This was a completely different team we saw tonight as opposed to Wednesday. Passes were clicking, defense was solid, and offense was scoring.
Defense was shorthanded tonight, playing with only 5 blueliners and continually rotating pairs throughout the game. Play wise you couldn't even tell; it was an amazing effort on their part. Something else we truly appreciated from the d-men was not allowing Stockton to push their buttons. Only 5 of the 14 penalties assessed to Utah in the match were from the 5 defensemen. Thank you for that.
Grantham took over the penalty role, seemingly spending more time in the penalty box than out. But since he was able to draw the Stockton sideshow circus his way and let defense take care of business, we see it as taking one for the team. Thumbs up.
Parnham was back on the ice and looked great. We didn't think he'd be back for a while, so that was a welcome surprise. Between Parnham, Shea, and McIlveen - those boys got things rolling for Deeth and May to capture some great goals later in the game.
And a great job by Connelly. He definitely made some (34, to be exact) timely saves and as the game continued, looked more and more comfortable in the crease.
Let's go for the rest of the weekend, boys!
Stars of the Game -
1. UTA - T. May 2. UTA - K. Deeth 3. UTA - S. Connelly
There's not much left to say about this one. It was a great team game for a solid win. Everyone was present on the ice tonight, which made for some exciting hockey. We think Colley put it best in his post game: "When you have a great team game, you don't want to just pick out individuals. I'd have to give 18 stars tonight."
The power play was back in full swing with the Grizzlies picking up 2 goals on the man advantage. Also, the penalty kill came out on top with the boys killing all 5 short-handed situations that Utah saw. 5-on-5 play was great as well, both on the forecheck and backcheck. And Engelage was solid in net, stopping 23 of 24. Can't really ask for much more.
Nice to see Timmy Crowder on a goal streak.
It sounds like Bakersfield was running their mouths a bit through the game. Really, Bakersfield? Don't know you know yet how these things end?
Next game at home starts early at 6:05pm.
Game Photos -
Stars of the Game -
1. UTA - T. May 2. UTA - K. Deeth 3. UTA - A. Engelage
Another Pink in the Rink game, another pink jersey auction.
The Utah Grizzlies website reported that "Nearly $12,000 was raised to fight breast cancer following the team’s live post-game pink jersey auction." Nicely done, boys.
Auction Photos -
Captain Gannon is first up.
The other boys mill around waiting for their turn on the auction block.
Tim Crowder and Brad Stensinger hang out in the back.
Paul Crowder up for auction.
More milling about - Carpentier is up next.
Tim Crowder waits for his picture with a fan.
We also tried to get a clear shot of Brock heckling the bidders, but to no avail. And no classic GQ shots like we captured of Captain Kinasewich last year, but still some fun pictures.
We did warn everyone that we would be spending the weekend moping about in our bathrobes if the Grizzlies lost. And we did. Here is your belated and final post game of the season.
The Steelheads scored 3 times in the 1st, the last of the 3 goals coming in the final minute of the period. Utah thought they had scored the first goal of the game, but the puck was not seen to cross the red line. In the 2nd Idaho tacked another goal to their total, ending the period 4-0.
The Grizzlies tallied their only goal during the 3rd as they kept the Steelheads to a scoreless period, ending the game 4-1 in Idaho's favor.
From the official post game:
The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Utah Grizzlies 4-1 Friday night at the E-Center to defeat Utah four games to none in the ECHL’s National Conference Semifinals. The Grizzlies season ends in the second round of the postseason. [utahgrizzlies.com]
IDH M. McCutcheon (3), 9:50 1st period (Derlago, Flichel); Steelheads 1, Grizzlies 0 IDH E. Barlow (3), 11:51 1st period (McCutcheon, Flichel); Steelheads 2, Grizzlies 0 IDH B. Kushniruk (1), 19:52 1st period (McCutcheon); Steelheads 3, Grizzlies 0 IDH M. McKnight (3), 5:02 2nd period (DeVergilio, Friesen); Steelheads 4, Grizzlies 0 UTA T. May (3), 11:15 3rd period (Sixsmith, Crowder); Steelheads 4, Grizzlies 1
Stars of the Game:
1. IDH - R. Bachman 2. IDH - M. McCutcheon 3. UTA - T. May
Additional Notes:
> James Sixsmith lead the team with 6 SOG and also tallied an assist. > Mike Morrison stopped 23 of 27 of in the match. > Thanks for an awesome season, Grizzlies!
The Grizzlies needed this win to advance, and they deserved every moment of their victory. 12 more wins to the Cup, indeed!
Utah started the scoring 7:36 into the 1st with a goal from Captain Kinasewich. They never looked back. In the 2nd, The Grizzlies tacked on 3 goals in a 2 1/2 minute time span to increase their lead over the Wranglers, 4-0.
James Sixsmith picked up a goal 6:50 into the 3rd, and Las Vegas grabbed their first and only goal of the night on the power play to end the game 5-1 in the Grizzlies favor.
