Weekend Preview/Playoff Update - Utah Grizzlies vs Victoria Salmon Kings

Okay, we get it. Sometimes it takes a little to get used to playing a new team. Sometimes there is pressure playing in front of your home fans. Sometimes you're just inexperienced and you don't know exactly what to expect. But you always have a choice - you can give it your best and feel good about the result, or you can make a bunch of excuses and always wonder whether or not you could have done better.

This is that kind of moment for the Utah Grizzlies.

The team is now in what we call "Yoda Territory". They are down 3 games in a best of 7 series, and haven't left themselves a lot of wiggle room. According to Adrian Denny's game day blog, Coach Colley is going to break down the game into 12 five minute segments and emphasize winning each one. Hey, they have to try something. But as Yoda says, "Do or do not - there is no try." If they "do not," then their season is not. (Our own little philosophic touch there.)

The way the Grizzles came out in the first series, we saw what they were capable of. We already knew this, of course, because they sat at the top of the Western Conference for quite some time. But with changes to the team, some injuries, and some uninspired play down the stretch, we kind of forgot how good they were. We think maybe they did too.

The Grizzlies have had their chances in all three games, and though the series tally doesn't show it, it's been a pretty tight matchup. It could just as easily have been Victoria down 3-0. As defenseman Nick Tuzzolino said, "In any of the three games, if you didn't look at the scoreboard, you couldn't tell who won." That might be profound... But it's true, especially of the last game that Victoria won in overtime. Call it luck, bounces or whatever, but the Grizzlies have to find a way to push past it and make it less even in their favor.

As we pointed out many times this season, Utah is at their best when they play for each other. As soon as they become selfish, everything falls apart. The common goal of everyone on the team at this point (we assume) is to win a championship. But not one guy on that team can win it by himself. They need each other, and have to realize they are needed by their teammates. Besides, the achievement is that much sweeter when you celebrate it with your friends.

We know the Grizzlies can do this. It is, difficult, but not impossible - especially not for this team. But, if like young Luke Skywalker, they sit around thinking they can't believe it, Yoda has another response: "That is why you fail." Fail would be in the "do not" category, as imparted by Master Yoda. Winning every 5 minute segment of that game is a "do". We hope that Tuzzolino speaks for the team when he says, "We're still positive. We're still of the mentality that we can force this into a seven-game series."

Puck drops at 8:00 pm tonight in Victoria. Time to choose to climb out of the hole. Believe it, do it, and do it for your friends. May the Force be with you.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Victoria Salmon Kings

Round 2. We're ready.

The #6 seeded Grizzlies drew #7 seed Victoria in the 2nd round. The two teams eliminated Stockton and Bakersfield respectively to move on. The other remaining teams? #5 seed Idaho, and #1 Alaska, who got a bye for the 1st round. Looking at who is left standing, we think it's safe to say that we can toss out those seeding numbers.

Also tossing out regular season statistics because they're not particularly relevant during the playoffs, that doesn't leave us a lot of information to form an opinion on this matchup. We have liked what we've seen from the Grizzlies so far. They seem to be getting back to where they were back in December and January, partially due to players coming back from the AHL. But also, the team added some new guys who were able to blend in and make a difference. "It's the same team, but it's a different team," Coach Colley explained. Though we sometimes need a philosophy class to decipher Colley's explanations, this one we get. The team identity hasn't changed even though the roster has. The team plays the same way regardless of who is on the ice. That stability, plus some veteran experience in returnees Tuzzolino, Lamoureux, and team captain Ferguson have helped them find their game at exactly the right time.

The biggest challenge for Utah may be adjusting to the difference in the way Stockton played and what they expect from the Salmon Kings. Against the Thunder, Utah was able to get goals by annoying them into taking penalties. (See Utah at the top of the playoff power play statistics with 35.3%.) Victoria has more playoff experience, and won't be falling for that trick. "The last series, we really outworked Stockton," forward Paul McIlveen said. "Victoria has a lot more skill. We're still going to have to play hard, but we have to be sharp as well." The team matched up well with the Salmon Kings when they were on a roll in December, but not as well down the stretch. Of course, that could be said about almost any team they played. We figure we'll just have to wait and see how everything will go down in this series. Game 1 on Friday should be a good indicator.

