News: Sloooooow Day

In other news, wait there is no other news. Aside from getting a new player, covered yesterday, there really isn't much to talk about. The Grizz will be starting their holiday season public campaign, for lack of a better term. Tonight Brian Kilburg, Matt Sorteberg, Kevin Deeth and Tyler Ruegsegger will be attending a public skate at the South Davis Recreation Center in Bountiful from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Stolen straight from the Grizzlies website, that was! Tomorrow they will visit Primary Children's Medical Center. Hopefully they'll post some fun pictures from that, since I'm guess it's not really a public event. Hospitals usually frown on a lot of strangers looking in on patients.

Here's a question I thought up, due to the recent loss of Jackman to a league in Europe: How does the family of a hockey player feel to pack up and move to a different country for a job? It seems like the league has a lot of potential for player trades or moves to different leagues. Or does the player leave the family "at home" and travel to visit when he can? Just a thought.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers and Ontario Reign

No, they're not playing both teams at the same time, although we'd totally be up for 3-way hockey. Don't know where they'd put the extra net though...

The Grizzlies play Las Vegas on Thursday night, and then go two games with Ontario Friday and Saturday. And believe it or not, they're playing in the Maverik Center. Yes, we do actually have a team IN Salt Lake City, not just FROM Salt Lake City.

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies haven't had the best record on home ice so far this season. The good news there is that they haven't played many home games yet - in fact, only four - so they still have a lot of time to improve that record.

We can't complain about their record on the road so far. Much has been made about the recent road trip in which the Grizzlies went 4-0, playing those 4 games in 5 nights. Utah has won 6 of its last 10 games, and 7 of its last 10 road games. That top spot in the Western Conference is giving them a good view of their two weekend challengers - Las Vegas and Ontario - which may give them a little boost going into these next three games. We don't want them getting overconfident though. We mentioned before that we liked what Coach Mendelson during Grizzlies Live on Tuesday night: "By yourself you can look at the standings and smile, but as a team you need ot keep a clear mindset each night." In other words, just because they're on top right now doesn't mean they don't have to work hard every shift. Like Brian Burke says, "The minute you think you know all the answers you start falling behind." And since we're quoting people, "Keep the lead on the gas, Grizzlies!" (Okay, so we said that ourselves. It's still a quote.)

As fans, we're just focusing on enjoying this great run. We get to see our team in action live for the next three days, and we're really hoping the streak continues. We won't be seeing Ric Jackman, as he's off to Europe, but we'll get to see the debut of the 'Burgs - Matt Sorteberg and Brian Kilburg will be in the line up for the first time this season on Thursday. Looking forward to seeing those two back in action. Oh, and best of luck to Jackman in Europe!

The Wranglers have had some good winning streaks going recently, including a 4 game winning stretch in November that was only broken by a 7-1 schooling at the hands of Bakersfield. They learned something in that school because they then won three of their next four, the last game being a shootout loss to Ontario. (Did we mention the Grizzlies have won FOUR of their last four? Just checking.) Vegas will be a tough team for the Grizz to take on starting their weekend.

Ontario, on the other hand, has lost 6 of their last 10, including the game against Utah last Sunday. They're currently at the bottom of the Conference, which is all the more motivation for them to beat the team at the top. Hockey is a funny thing - just when you might think you've got an easy win coming your way, the hockey gods eat your lunch right in front of you. We'd rather not say anything that might get our lunch stolen. We kind of like eating.

Speaking of eating, if you haven't heard already, the Grizzlies are offering all kinds of ridiculous deals on concessions this weekend. You can probably double the amount of food you ate over Thanksgiving for a fourth of the price. And if you're feeling a little paunchy by Saturday, stop in to the team store and pick up a Grizzlies jersey to go with your fat pants. It's remarkable what those things can hide.

Three games, three nights, two opponents, and one spot at the top of the Western Conference. It all starts tonight at 7:05 pm.

Game 4: Grizzlies 4, Wranglers 2

The Grizzlies pulled out another stunner of a 3rd. Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, they got better. The boys collected a 3 goal final period and pushed the series to Game 5.

Las Vegas picked up an incredibly quick goal 0:13 into the 1st. The Grizzlies answered at the halfway mark with a power play goal to tie the game, but the Wranglers responded before the end of the period, 2-1. The 2nd period was scoreless and quite lackluster for both teams as Mike Morrison held Las Vegas from advancing their lead.

Utah came alive in the 3rd, scoring 3 goals on 7 shots. Brian Kilburg tied the game at 6:47, and Tim Crowder gave the Grizzlies their first lead of the night just over 4 minutes later. Kinasewich added to his playoff total with an empty netter to end the game 4-2 in Utah's favor.

