Post Game: Steelheads 7, Grizzlies 5

After losing a quick, one goal lead in the 1st, Utah mounted quite the comeback, but it ended up being too little too late. Still, a decent effort by the boys.

The Grizzlies opened things up with a power play goal 1:26 into the 1st. Idaho responded 1:30 later, then tacked on another to end the period 2-1. The Steelheads continued to dominate in the 2nd period, and after two back to back Steelhead goals, Colley called a time out to let the boys know what he thought. The team responded 20 seconds later with a goal by Nikiforov, but Idaho scored on the power play, prompting O'Keefe to be replaced by Erickson in net. Utah continued to mount a comeback, grabbing two more goals before the end of the 2nd to bring the boys within one goal of the Steelheads, 5-4.

Idaho increased the deficit halfway through the final frame, and the Grizzlies struggled to respond. Utah picked up one more goal before the Steelheads sealed the deal with another of their own to end it 7-5 in their favor.

From the official post game:

Utah took a 1-0 lead just 1:26 into the contest on a Peter Aston power-play goal but that lead would last just 1:30 before Idaho tied the game at 2:56 and took their first lead of the night 6:37 into the opening frame at 2-1. Idaho would never look back as they extended the score to 4-1 and 5-2 before the Grizzlies started to mount a comeback. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Fall 7-5 in Boise
highlights || Game Highlights 3/16/10 at Idaho
gamesheet || Utah at Idaho - 3/16/10
interview || Peter Vandermeer 3/16/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Scoring Summary:

UTA P. Aston (6), 1:26 1st period (Perry, Sixsmith); Grizzlies 1, Steelheads 0
IDH B. Milnamow (3), 2:56 1st period (Derlago, Spurgeon); Grizzlies 1, Steelheads 1
IDH E. Barlow (29), 6:37 1st period (DeVergilio, Rome); Grizzlies 1, Steelheads 2
IDH A. Huxley (7), 2:05 2nd period (Derlago, Flichel); Grizzlies 1, Steelheads 3
IDH M. Derlago (37), 3:37 2nd period (McCutcheon); Grizzlies 1, Steelheads 4
UTA V. Nikiforov (15), 3:57 2nd period (Wilson, Clarke); Grizzlies 2, Steelheads 4
IDH M. McCutcheon (12), 12:34 2nd period (Swanson, Rome); Grizzlies 2, Steelheads 5
UTA A. Perry (24), 15:26 2nd period (Kinasewich, Hunter); Grizzlies 3, Steelheads 5
UTA V. Nikiforov (16), 16:34 2nd period (MacMillan); Grizzlies 4, Steelheads 5
IDH J. Swanson (17), 10:36 3rd period (Derlago, McCutcheon); Grizzlies 4, Steelheads 6
UTA P. Aston (7), 11:44 3rd period (MacMillan); Grizzlies 5, Steelheads 6
IDA E. Barlow (30), 12:58 3rd period (Flichel, Spurgeon); Grizzlies 5, Steelheads 7


What Worked Well: Shooting the puck.
The Grizzlies picked up 30 SOG in the loss and tallied 5 goals from the 30. Ryan Kinasewich once again lead the team with 8 of those 30 with Peter Aston tallying 5 and Sixsmith close behind with 4.

What Could Have Been Better: Goaltending
We typically look to Mitch O'Keefe to be pretty solid for the Grizzlies. Tonight was not the case. O'Keefe allowed 5 goals from 15 shots, and Erickson was only slightly better with 2 goals from 13 shots. Pick it up.

Who Made the Difference: Vlady Nikiforov
While Peter Aston had an incredible night with 2 goals and 5 SOG, we can't help but highlight the way Vlady responded to Colley's time out, and the timing of his second goal, which brought the Grizzlies back to a one-goal deficit before the end of the period. While Vlady did miss a few opportunities, his drive and the timing of his goals propelled the team toward the effort we saw in the final frame.


Stars of the Game:

1. IDH - E. Barlow
2. UTA - P. Aston
3. IDH - M. Derlargo


Additional Notes:

> Both Vlady Nikiforov and Peter Aston picked up 2 goals in the contest.
> Four Grizzlies had multipoint nights: Peter Aston (2g), Vlady Nikiforov (2g), AJ Perry (1g, 1a), and Malcolm MacMillan (2a).
> Newcomer Malcolm MacMillan has picked up 5 points (5a) in his last 4 games.