For Victoria, they seem to have realized what Utah was doing to Stockton, and have a plan. "When you look at Utah's power-play percentage from the first round, it's clear we need to be disciplined," said Victoria Coach Mark Morrison. "If you take nine penalties a game, like we did during stretches of the regular season, you're going to lose against a team like Utah. We have lots of short fuses and those players need to suck it up." So they're on to you, Grizzlies. Sounds like you've got the right idea playing sharp. We hope the idea translates to the game.

If you're not on the bandwagon yet, now is a good time to get on. Tonight is a 2 for 1 ticket night if you have a Maverik card, so bring a friend. We've also heard they're trying a white out for Friday, so wear a white jersey, shirt, jacket, whatever. It's a really nice effect in an arena - it brings the fans all together in the stands. Also, if you're bored at work, you can go to the Salmon Kings' website and vote in their fan poll. They're asking who the fans think will win round 2 of the playoffs. We've already voted for the Grizzlies multiple times.

Round 2 starts tonight at 7:05 pm. It's on.

Weekend Preview/Playoff Update - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder

If you're anything like us, the end of game 2 against Stockton on Wednesday left you feeling a little deflated. Not the kind of deflated where the air slowly leaks out of the balloon while making rude noises, but the kind where the balloon pops while you're blowing it up and you stand there stunned while little pieces of plastic float down around you.

After Tuesday's win, we were hoping we'd seen the last of the March Grizzlies, and were back to the December Grizzlies, but now we're a little nervous. Not that Wednesday's game was bad, but we've seen better. We've seen it recently. We know Utah is capable, but the question is how badly do they want to win, and is it more than Stockton? The Deseret News had this quote about the series from defenseman Nick Tuzzolino: “We’ve got to get our confidence back. Anytime you lose a playoff game, it hurts. You have to forget it and move past it.”

We'll try.

The Grizzlies have had a good road record this season so they have that in their favor. According to defenseman Matt Clarke on Talkin' Sports last weekend, the team tends to tighten up a little more on the road, and they don't play as free-flowing as they do at home. He also mentioned it might have something to do with "bus legs". Forward Kevin Deeth then discounted that theory a little, saying they actually fly when they go to Stockton, but did say that travel can catch up with you after a long season. Bus legs or airline food or whatever, it seems to work for them on the road. If they can get to the things that made them successful on the road before, they can win the 2 games they need to continue on in the playoffs. We're all for that, because we don't want that last game at the Maverik Center to be the last one we see until next season. We'll be disappointed and empty all summer long. Start up the busses, boys.

We know that quoting a bunch of stats from the regular season doesn't do much good once the playoffs start. All that gets tossed out the window of the bus and everyone gets a clean record. What does matter is that the team plays as a team. The Grizzlies are at their best when they stick to their team game and everyone works together. With a lot of guys starting to trickle in off the IR, we think this could help team chemistry and get them playing for each other again. The power play is clicking, and the penalty kill is outstanding according to Coach Colley. Everything is aligned for a great playoff run here if they can band together and do it.

This best of 5 series is tied at a breadstick apiece. Game 3 is tonight in Stockton at 8:30 pm. Get out the bus legs, Utah.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Bakersfield Condors

Well, this is it. The Grizzlies' last two games of the regular season will be played this weekend at the Maverik Center. Two more games for the team to convince us that the playoffs will be something to look forward to, and not a volcanic meltdown. We're hoping by Saturday night we're partying like it's 1999 as opposed to the last days of Pompeii.

Let's face it, the Grizzlies have been less than stellar in their last few games. In fact, they've only won 2 of their last 10, which isn't exactly ideal going into the post season. That's not to say they couldn't come out and blow away their first round opponent, but it helps to be on a little bit of a streak that isn't losing. We have faith, however, that they can take care of these last two games and get a better streak started. We'd hate to see them just give up after everything they've accomplished this season.

Utah does have a lot of injuries right now, and has been playing somewhat shorthanded. Last weekend there were 6 players that were not able to go to Anchorage with the team, and they were again without 5 of those players on Wednesday in Idaho. As of writing this post, we have no information on whether or not any of those players will be back this weekend, but we do know that JP Lamoureux has returned from Abbotsford to help out. That will be a welcome reinforcement for the team. Also, the Grizzlies have signed forward Matt Reber of Dartmouth to an amateur tryout. If we had to guess, we'd say that means Utah is still shorthanded. Welcome, Matt. (Pun intended.)