From the official post game:
The Utah Grizzlies defeated the Las Vegas Wranglers 5-1 Tuesday night at the E-Center to win the best-of-five quarterfinal series three games to two. Utah advances to the second round where they will face the Idaho Steelheads in a best-of-seven series that will begin Friday in Boise. [utahgrizzlies.com]
UTA R. Kinasewich (4), 7:36 1st period (Perry, Suda); Grizzlies 1, Wranglers 0 UTA A. Perry (2), 2:57 2nd period (Gannon, Suda); Grizzlies 2, Wranglers 0 UTA T. Crowder (4), 3:11 2nd period (Gannon, Galbraith); Grizzlies 3, Wranglers 0 UTA R. Kinasewich (5), 5:05 2nd period (Sixsmith, Perry); Grizzlies 4, Wranglers 0 UTA J. Sixsmith (2), 6:50 3rd period (Perry, Crowder); Grizzlies 5, Wranglers 0 LV M. Lawrence (1), 8:45 3rd period (Krischuk, Pollastrone); Grizzlies 5, Wranglers 1
What Worked Well: You name it Too much worked well in this game to single out anything in particular. Defense was kick ass, goaltending was beyond steller, offense pushed it to the limit, special teams were on the ball, and the boys stuck up for each other. Ah, the fights. Overall, a game of epic proportions.
What Could Have Worked Better: Pfft . . . Not even gonna bother with this one today.
Who Made the Difference: Jake Gannon All of the boys worked their guts out this game and we definitely want to give special attention to AJ Perry for his work on 4 of the 5 Grizzlies' goals and Mikko Koskinen for his astounding 38 saves. But Jake Gannon really set the tone for the team in the 1st by putting the pressure on the Wranglers and not letting up. And that made all the difference in the world. Nicely done.
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - A. Perry 2. UTA - M. Koskinen 3. UTA - R. Kinasewich
Additional Notes:
> Six Grizzlies had multiple point games: Ryan Kinasewich (2g), AJ Perry (1g, 3a), Tim Crowder (1g, 1a), James Sixsmith (1g, 1a), Jake Gannon (2a), and Justin Suda (2a). > Mikko Koskinen stopped 38 of 39 for the win. > Matt Clarke led the team with 6 SOG. Sixsmith and Kinasewich tied for second with 5 SOG a piece.
Utah piled on 7 goals for their 2 points, but the Condors definitely kept things interesting for the Grizzlies during this match up.
Bakersfield struck first for the second night in a row 5:01 into the 1st. The Grizzlies responded on the power play to tie things before the end of the period, 1-1. At the top of the 2nd, Perry gave Utah their first lead of the night, but the Condors were quick to respond and tie it once again, 2-2. The Grizzlies regained their lead with a goal from Clarke, then another from Hunter to build their lead before the end of the middle frame, 4-2.
In the 3rd, Utah increased their lead to 3 with a goal from May. The Condors quickly followed up with two of their own, bringing the deficit to a single goal, 5-4. But the Grizzlies tacked on two more goals, one from Sixsmith and the final goal from Kinasewich, to expand on their lead and seal the deal, 7-4.
From the official post game:
The Utah Grizzlies (32-28-4-5) defeated the Bakersfield Condors 7-4 Saturday night at the E-Center before 7,772 fans. The win guarantees Utah a winning season and their fourth season of .500 or better in the last five years.
Utah scored two goals in a 15-second span in the final 1:05 to break a 5-4 score and make it 7-4. [utahgrizzlies.com]
BAK A. Naglich (14), 5:01 1st period (Eichenlaub, Menei); Bakersfield 1, Grizzlies 0 UTA J. Sixsmith (23), 10:49 1st period (Maxwell, Hunter); Bakersfield 1, Grizzlies 1 UTA A. Perry (29), 2:31 2nd period (Vandermeer, Kinasewich); Bakersfield 1, Grizzlies 2 BAK D. Kissel (4), 3:13 2nd period (Ianiero, Goulet); Bakersfield 2, Grizzlies 2 UTA M. Clarke (4), 12:47 2nd period (Koskinen); Bakersfield 2, Grizzlies 3 UTA D. Hunter (16), 17:32 2nd period (Kinasewich, Vandermeer); Bakersfield 2, Grizzlies 4 UTA T. May (25), 2:56 3rd period (Sixsmith, Crowder); Bakersfield 2, Grizzlies 5 BAK A. Naglich (15), 4:22 3rd period (Kemp, Guyer); Bakersfield 3, Grizzlies 5 BAK M. Voakes (11), 17:40 3rd period (Kissel, Regan); Bakersfield 4, Grizzlies 5 UTA J. Sixsmith (24), 18:55 3rd period (Crowder); Bakersfield 4, Grizzlies 6 UTA R. Kinasewich (45), 19:10 3rd period; Bakersfield 4, Grizzlies 7
What Worked Well: Taking the puck to the net Unfortunately, we don't have a replay of every goal, but a good handful of those goals came from taking the puck deep and right up to the net: Perry, May, Sixsmith - all had goals by swooping down right in front of the net. Nice work.
