Post Game: Grizzlies 2, Salmon Kings 1

Woo for making the playoffs! The Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot with their regulation win over Victoria. And no, it's not an April Fool's joke.

The Salmon Kings opened up the scoring just over a minute into the 1st period on the power play. Utah was held scoreless during the initial frame, but Captain Kinasewich tied things up with a power play goal of his own early in the 2nd, 1-1.

The defensive battle continued into the 3rd until the Grizzlies, via Matt Sorteberg, knocked one in to take the lead at 8:40 of the period, 2-1. Though Victoria battled back, Utah's defensive play kept them at bay until time expired.

From the official post game:

The Utah Grizzlies (33-28-4-5) defeated the Victoria Salmon Kings 2-1 in regulation Wednesday night in Victoria. The win officially clinches a Utah playoff berth for the fourth time in five years.

Utah took a 2-1 lead as Ryan Kinasewich eluded four Victoria defenders against the wall and fed Matt Sorteberg who walked into the right-wing circle and buried his second goal of the year 8:40 into the third period. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Clinch Playoff Berth With 2-1 Win In Victoria
highlights || Game Highlights 3/31/10 at Victoria
gamesheet || Utah at Victoria - 3/31/10
interview || Lance Galbraith 3/31/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Scoring Summary:

VIC M. Siddall (19), 1:15 1st period (Roach, Southern); Salmon Kings 1, Grizzlies 0
UTA R. Kinasewich (46), 2:56 2nd period (Sixsmith, Hunter); Salmon Kings 1, Grizzlies 1
UTA M. Sorteberg (2), 8:40 3rd period (Kinasewich, Hunter); Salmon Kings 1 Grizzlies 2


What Worked Well: Defense
The only goal that the Grizzlies allowed during this game was when they were shorthanded. For 60 minutes, that means a lot of kick ass defense. Koshkinen, while on his game, only saw 24 shots during the contest which shows just how vital the defensive play was to this game. Nicely played, boys.

What Could Have Worked Better: Erm . . .
Well, we're sure there was something. But honestly we love watching these two teams battle it out, so we decided to sit back and enjoy rather than analyze. Anyone wants to pipe in on this, feel free to comment or email.

Who Made the Difference: Matt Sorteberg
We were debating between two defensemen for this: Tim Maxwell and Matt Sorteberg. While Maxwell was all over the defensive end, we decided on Sorteberg for both offensive and defensive contributions. Sorteberg picked up the game winner, played solid in the Grizzlies own end, added to the overall hustle and drive by Utah, and picked up the 3rd star of the game. Awesome.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - R. Kinasewich
2. VIC - M. Keetley
3. UTA - M. Sorteberg


Additional Notes:

> Both Ryan Kinasewich (1g, 1a) and Dylan Hunter (2a) had multiple point games.
> Captain Kinasewich tied the record for most goals in a season with his 46th.
> James Sixsmith reached a 9 game scoring streak. Dylan Hunter extended his scoring streak to 11 games.
> This win guarenteed Utah a spot in the playoffs. Isn't it great to see that little x?