The Condors are at the top of their division, and have won 8 of their last 10 games, but they lost their last two. The last time Utah and Bakersfield squared off was in December - a win for Utah - so it's been a while. (That sounded... not how we meant it. Whatev.) After looking at some weird stats, our advice to Utah would be to not let Bakersfield score first, and to be ahead at the end of the 2nd period. Bakersfield's record when scoring first is 26-8-2. When the Grizzlies are ahead at the end of the 2nd, their record is 23-0-1. Pretty solid as weird statistics go. Utah has beaten Bakersfield 6 times this season out of 8. Also pretty solid. We're pretty sure they can get two more wins.

We're not going through the standings again this week. The Grizzlies are in, and that's all that matters at this point. Win or lose, once Saturday's game is done the slate is clean. No wins, no losses, no streaks - just a shot at the championship, just like everyone else who made it this far. We're just hoping for some entertaining hockey this weekend, a solid effort, and a couple of good warm-up games for the playoffs.

We heard a rumor that the playoffs could start as early as Monday, but to be honest, we're not even sure where we heard it, so don't hold us to that. We also heard that there will be an open skate after the game on Friday night. That was from the Grizzlies on twitter, so we're pretty sure that one is legit. $2 skate rental if you want to participate.

Two games left in the regular season - we can't believe it. Games Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm at the Maverik Center. Time to get serious.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Alaska Aces

The Grizzlies are on the road for a 3 game series in Alaska this weekend which could see the Aces clinch the Western Conference title. As of right now, there are a lot of things that have to take place for that to happen, but let's put it this way - the more they win, the sooner it happens. With them being 8 points ahead of the closest contender (Bakersfield), it's basically inevitable, but we're a little bit bitter about it. We think that should have been the Grizzlies' spot, so we're all for the clinch being delayed as long as possible. Of course, if the Grizzlies had been a little more bitter in the first place, maybe it WOULD have been their spot...

Moving on. Put simply, Alaska is a good team. They have won 9 of their last 10 games, and Utah has only beat them once this season. They are 30-6-1 when scoring first, and Ace Wes Goldie is on an impressive 12 game point streak right now. The Grizzlies, on the other hand have not been as impressive lately, winning only 4 of their last 10 and leading the league in penalty minutes. However, we know that Utah is also a good team when they get to their game and don't get distracted. Is it a tall order to get points out of Alaska this weekend? Yes. But it's not impossible.

As Adrian Denny points out in his game day blog, this could end up being a great goaltending battle. Andrew Engelage and Gerald Coleman have eerily similar statistics this season, right down to them both being 6'5". Coleman has more wins, but he's played 8 more games in the ECHL this season than Engelage has. Engelage has a slightly better save percentage. Coleman has a slightly lower goals against average. With so many things being close to equal, we think this will come down to who has a harder-working team playing in front of them. And maybe who is luckier. It never hurts.

When it comes right down to it, the Grizzlies just need the points more than the Aces do. We'd really like to see them come out and play like they want those points. They had a good start on Wednesday, even though they didn't come out on top in the shootout. They still gained a point, and they're currently at the 2nd spot in the division. That's definitely a spot they want to keep, as the higher up they are, the better chance they get home ice in the playoffs. They only have 6 regular season games left, so they need to make them count.

Final road trip of the season. 3 game weekend. 6 points available for the taking. Let's do it.

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.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder

The Grizzlies are back at it against the Stockton Thunder this weekend with games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They didn't fare so well on Wednesday, dropping the game 5-1, so we're looking for some redemption. They've got 3 games to do it. That's 6 points that they really need right now.

Utah has kind of gotten themselves into a pickle recently in the standings. Once leading the Western Conference, they've managed to slip to 3rd in the Mountain Division and way down to the bottom of the conference, with only Ontario and Victoria behind them. Alaska and Las Vegas have already clinched playoff spots, so there are two less for the Grizzlies to claim. With only 13 games left in the season, now would be the time to pick things back up and get on a roll - a WINNING roll - going into the playoffs.