What Could Have Worked Better: Staying out of the box The Grizzlies didn't allow Bakersfield as many chances as they did last night, but it's still something that could use a little improvement. There were also a couple of ill-timed penalties, including a shorthanded 5-on-3 situation that probably could have been avoided.
Who Made the Difference: James Sixsmith While we saw a pretty sweet game from the Grizzlies, James Sixsmith definitely lead the pack tonight. With two goals and an assist on the gamewinner, Sixer was continually in the right place at the right time and propelling all the Grizzlies forward.
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - J. Sixsmith 2. UTA - D. Hunter 3. UTA - P. Vandermeer
Additional Notes:
> Five Grizzlies had multiple point nights: James Sixsmith (2g, 1a), Dylan Hunter (1g 1a), Ryan Kinasewich (1g, 2a), Peter Vandermeer (2a), and Tim Crowder (2a). > Mikko Koshkinen stopped 26 out of 30 shots and picked up an assist in the contest. > Ryan Kinasewich picked up his 45th goal of the season and currently leads the league in goals.
Kinasewich is back. With a game-tying goal and a game winner, how can we not declare him the reigning champ?
Stockton took the lead 10:06 into the 1st on the power play, after their goalie was injured and replaced with Sorochan. But the Grizzlies were not to be deterred and after a Galbraith punch-in-the-face special, the boys responded with a power play goal of their own from Tom May. Utah then grabbed the lead with Kinsewich's first of the night before the end of the period, 2-1. Both teams weren't able to light the lamp in the second, though Stockton tallyed 14 SOG to Utah's 12. In the 3rd, Stockton picked up two goals to take the lead before Kinasewich picked up one more to tie it with just 3 minutes left in regulation.
After a scoreless overtime, the teams went to a shootout where Kinasewich picked up the the win on the shoulders of Vlady and Perry - and of course, Mitch O'Keefe.
From the official post game:
The Utah Grizzlies (28-25-3-5) defeated the Stockton Thunder 4-3 in a shootout Sunday afternoon at the E-Center to collect five of a possible six standings points in the weekend three-game series. [utahgrizzlies.com]
STK C. Hemingway (22), 10:06 1st period (Eizenman, Dacosta); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 0 UTA T. May (19), 14:09 1st period (Aston, Nikiforov); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 1 UTA R. Kinasewich (37), 17:33 1st period (Crowder, Hunter); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 2 STK K. Czuy (5), 5:14 3rd period (Gongalsky, Hunt); Thunder 2, Grizzlies 2 STK C. D'Alvise (26), 8:54 3rd period (Constant, Bates); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 2 UTA R. Kinasewich (38), 3rd period (Aston, Hunter); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 3
UTA (SO) R. Kinasewich, Thunder 3, Grizzlies 4
What Worked Well: Penalty Kill While there were less penalties, we just saw an improvement in the penalty kill from the previous night. The boys were willing to make more sacrifices and had an easier time clearing the puck.
What Could Have Been Better: 3rd period When the Grizzlies stepped onto the ice in the 3rd, they looked like fail, allowing two Stockton goals before Colley cussed them out properly. We've generally noticed a push in the final 20 as of late, so it was definitely a disappointing change. Glad to see Colley get the boys back on track.
Who Made the Difference: Ryan Kinasewich 2 goals in regulation, including a tying goal that sent things into overtime and the game-winning shootout goal - we really couldn't pick anyone else as our difference maker for this game, though we want to give props to Mitch O'Keefe for his performance. We're excited to see Kinasewich is back. Keep it up, Captain!
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - R. Kinasewich 2. UTA - D. Hunter 3. STK - K. Czuy
Additional Notes:
> Three Grizzlies had multiple points in the match: Ryan Kinasewich (2g), Dylan Hunter (2a), and Peter Aston (2a). > James Sixsmith's scoring streak of 13 games was snapped - damn! > Mitch O'Keefe stopped 36 out of 39 shots in regulation and overtime, then stopped 3 of 5 in the shootout. > Since Perry was a little too stealthy for us (you'll see what we mean), we've opted to post his shootout goal here and not on YouTube.
This was a tough one, but the Grizzlies were able to pick up a point in the loss. Utah came from behind to tie the game twice, then take the lead twice, only to lose in overtime during a short handed situation.
