It's a new year, and the Grizzlies are in town for two games at the Maverik Center this weekend - one tonight to send off 2010 in a grand fashion, and one tomorrow to start 2011 off right. Welcome, Salmon Kings, to our four point celebration.
We like it when the Grizzlies play Victoria, if only because salmon are natural prey for bears. It always gives us a (possibly misguided) sense of confidence, being at the top of the natural food chain like that. Really, what's a poor little fish going to do once a grizzly bear gets it in its teeth? Get eaten, that's what.
However, we do realize that this is hockey, and the knockout punch can come from anywhere. (See Deryk Engelland vs Colton Orr.) In fact, the last time the Salmon Kings came to town, they ended up taking the Grizzlies down 4-3. They caught them by surprise, scoring twice in the first and again in the second before the Grizz knew what was happening. Unfortunately, by the time they started to make a comeback, it was too late. No points for Utah in that game.
That game also had 54 penalty minutes handed out between the two teams, most of them in the 2nd period. We bring this up because while the Grizzlies have been great on special teams lately, we'd rather not see them spending time in the box. It also gives us a chance to point out that Victoria leads the league in penalty minutes (697 - ouch). That could be good news for Utah if they can take advantage of power play opportunities. They just can't let themselves get sucked into a vortex of random fights and bad decisions. The penalty box isn't big enough for the whole team, although at times it seems they've tried to squeeze everyone in anyway.
The Grizzlies are still at the top of the Western Conference, and yes, we're going to keep saying it as long as it's true because we like the way it sounds. The Salmon Kings are 9 points behind them, but with division rivals, every point counts. It doesn't take much for them to move up. Thankfully, this Utah team seems to understand that being on top doesn't mean you can stand around and admire the view. They know if they're caught standing, Coach Colley will drag them back down to the bottom of the mountain and make them climb it again anyway, so they may as well keep moving forward. Hey, they haven't reached the Kelly Cup yet, and there's still some teams in front of them.
Friday night's game starts at 6:05 pm, and Saturday's starts at 7:05 pm. Tickets anywhere in the arena are only $11 on both nights, so get them fast if you want good seats. And for a full hockey weekend, don't forget the NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic on NBC Saturday at 11:00 am.
Hockey New Year!
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