Stockton has been even steven lately, splitting their last 10 with 5 wins and 5 losses. We think that means that since they won their last game against the Grizzlies, they should be fated to lose the next one. Of course, we have a very weak grasp of the laws of probability and the universe, so we're probably wrong. But even so, Utah should take that opportunity to avenge itself of Wednesday's poor showing.

*DISCLAIMER: When we use the word "avenge", we mean on the scoreboard. We've said before that the Grizzlies need to stop being undisciplined and having the kind of brawls that gets everyone suspended. (See last Saturday's game.) There are a lot of ways to stick up for your teammates that don't involve a 30 minute delay and a penalty box that looks like a clown car. For example, "That guy is busy giving my buddy a facewash so that must mean he's not paying attention to where the puck is. I think I'll pick it up and take a shot on goal so my buddy isn't smelling that glove in vain." The universe approves. So do the clowns. Also, we approve of ourselves.

In order to do that, they're going to have to buckle down and do some work. The kind of work that got them to the top of the Western Conference earlier in the season. In his post game interview on Wednesday, Coach Colley said, "We need to play hockey. We can't throw the skates on and go out there and hope for 2 points. It's getting a little too much, and everyone needs to be held accountable." But he's not expecting everyone to try to do it themselves. "Guys can't think they're Wayne Gretzky or Bobby Orr. Everyone needs to play the system, play it with tenacity and go out there and create some offense." (Italics added by us.) Like we said, earlier in the season they were working hard and playing the system and it was paying off in wins. This team needs to learn from its own history.

The Grizzlies will be without Riley Emmerson this weekend. He's off suspension, but has been called up to Bridgeport of the AHL. They'll also be without team captain Simon Ferguson - he's still suspended. Dave Schultz has been moved to IR for a few days, and Brent Parnham is still out with a knee injury. ECHL trade deadline is today at 3:00 pm ET, so we could see some last-minute changes. We hope not at this point, but whatev. We have no control.

Three games in a row, starting tonight at 7:05 pm. Six points up for grabs. Stockton doesn't need any more - let's do it, boys.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Ontario Reign

The Grizzlies are back in town this weekend, hosting the Ontario Reign at the Maverik Center. This begins a 6 game home stand where the Grizzlies really need all the points they can get. The playoffs are quickly approaching, and Utah has slowly slid down into 3rd in the Mountain Division. We can't even post our #2 sign anymore.

We're not quite sure what to make of this weekend's games. There has been a lot of turnover in the Grizzlies' lineup since the last time we saw them. We can quote all the statistics we want, but we don't know if any of them are applicable now. The truth of the matter is that when you change up guys on the team, you change the way they play. We're glad Coach Colley didn't trade himself, because now at least there's someone trying to get everyone on the same page. Anyway, it should be interesting to see how (and if) everything falls into place this weekend.

Something we can tell you is that while Utah has won 6 of 9 games against Ontario this season, only two of those wins has come at the Maverik Center. Conversely, the Reign have never beaten Utah in Ontario. Kind of an odd statistic. We don't know what it means. Probably nothing. Here's one that might be useful - the Reign currently lead the league in overtime wins with 8. Our advice - don't let it go to overtime. Utah needs 2 points out of these games.

The Grizzlies come into this weekend having only won 3 of their last 10 games. That's the worst past 10 in the Western Conference right now, with teams like Alaska winning 8 of 10, and Idaho winning 6 of 10 to pass them by. For a team that spent a good chunk of the season at the top of the conference, that's pretty disappointing. With only 16 games left in the regular season, Utah needs to start clicking again. A good weekend at home would spark that. They have a chance to make up 12 points in the next 2 weeks, and if they can get on a roll pushing into the playoffs, we'd be really happy. We're pretty sure Coach Colley would be too. He might even smile a little, or at least look less ticked off.

Two games this weekend at the Maverik Center. Four points on the line. Puck drops at 7:05 pm.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Victoria Salmon Kings

The Grizzlies make their way up to Canada this weekend to take on the Salmon Kings. They haven't been to Canada yet this season, so let's hope everyone's passport is in order. They have faced Victoria 3 times this season at the Maverik Center - 2 wins and a loss.