Stockton dominated the initial period, tallying 18 shots to Utah's 10 and scoring the first goal on the power play. Lance Galbraith responded at 13:16 of the 1st with a Utah power play goal. The Thunder regained the lead to end the period 2-1. However, the Grizzlies added a Kinasewich goal 1:05 into the 2nd to tie things once again before Stockton responded, 3-2. Utah mounted another comeback, adding a goal midway through the 2nd from Perry, then another at 16:07 from Sixsmith to take the lead and end the period 4-3 for Utah. Stockton evened it once again on the power play, and after than we're not sure what happened, but Carpentier and Stockton's Hunt declared it time for fisticuffs and threw in some death threats for good measure. Captain Kinasewich regained the lead for the Grizzlies with their own power play goal, 5-4. The Thunder were not to be ignored, picking up one more on the man advantage to send things into overtime, 5-5.
Utah fought to kill a 4-on-3 short-handed situation from a penalty at the end of the 3rd, but to no avail. Stockton scored the sudden death game-winner just 0:45 into overtime to end the game 6-5 in their favor.
From the official post game:
The Stockton Thunder (28-24-2-6) scored a power-play goal 45 seconds into overtime to defeat the Utah Grizzlies (27-25-3-5) 6-5 before 4,910 at the E-Center Saturday night. [utahgrizzlies.com]
STK O. Eizenman (18), 6:16 1st period (Dacosta); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 0 UTA L. Galbraith (16), 13:16 1st period (MacMillan, Aston); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 1 STK M. Robinson (23), 16:05 1st period; Thunder 2, Grizzlies 1 UTA R. Kinasewich (35), 1:05 2nd period (Perry, Hunter); Thunder 2, Grizzlies 2 STK J. Bates (22), 8:42 2nd period (D'Alvise, Robinson); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 2 UTA A. Perry (23), 9:04 2nd period (Kinasewich, Hunter); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 3 UTA J. Sixsmith (20), 16:07 2nd period (Galbraith, Crowder); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 4 STK C. D'Alvise (25), 2:12 3rd period (Aeillo, Robinson); Thunder 4, Grizzlies 4 UTA R. Kinasewich (36), 4:02 3rd period (Aston, Sixsmith); Thunder 4, Grizzlies 5 STK R. Constant (6), 5:35 3rd period (Eizenman, Cauldron); Thunder 5, Grizzlies 5 STK M. Robinson (24), 0:45 OT (D'Alvise, Bates); Thunder 6, Grizzlies 5
What Worked Well: Perry-Hunter-Kinasewich We absolutely love this group together. As much as we enjoy (we were going to say adore, but the love theme was a little too much for us) James Sixsmith (who really makes any line work), this is The Line for the Grizzlies. They work like a well-oiled machine and make things happen. If you want to see a gorgeously executed goal, make sure you're watching when these boys are on the ice.
What Could Have Been Better: Controlling rebounds We saw a lot of good opportunities fall flat because nobody was in position to get the rebound. Not only did this cut down on scoring chances, but more often than not, the boys would get one shot off, then head back down to defend in their own end as Stockton picked up the puck. Do it better.
Who Made the Difference: Brock Wilson While it seems an unlikely pick due to the offensive domination of this game, Wilson (and also Sorteberg) was constantly in place to cover up holes in the net, snatch up Stockton's rebounds, and push the puck out of the defensive zone. We really noticed a great defensive presence from both Wilson and Sorteberg on the ice during their shifts. Nicely done.
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - R. Kinasewich 2. UTA - J. Sixsmith 3. STK - M. Robinson
Additional Notes:
> James Sixsmith continues to push his scoring streak higher; he currently sits at 13 games. > Beau Erickson saw a crazy 44 shots during the match. He stopped 38 of those. > Six Grizzlies had multipoint games: Ryan Kinasewich (2g, 1a), James Sixsmith (1g, 1a), Peter Aston (2a), AJ Perry (1g, 1a), Lance Galbraith (1g, 1a), and Dylan Hunter (2a). > Captain Kinasewich seems to be back in the swing of things, leading the team with 2 goals, 1 assist and 8 SOG. > We weren't really happy with the way the game was called, and listening to the post game, it sounds like everyone on the Utah end concurs. > Not only did Hunt and Carpentier get into it through the plexiglass, but it sounds like Kevin Colley and Stockton Head Coach Matt Thomas did as well. Fisticuffs!
After Friday night's game, the Grizzlies auctioned offed their 3rd jerseys to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital. The Utah Grizzlies website reported that:
$13,300 was raised for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Foundation after the game as the Grizzlies auctioned off live their New York Islanders themed third-jerseys that they wore on Friday nights this season.
We typically do a breakdown of the jersey sales for the auction, but we had a few technical difficulties with our notes. Damn. If anyone did get what each jersey went for, feel free to email us or post it in the comments. We'd be happy to hear from you.
But, we did get some pictures from the auction for anyone that missed it.
Peter Vandermeer auctions off his jersey (child not included):
Ryan Kinasewich takes his turn:
The rest of the team waits for their spin on the auction block:
James Sixsmith looks pretty bad ass:
Matt Clarke is pensive:
Hugo Carpentier is amused that his name was mispronounced:
And Brett Parnham gives the bidders a smile:
We do have a few more photos that we may put up at our Flickr account later this week. Enjoy!
