at setting things up for his wingers and next to Sixsmith, is one of the most consistant players on the team.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - R. Kinasewich
2. UTA - T. May
3. UTA - M. Koskinen


Additional Notes:

> Three Grizzlies had multiple point games: Ryan Kinasewich (2g), Tom May (1g, 1a), James Sixsmith (2a) and Dylan Hunter (2a).
> Mikko Koskinen stopped 36 out of 38 shots in the win.
> Captain Kinasewich broke his season high goal record with his two shorties for 41 goals this season.

Game Day transactions and other news.

Just a few updates before tonight's rematch with Idaho.

Forward Marcus Carroll was signed to an ATO on Friday. He played last night with the Grizzlies against Idaho and picked up 2 SOG and ended the game with a +1. So far so good. It sounds like Carroll has been assigned to defense here in Utah, rather than forward. In the OHL, Carroll acquired 62 points (25g, 37a) in 67 games and 81 penalty minutes.


Also joining the Grizzlies tonight in Boise is Simon Ferguson, who was acquired earlier this season in a trade with the Florida Everblades. We wondered if we would see Ferguson later in the season when his PTO with Syracuse expired, and it looks like that is the case. You can check out Ferguson's AHL stats here.


Look at those crazy eyes. Watch out, Idaho.

Although it's nice to see Ferguson joining the line, we still feel concerned about the Grizzlies' 2nd and 3rd lines ability to gel with the constant change this season. But of course, Utah could already be making preparations for next season. As Denny said in his blog today, if players don't step up, they won't be back.

While we understand that is a necessity to make sure everyone is playing at their best, we'd also like to point out that players, who are quite talented, may not respond to a certain coaching technique or line. And we find it a bit premature to declare the boys on the team that haven't been as prominent here in Utah jobless next year. In fact, a number of Grizzlies who were traded this year have flourished on their new teams: Parker Van Buskirk had a spin in the AHL, Patrick Asselin is in the midst of a 5 game scoring streak and has picked up 15 points in 17 games, Shea Guthrie sits at 20 points in 25 games, and the list goes on.

We're big fans of Kevin Colley, and we think he has a lot to offer as a coach, but sometimes we are left to wonder if there's a disconnect between Colley's coaching and the team's understanding and execution. And while we completely agree with Denny's observation that: "It should not take a Kevin Colley timeout mid-game to stop bleeding and momentum" - we have to wonder if the boys have been unintentionally conditioned to respond as such.

We can't offer any suggestions on what to do about it, though. Just an opinion.

Luck tonight, Grizzlies!