Utah may have lost their last 4 games, but Victoria isn't taking them lightly by any means.
"There's no secret to what Utah does -they are aggressive on the forecheck and the hardest-working team in the conference," said Victoria head coach Mark Morrison. "They simply outwork other teams. [Utah head coach] Kevin Colley demands they work hard and they respond. We are going to have to match that." Sounds like the book is out on the Grizzlies. Fortunately for them, there are no answers in the back for hard work. When they outwork their opponents, they win games.

The Salmon Kings may have lost their last two games, but they've won 7 of their last 10. The Grizzlies have only won 4 of their last 10, so it seems Victoria has been in a better groove as of late. (Groovier? Whatever.) Utah had been getting great help from their goaltenders, but with JP Lamoureux still in Abbotsford and Andrew Engelage getting a tryout with Toronto, they've been a little shorthanded at that position. This week, however, they gave goalie Kyle Moir a tryout with the team. Moir spent the last 4 seasons at Lakehead University. We're not really great at reading stats, but we did notice he had a few penalty minutes. Kind of intriguing. As is his hair in his draft picture from Nashville.

Random Goaltending Trivia: On a shot from 60 feet away the goaltender will have less than half a second to react.

Also joining the team this weekend will be 2 players sent down from Abbotsford - defenseman Josh Meyers and forward Ryley Grantham. Meyers actually played in Utah at the beginning of last season, and has been in Abbotsford since. Grantham has been with the Heat since the beginning of his pro career. We'll be interested to see how these guys fit in.

With the 4 losses last week and wins by other teams, the Grizzlies slid to 2nd in the Mountain Division and 4th in the Western Conference. They did, however, move up in the penalty minutes race. They now lead the league with 1247. Not really something you want to be #1 at, especially if it's costing you on the scoreboard. Undisciplined play, as well-intentioned as it may be, can put you at a disadvantage on the ice. Even though Utah has 10 shorthanded goals this season, the only time that makes up for it is if your penalty kill is 100%. Utah's is 83.4%. Here's a hint, guys - we want to beat them, not beat them up. Of course, if they could do both at the same time, we wouldn't complain.

Two games this weekend in lovely Victoria, BC, 8:05 pm puck drop. After that, a 6 game home stand. Time to get your heads on straight and go to work, boys. Take back the neighborhood.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers

Is it just us, or does it seem like Las Vegas is ruling our lives lately?

Believe it or not, after this weekend the Grizzlies only have one more regular season game against the Wranglers in March. However, with the standings looking the way they have, it's very likely they'll meet at some point in the playoffs. We'd prefer it be later rather than sooner. We're getting tired of them.

The Grizzlies blew their shot to go into this weekend ahead of Las Vegas in the standings, so that makes these two games even more important in their quest for the #1 spot in the conference. Utah currently sits right behind Vegas with 61 points to the Wranglers' 63. (Stockton is right behind them with 59.) The good news is that in the 8 times Utah and Vegas have met this season (seems more like 88 times), the Grizzlies have come out on top 6 times with 1 shootout loss, and have earned 13 points. Not a bad record so far. Kevin Deeth leads the Grizzlies against the Wranglers with 11 points. Also a good sign. Our #2 sign, however, is getting a bit old. We'd prefer the Grizzlies get 4 points this weekend and the Wranglers get 0 points so we can stop posting it.

Somewhat like the Grizzlies recently, Vegas has been flailing a little bit, winning only 4 of their last 10 games. They've lost their last 3, so they're on a bit of a losing streak. The Grizzlies themselves have a bit of a streak going themselves, losing their last two, but since their streak isn't as long, it won't be as painful if they have to end it. We're sure they'll be willing to sacrifice their own losing streak in order to keep the Wranglers' going. They're kind and unselfish that way.

The Wranglers recently acquired goaltender Billy Sauer from Gwinnett. We don't know why. We also don't know whether he'll be in the net against the Grizzlies or not. And there's some debate on which name is easier to taunt - Sauer or Ouzas. That may need to be tested this weekend.

One thing that doesn't need to be tested this weekend is the power at the Maverik Center. With Wednesday's outage, something seemed to go out in the Grizzlies too. Their last two games have been somewhat lackluster, and Wednesday's game even caused Coach Colley to say he was going to dissect everyone. That's got to be a messy business. Hopefully he got everyone put back together in time for tonight's game. And let's keep the power on this time.