What a stellar 3rd period by the Grizzlies. Tallying 4 goals and 22 SOG in the final 20 minutes allowed Utah to win the match and pick up a much needed 2 points.
The Grizzlies struck first only 6:36 into the 1st period when James Sixsmith knocked one in to extend his scoring streak and give Utah an early lead. With some amazing defense and goaltending, Beau Erickson and company held off the Thunder until 11:49 into the 2nd, when Stockton tied things up, 1-1.
Utah came out strong in the 3rd, tallying two back to back goals in the first 4 minutes of the period. The Thunder attempted a comeback, picking up another goal of their own to close the gap to a single goal, 3-2. However, Lance Galbraith quickly responded to the challenge, lighting the lamp with his second goal of the match, and Captain Kinasewich sealed the deal with an empty netter with 0:27 left in the game.
From the official post game:
The Utah Grizzlies (27-25-2-5) scored four third period goals to defeat the Stockton Thunder 5-2 Friday night at the E-Center before 5,111 fans. [utahgrizzlies.com]
UTA J. Sixsmith (19), 6:36 1st period (Crowder, Aston); Grizzlies 1, Thunder 0 STK J. Bates (21), 11:49 2nd period (Vanoosten, Robinson); Grizzlies 1, Thunder 1 UTA L. Galbraith (14), 2:57 3rd period (MacMillan, Crowder); Grizzlies 2, Thunder 1 UTA S. McJannet (3), 3:17 3rd period (May); Grizzlies 3, Thunder 1 STK R. Constant (5), 4:49 3rd period (Hemingway, Eizenman); Grizzlies 3, Thunder 2 UTA L. Galbraith (15), 6:01 3rd period (Sixsmith, Crowder); Grizzlies 4, Thunder 2 UTA R. Kinasewich (34), EN 19:33 3rd period (Aston); Grizzlies 5, Thunder 2
What Worked Well: Shooting the puck. When you're up against the 2nd leading goalie in SV%, you're going to have to shoot more to make it into the net. The Grizzlies did just that, tallying a crazy 47 SOG, with 22 of those in the 3rd period.
What Could Have Been Better: Power Play While the boys did end up with a 20% conversion rate (1 out of 5) on the power play, they weren't able to capitalize on a 5-on-3. With a power play like Utah's this should have been no problem.
Who Made the Difference: Tim Crowder While we do want to draw attention to Erickson's stellar goaltending, Tim Crowder was having an amazing game. Whenever he was on the ice, he was where the puck was. Tallying 3 assists and a 2nd star of the game performance, he definitely made a difference by being exactly where he needed to be to get the job done. A great game for Crowder.
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - L. Galbraith 2. UTA - T. Crowder 3. UTA - J. Sixsmith
Additional Notes:
> Five Grizzlies had multipoint nights tonight: James Sixsmith (1g, 1a), Tim Crowder (3a), Peter Aston (2a), Malcolm MacMillan (2a), and Lance Galbraith (2g). > Beau Erickson stopped 28 of 30 shots for the victory. > James Sixsmith extended his scoring streak to 12 games - Nice.
We had a feeling that the Grizzlies were going to sweep this series, we just didn't expect this kind of a margin.
The 1st period remained a tight match, with Stockton tallying 10 SOG over Utah's 8. However, the Grizzlies struck first early in the period and held their one-goal lead throughout the rest of the frame. In the 2nd, the Grizzlies packed on 3 more goals before Stockton tallied one of their own, but this would be the only time the Thunder would beat Beau Erickson. Utah responded with one more goal before the end of the period, 5-1.
At the top of the 3rd, Galbraith tallied his three goals for a hat trick, and May increased the gap with one of his own to end the game 7-1 in the Grizzlies' favor.
From the official post game:
The Utah Grizzlies (26-21-2-5) defeated the Stockton Thunder 7-1 Wednesday night at the E-Center as the Grizzlies completed the two-game in two-night series sweep of the Thunder. [utahgrizzlies.com]
UTA V. Nikiforov (13), 3:28 1st period (Galbraith, Sorteberg); Grizzlies 1, Thunder 0 UTA L. Galbraith (11), 3:27 2nd period (Carpentier, Aston); Grizzlies 2, Thunder 0 UTA T. Romano (8), 4:24 2nd period (Crowder, Galbraith); Grizzlies 3, Thunder 0 UTA A. Perry (21), 11:06 2nd period (Galbraith, Sixsmith); Grizzlies 4, Thunder 0 STK M. Robinson (17), 11:45 2nd period (D'Alvise, Dacosta); Grizzlies 4, Thunder 1 UTA L. Galbraith (12), 14:18 2nd period (Romano, May); Grizzlies 5, Thunder 1 UTA L. Galbraith (13), 4:34 3rd period (Romano); Grizzlies 6, Thunder 1 UTA T. May (17), 17:39 3rd period (Wilson); Grizzlies 7, Thunder 1
What Worked Well: Special Teams This game would have been a much different story if it weren't for the penalty kill, especially considering the strength of Stockton's power play. Utah killed all 6 of its shorthanded situations and also capitalized on 2/5 power play opportunities. The special teams have really been shining over the last few days.
What Could Have Been Better: erm . . . no. Not a lot could have been better. The Grizzlies could have done a slightly better job staying out of the box, but with the penalty kill working the way it did, we didn't see a huge issue there, either.
Who Made the Difference: Lance Galbraith With a hat trick, 3 assists, and a +4 coming out of this game, Galbraith certainly led the rest of the team with points, and effectively contributed to all but one goal of this game. What a great game for Lance; he definitely deserved the #1 star of the game with this performance. And, of course . . .
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - L. Galbraith 2. UTA - T. Romano 3. UTA - B. Erickson
Additional Notes:
> Lance Galbraith ties with Ryan Kinasewich for the top scoring night in Grizzlies' history with 6 points (3g, 3a). > Three Grizzlies had multipoint games: Lance Galbraith (3g, 3a), Tony Romano (1g, 2 a), and Tom May (1g, 1a). > Beau Erickson saved 29 of 30 for the win. > 11 Grizzlies made the scoring column during the match. > The team is now something like 11-0 when Vladimir Nikiforov scores a goal.
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]
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!
After a long strech of shootouts between these two teams, this game ended in regulation. Victoria took the lead over the Grizzlies in the final frame, but unlike the previous games, Utah was not able to mount a comeback.
Both teams battled through the 1st, but remained scoreless until 16:58 when James Sixsmith buried Utah's first goal. However, the Salmon Kings responded with under a minute left in the period, ending the 1st in a tie, 1-1. Victoria took the lead in the top of the middle frame, and held the Grizzlies at bay until the final seconds of the period when AJ Perry tied things up for Utah, 2-2.
In the 3rd period, Victoria scored two unanswered goals to regain the lead, then sealed the deal with an empty net goal in the final minute of the game to end things 5-2 in the Salmon Kings' favor.
From the official post game:
West Valley City, Utah – The Victoria Salmon Kings (30-18-4-2) defeated the Utah Grizzlies (23-21-2-5) 5-2 Friday night at the E-Center before 5,910 fans.
The loss ends Utah's three-game home winning streak and their three-game unbeaten streak overall. Utah dropped to 4-2-0-3 in February with the defeat. [utahgrizzlies.com]
UTA J. Sixsmith (13), 16:58 1st period (Nikiforov); Grizzlies 1, Salmon Kings 0 VIC R. Gelech (16), 19:16 1st period (Siddall, Hamilton); Grizzlies 1, Salmon Kings 1 VIC A. Taylor (10), 5:09 2nd period (Brandt, Davey); Grizzlies 1, Salmon Kings 2 UTA A. Perry (20), 19:52 2nd period (Sixsmith, Crowder); Grizzlies 2, Salmon Kings 2 VIC A. Taylor (11), 4:13 3rd period (Brandt); Grizzlies 2, Salmon Kings 3 VIC A. Taylor (12), 7:34 3rd period (Brandt, Leitch); Grizzlies 2, Salmon Kings 4 VIC C. Painchaud (23), EN 19:28 3rd period (Siddall, Gelech); Grizzlies 2, Salmon Kings 5
What Worked Well: Sticking up for each other Multitude of fights in this game, and a lot of them originated from bad or unnecessary hits on teammates. For us, it was really nice to see the boys sticking up for each other since it was almost ridiculous to expect it earlier in the season. Glad to see they've got each others' backs finally.
What Could Have Worked Better: Showing up to play We didn't feel the same overall push from this game that we've been seeing over the last 10 games or so. The Grizzlies had their highs and lows during this game, but there wasn't an overall sense of consistancy in this match that we've been getting accustomed to over their past 10.
Who Made the Difference: Lance Galbraith Again, we had a few to choose from in this game, but Galbraith's fight at the end of the 2nd really energized the troops, changed the momentum, and led to the Grizzlies second goal by AJ Perry.
Stars of the Game:
1. VIC - A. Taylor 2. VIC - A. Brandt 3. UTA - J. Sixsmith
Additional Notes:
> Beau Erickson stopped 35 out of 39 shots in the regulation loss. > Utah tallied 23 minutes of penalty time from 7 infractions.
Utah wanted to duplicate the results of Saturday's game by hitting the scoreboard first in this rubber match and holding that lead.
The Grizzlies opened things up halfway through the 1st when AJ Perry buried one on the Las Vegas netminder. The Wranglers responded 28 seconds later with a goal of their own, but it would be the last they saw for the game. Vlady scored with a beauty of a shot 17:03 into the period to regain Utah's lead, and the boys never looked back. In the 2nd period, Galbraith increased the gap at 10:18, then Romano scored on the power play to pad Utah's lead to 4-1. At some point Tom May found the back of the net, but the goal was waved off as the Grizzlies were offside; we don't remember what period that was.