It's Hockey Weekend Across America, and the Grizzlies have a bunch of promotions going on for Friday and Saturday. We don't know if the two are related, but we're going to say they are. For tonight's game (Friday) fans are encouraged to bring a can of food for the Utah Food Bank. It's especially encouraging since you can get $5 off any ticket for each can donated. There will also be a post-game skate for fans and the team. Bring your own skates, or rent some for $2. On Saturday it's Pooch on the Pond where fans can bring their dog and sit in the special pooch section. This goes right along with Bring a Friend to the Rink Day. Nice. The Grizzlies will also be sporting special jerseys for the Angel's Hands Foundation that will be auctioned off after the game. Proceeds go to the Angel's Hands Foundation which helps families dealing with rare diseases. And don't forget the Try Hockey For Free activities going on at 4 different ice rinks across Utah on Saturday the 19th in conjunction with HWAA.

The fun starts at 7:00 pm tonight at the Maverik Center. Three games left against the Wranglers. Two games this weekend. One chance to get ahead of them in the Western Conference.

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.

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.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Idaho Steelheads

The Grizzlies are still in Idaho. Well, all except Tyler Ruegsegger, who got traded to Alaska yesterday. The Grizzlies are getting Maxime Tanguay in return, who is said to be one of the fastest skaters in the league. Like always, we'll miss Tyler, and wish him the best of luck in Alaska. Except when he's playing the Grizzlies.

Back to Idaho - the Grizzlies are stuck there until they play two games this weekend. Once they have accomplished that feat, they will be released into the maze that is downtown Boise where they will try to find their way to the path that will take them home to Utah. If this was a video game, they'd have to win on both Friday and Saturday nights, rescue a puck bunny, kill a vampire potato and build a lego bus before they made it to the maze. Thankfully, this game isn't being played in an alternate reality, because that sounds like about the weirdest video game ever known to man. However, we'd still like to see those two wins.

Utah recently battled their way out of a 4 game losing streak with an intense shootout win on Wednesday. Believe us when we say we were just as excited as anyone to see that win (except maybe Coach Colley). But now we really have to take a look at the standings. The Grizzlies are barely clinging to the conference lead by one point. While they were doing all that losing, Las Vegas was catching up. They are now breathing down Utah's neck, threatening to take over first place, so those 4 points available this weekend are crucial if they want to stay on top. Yes, we realize that it's still a long way to the playoffs, and leading the conference doesn't unlock some secret cheat once you get there that makes you invincible in the post season. But maybe it should. We'll work on that. (We just really like it when our team is in first place.)

We got the feeling after last weekend that the team was feeling somewhat worn out and pitiful, so we're hoping they got out of their funk with the win on Wednesday. We'd like that team back that kicked everyone's trash around the conference in December. Time to start kicking more trash, and Idaho is the perfect place to do it. Bonus points if they can get out of town before the trash gets cleaned up.

Idaho has only won 4 of their last 10 games, but two of those wins came against the Grizzlies. The Steelheads are always a tough team, even when they're not at their best. Utah can't be fragile for these two games. All that mental stuff that goes with a 4 game losing streak has to be out of sight, out of mind. We know one game isn't really a streak, but two is. So is three. That's this week's goal - 3 game winning streak, to be continued next week.

Puck drops at 7:10 tonight - the games can be heard on 1230 KFAN.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Stockton Thunder

The Grizzlies host the Stockton Thunder this weekend as they try to bounce back from a loss to Idaho on Wednesday. The last time these two teams met up was December 11th, so it's been a while. Actually they've only played twice so far this season - both times in Stockton - so we've got a lot of them to look forward to in the second half of the season.

As far as the series goes, they've split the two games they've played. When all is said and done, we don't expect this series to end up an even split. We're not just saying that because they play 11 games either. It seems that the Grizzlies have really found their identity as a team and are playing and sticking up for each other like a family. (Check out Matt Sorteberg's interview here for a little more about that.) It may not always be pretty and they may get a little beat up, but more often than not they come away with a win at the end of the day. They may even end up with the girls once people forget about that little barn raising incident.

The Thunder have the statistic of being 11-3-4 when scoring first, so it looks like that is something the Grizzlies want to take away from them. While we're sure the Grizzlies can make a comeback if they don't score first, it's always a little more encouraging when they do, for the team and the fans. Then again, it's kind of embarrassing to blow a lead, no matter how small. So we guess what we're saying is we want Utah to go ahead first and stay ahead until the end of the game. We realize we may have dropped our hockey coaching IQ by a couple of points with that sentence, but it wasn't that high to begin with, and we're not actually hockey coaches, so the team will probably be okay. Besides, it's not a bad plan if you look at the big picture..

Adrian Denny pointed out in his game day blog that Stockton and Utah always have their physical battles when they meet. The last time these two teams played each other, the stat sheet ended up with 120 penalty minutes scrawled across it. Maybe there were two stat sheets to record all those penalties - it was a real barn raising. Anyway, we don't know if this will be the agenda for this weekend's games, but with an extra game day tacked on because of the holiday, these two teams could get sick of each other pretty quick. No stats on who has the better record if they win the first fight.

Stockton has won their last two games, but they've only won a total of three of their last 10. Not to be mean or anything, but recently they had a 7 game losing streak. Okay, so we're really not trying to be all that nice either. They haven't strung two wins together since a 3 game sweep of Victoria back at the beginning of December. It's Utah's job to get them started on another good losing streak this weekend.

We can't really let a game day go by without mentioning that even with the loss to Idaho on Wednesday, the Grizzlies are still at the top of the Western Conference. We never get tired of seeing that in the standings. The Aces and Wranglers are slowly creeping up the conference ladder though, so the Grizzlies need to take advantage of the chance to pick up 6 points this weekend. Again, they are only two points behind Greenville for the league lead, so there's another good reason to get all the points they can in the next three games.

First game of three starts tonight at 7:05 pm at the Maverik Center. The Grizzlies have announced so many concessions promotions that we can't keep track of them all, so check out their facebook page to see what the deals are. Maybe Millie's cooking...

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Ontario Reign

The Grizzlies take up arms tonight and Saturday against the Ontario Reign. They're going into this weekend on a 1 game winning streak, which isn't really a streak at all, but we're pretty sure they're planning on turning it into one, so we're going with it.

Streak or not, Utah has won 7 of their last 10 games and has been getting excellent play from everyone on the team. They are still at the top of the Western Conference despite a tiny little setback in Idaho on Tuesday. No big deal - they aren't going to win every game, no matter how much voodoo or fairy dust we throw out there. (Just for the record, combining voodoo and fairy dust is a bad idea. Or so we've heard.) Still, we're keeping our standards high and expecting 4 points this weekend.

Ontario may only have 21 points in the standings to the Grizzlies' 44, and they may have only won two of their last 10 games, but the truth of the matter is they can be a tough team for Utah to play against. The two teams have matched up four times already this season, and Ontario has won twice, both on the Grizzlies' home ice. Utah needs to look at this weekend not as an easy four points, but as a chance for payback in Ontario. We're not too worried about this team taking a vacation though. Maybe toward the beginning of the season they were guilty of that on occasion, but they seem pretty determined to stay on top now. They don't want the curse of Coach Colley on their heads. Plus it looks like the weather in Ontario is going to be crappy this weekend. (Maybe that IS the curse of Coach Colley. We have no idea what kind of powers he has.) Anyway, the Reign are 7-1-1 when leading after 2 periods, so the Grizzlies will want to get to work early. No pulling a Russian World Junior this weekend. (Our sympathies to all our Canadian friends out there - hopefully no one jumped.) If we were coaching, we'd tell the team to get ahead in the first two periods and stay there. Useful advice, but that's pretty much the extent of our plan, so it's a good thing we're not coaching.

For the Grizzlies, Marcus Carroll and Chris Donovan currently have 4 game point streaks going, and Kevin Deeth has two mulitple point games in a row. Ontario has new goaltender Alex Petizian from Alaska/Portland. Brock Wilson has a 1 game streak without suspension.

If you happen to be in Ontario for the game, try to be one of the first 3,000 people in the arena - it's Bud Holloway bobblehead night.

Games start tonight at 8:00 pm MST. You can listen on 1230 KFAN. Second win of the latest win streak.