The 3rd period remained intense, but scoreless for both teams as Utah worked to defend their lead. Erickson and the Grizzlies were able to hold Vegas to a single goal and end the contest 4-1.
From the official post game:
In the second period, Utah added goals 1:38 apart from Lance Galbraith and then a power-play tally from Tony Romano to make the score 4-1. [utahgrizzlies.com]
UTA A. Perry (17), 11:50 1st period (Hunter, Aston); Grizzlies 1, Wranglers 0 LV A. Orpik (7), 12:16 1st period (Miller, Lukacevic); Grizzlies 1, Wranglers 1 UTA V. Nikiforov (9), 17:03 1st period (Galbraith, Romano); Grizzlies 2, Wranglers 1 UTA L. Galbraith (5), 10:18 2nd period (May, Romano); Grizzlies 3, Wranglers 1 UTA T. Romano (4), 11:56 2nd period (Nikiforov, Perry); Grizzlies 4, Wranglers 1
What We Think Worked Well: Vlady-Galby-Tony This line just clicked. 7 game points from this line from 3 goals and 4 assists. It's really nice to see this coming from a second line. We knew the skill was there, we were just waiting for it to show up, and it did with cow bells on. Actually, we have to step back and applaud all the lines; we like who Colley put together and we're looking forward to seeing more out of all of them.
What Could Have Worked Better: Not a whole hell of a lot? There was a slight breakdown in defense after the first goal which lead to Vegas scoring and another low conversion rate on the power play, but minus some tweaking we felt like this was a great game. Even though the Grizzlies only went 1/4 on the power play, the first two chances were beautifully executed even though no goal was scored. We expect to see the conversion pick up drastically over the next few games.
Who Made the Difference: Vladimir Nikiforov We have to agree with Colley and say that this is probably the best game we've seen from Tony Romano since he hit Utah ice. That being said, we have to highlight Vlady's performance and puck handling skills in this contest. Stick in the the fun statistic that Utah stands at 8-0 when Nikiforov scores a goal, and we feel safe in naming him our difference maker for this game.
Stars of the Game:
1. UTA - V. Nikiforov 2. UTA - T. Romano 3. UTA - L. Galbraith
Additional Notes:
> Steve McJannet joins the team from the Florida Everblades for his first game in Utah colors. > James Sixsmith also rejoins the team from the AHL, and Tom May returns from the IR. > Four Grizzlies had multipoint nights: Perry (1 goal, 1 assist), Nikiforov (1 goal, 1 assist), Romano (1 goal, 2 assists), and Galbraith (1 goal, 1 assist). > Hunter, Perry, Romano, and Galbraith build on their scoring streaks, gaining points in consecutive games. > Erickson stopped 25 out of 26 shots for the win.
> Captain Kinasewich was held off the scoresheet this game; he was awarded a penalty shot, but it looks like it went wide of the net. Anyone know? We're adding that here for our blog readers below:
It's that time of year again. Time for local law enforcement to face off against their firefighting counterparts on ice to help raise money for charity. This year's Guns & Hoses match played host to over 3000 fans at the E Center and helped raise money for Shriners Hospital.
Guns & Hoses hockey celebrated its 8th annual game this year. Hockey is easily the most anticipated sporting event out of all others that Guns & Hoses participates in, but somehow that doesn't really surprise us. Where else can you cheer when police officers are forced to sit in a box after an infraction?
The Hoses won the match 8-6, but the Guns put up a hell of a fight. It was a great opportunity for the two groups to hang out, play some hockey, and knock each other around in front of an arena full of people. A good time was had by all and the raffles and silent auction helped raise money for a great cause.
Since it WAS a hockey match, we picked a photo of the game.
We liked the crazy eyes on that kid. You can see the rest of our photos in the slideshow below or at ourFlickr account.
Guns & Hoses jerseys were supposed to be worn by the Grizzlies during the hockey game that night, but did not arrive in time (go UPS). The jerseys are scheduled to be worn on February 20 and will be auctioned off for charity after the game.
Ontario drew first blood with a short handed goal 1:44 into the 1st. Utah was able to hold the Reign's tally to a single goal through the rest of the period, then opened the 2nd with two goals of their own to take the lead. However, a minute later, the Reign tallied two goals to tie it, then regain the lead. Late in the 2nd, Ontario added an additional goal to end the period 4-2.
Utah attempted to battle back but was not able to bridge the 2 goal gap, even with the help of a 5-on-3 power play. Both Ontario and Utah scored on power plays late in the 3rd to end the game in Ontario's favor, 5-3.
From the official post game:
The Grizzlies had 1:21 of five-on-three power-play time to start the third period, but were unable to score and the Grizzlies then preceded to commit three minors, one of which was taken advantage of by the Reign who buried a goal to extend their lead to 5-2 at 11:15 of the third period. [utahgrizzlies.com]
Bobby Hughes vs Michael Pelech (not our best work, but whatevs.)
Scoring Summary:
ONT C. Curran (2), 1:44 1st period ; Reign 1, Grizzlies 0 UTA R. Kinasewich (27), 2:47 2nd period (Perry, Hunter); Reign 1, Grizzlies 1 UTA A. Perry (16), 5:36 2nd period (Kinasewich, Maxwell); Reign 1, Grizzlies 2 ONT M. Howe (3), 6:04 2nd period (Pelech, Martens); Reign 2, Grizzlies 2 ONT T. Voce (10), 6:40 2nd period (Francisco, O'Connor); Reign 3, Grizzlies 2 ONT T. Voce (11), 17:03 2nd period (Starling, Francisco); Reign 4, Grizzlies 2 ONT G. Hogeboom (20), 11:15 3rd period (Lenes, Walker); Reign 5, Grizzlies 2 UTA R. Kinasewich (28), 18:33 3rd period (Hunter); Reign 5, Grizzlies 3
What We Think Worked Well: Perry-Hunter-Kinasewich This line was responsible for all goals scored during this game, 7 of the 8 points earned by the Grizzlies, and 11 out of 31 SOG. We can't deny (nor would we want to) that this line works incredibly well together.
What Could Have Worked Better: Power Play The Grizzlies have a sizzling power play when they're on, but when it's off, it's completely past the mark. Both Ontario and Utah went 1/6 on the power play and neither were able to capitalize on 5-on-3 situations. However, the Grizzlies had a hard time controling the puck, keeping it in, and even allowed a shorty during their first power play of the night. Maybe we've been spoiled, but compared to the last few games, this definitely could have worked much better for the Grizzlies.
Who Made the Difference: Brock Wilson Even though we really can't say enough about Captain Kinasewich's star-of-the-game performance in this game, we have to give props to Brock Wilson for his crazy, long-ass, helmet-less shift. He played a good game and took care of business. Check it out:
Definitely in the top 3 best game moments for us (other two: the first Kinasewich goal, Hughes sticking up for himself). Props to Brock.
Stars of the Game:
3. UTA - R. Kinasewich
Additional Notes:
> Ryan Kinasewich, Dylan Hunter, and AJ Perry all racked up multipoint nights. > Overall, the Grizzlies tallied 31 SOG; Ryan Kinasewich led the team with 8 of the 31.
We finally got our Flickr account up and running. We're still adding more pictures, but we have a few up for you to see already from 12/31/09. Since we take exponentially more photos than we post in our blogs (500+ from New Year's Eve alone), we decided to upload the decent ones to Flickr for people to view. This will be a slow process, but you should start seeing additional game albums pop up over the next few weeks. Also, just added the two Galbraith fights from the same 12/31/09 game against the Salmon Kings to our YouTube channel. (Yes, they're in B&W. We're still figuring out the new camera.) Here's one of them:
And we finally did some updates to our Facebook profile so you can follow us or friend us there as well.
At least the Grizzlies got a consolation point from this game. This was a hard loss. And while it was fun to see a shoot out for the first time this season, the boys should have won this in regulation. Meh. We actually don't want to talk about it, so we're just going to post some pictures from the game instead.
If you want more details, go read the official post game at the Utah Grizzlies site and the gamesheet at ECHL.com.
Enjoy!
FIRST PERIOD
Kinasewich takes the shot.
Pavli against the boards.
Utah plays some defense. Snatch with the puck. "When they boo, it really hurts my feelings." (Anyone else remember that commercial?) Maxwell waits for the puck.
Perry takes the faceoff.
SECOND PERIOD
Galbraith has some words for Victoria, Colley has some words for the ref.
Tom May. Romano in the neutral zone.
Perry with the puck. Kinasewich denied. Pavli in front of the net.
Goal celebration! Love Maxwell's face in this one.
THIRD PERIOD
The boys take the ice. Roughing in front of Victoria's net. Puck in front of the net.
May takes it to the net.
Hughes and a Salmon King.
Romano lights the lamp.
Parnham with the puck.
OVERTIME
Colley outlines the plan.
Kinaswich and Maxwell wait for the overtime faceoff.
Victoria with a puck.
Gannon looks confused.
The boys kill a penalty, 4-on-3.
SHOOT OUT
Grizzbee on the zamboni. Erickson gets ready for the shoot out. Parnham's shoots and scores.
Erickson makes the save. Hugo shoots and is denied.
Grizzlies win.
3rd period - Coach Colley is pissed; the boys look equally ashamed.
2nd period - Tim Crowder speeds after the puck.
2nd period - Beau Erickson makes the save.
3rd period - Hugo Carpentier watches the game while he waits for a line change.
3rd period - Assistant Coach Pat Curcio gives Peter Aston feedback on his shift.
Also, just added the two Galbraith fights from the same 12/31/09 game against the Salmon Kings to our 