From the official post game:

The Utah Grizzlies scored three third period goals to defeat the Las Vegas Wranglers 4-2 Sunday evening at the E-Center. The Utah win ties the 2-3 ECHL best-of-five series at two games apiece with game five scheduled for Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at the E-Center. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Third Period Comeback Forces Deciding E-Center Game Five Tuesday
highlights || Game Highlights 4/11/10 vs Las Vegas
gamesheet || Las Vegas at Utah - 4/11/10
photos || 4/11/10 - Utah Grizzlies vs Las Vegas Wranglers
interview || Kevin Colley 4/11/10 post game
interview || Matt Sorteberg 4/11/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Photo of the Game:


3rd period - The bench celebrates after Tim Crowder's game winning goal.
Additional Photos: [Flickr]




Scoring Summary:

LV C. Neiszner (3), 0:13 1st period (Collins); Wranglers 1, Grizzlies 0
UTA L. Galbraith (1), 9:59 1st period (Sixsmith, Perry); Wranglers 1, Grizzlies 1
LV R. Weston (2), 18:48 1st period (Goers); Wranglers 2, Grizzlies 1
UTA B. Kilburg (1), 6:47 3rd period (Sixsmith, Hunter); Wranglers 2, Grizzlies 2
UTA T. Crowder (3) 10:51 3rd period (Clarke, May); Wranglers 2, Grizzlies 3
UTA R. Kinasewich (3), 19:57 EN 3rd period (Sixsmith, Clarke); Wranglers 2, Grizzlies 4


What Worked Well: 3rd period
The final 20 minutes were an entirely different game from the first 40. At the end of the 2nd period the arena was completely dead, and we suspected that any glimmer of a Game 5 was as well. However, the Grizzlies really picked things up after Kilburg tied the game and were able to turn things around completely with 3 goals (Kilburg, Crowder, Kinasewich) in the 3rd and wake the crowd back up for their win.

What Could Have Worked Better: The first 40 minutes
The first 40 minutes of the game were lackluster at best. The boys looked like they weren't going to play, and when they did it seemed they had trouble connecting. We were sitting by the bench, and it was hard not to notice Colley during the 2nd. When the coach can't even bear to watch the game, you know things aren't going well.

Who Made the Difference: Mike Morrison
Stopping 32 of 34, Morrison practically (and at times, literally) stood on his head for this win. He definitely kept the Grizzies in the game during the first 2 periods of play and helped them finish strong in the final frame. We already count Sixsmith as a given, Crowder as an up and coming, Matt Clarke as stellar with his +7, and wanted to give a shout out for Kilburg's game-tying goal; but we can't say enough about Morrison's performance here. And if anyone saw the crazy glove catch to end the 3rd period Grizzlies penalty - could there have been a more metaphoric or cinematic moment? Bravo.


Stars of the Game:

1. UTA - T. Crowder
2. UTA - J. Sixsmith
3. UTA - B. Kilburg


Additional Notes:

> James Sixsmith picked up another 3 assists in this game and Matt Clarke had 2 assists.
> Sixer now sits at 9 points (1g, 8a) in 4 playoff games. Holy $%^#!!
> Mike Morrison stopped 32 of 34 and stood on his head for the win.
> Tim Crowder's goal gives him 3 goals in 4 playoff games, Ryan Kinasewich has 4 points (3g, 1a) in 4 playoff games, and Matt Clarke comes in with 4 assists in 4.

Post Game: Thunder 4, Grizzlies 3

With a 5 minute major looming over most of the 3rd, the Grizzlies were unable to mount a comeback in this one goal game before time expired.

The Thunder struck first once again, but Utah grabbed one late in the period to tie things 1-1. Stockton responded less than a minute later and once more in the final minute of the 1st to regain the lead before the end of the 1st, 3-1. The Grizzlies had a very strong 2nd, picking up the only two goals in the period and collecting 22 SOG to the Thunder's 13. This left the teams tied 3-3 going into the final frame.

Stockton scored on the power play early in the 3rd to regain their lead, 4-3. Utah struggled with a comeback, but a 5 minute Galbraith minor ate up the middle of the period and time expired before the Grizzlies could score again.

From the official post game:

The Stockton Thunder defeated the Utah Grizzlies 4-3 in regulation Saturday night at the Stockton Arena. Stockton broke a 3-3 tie 3:49 into the third period as Oren Eizenman locked in a power-play goal with 17 seconds left to go on a Utah bench minor for too many men on the ice. [utahgrizzlies.com]

post game || Grizzlies Fall 4-3 in Stockton
highlights || Game Highlights 3/20/10 at Stockton
gamesheet || Utah at Stockton - 3/20/10
interview || Mikko Koshkinen 3/20/10 intermission
blog || Adrian Denny's game day blog


Scoring Summary:

STK B. Hemingway (7), 3:03 1st period (Hemingway, Constant); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 0
UTA J. Sixsmith (22), 15:54 1st period (Kinasewich, Nikiforov); Thunder 1, Grizzlies 1
STK J. Bates (24), 16:39 1st period (Hemingway, D'Alvise); Thunder 2, Grizzlies 1
STK C. D'Alvise (29), 19:07 1st period (Hemingway, Aiello); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 1
UTA R. Kinasewich (42), 11:47 2nd period (Hunter); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 2
UTA B. Kilburg (1), 17:53 2nd period (Kinasewich, Suda); Thunder 3, Grizzlies 3
STK O. Eizenman (20), 3:49 3rd period (Dacosta, Hemingway); Thunder 4, Grizzlies 3


What Worked Well: Killing the Galbraith penalty
Although the game winner came on a bench minor, we still have to say something about the way the PK unit killed off the 5 minute major in the 3rd period. Stockton was never able to set up properly on the man advantage, and the Grizzlies drew a penalty to even things up during the last minute of the kill.

What Could Have Been Better: Staying out of the box
Utah allowed 7 short handed situations during this contest with Stockton converting on 2 of those 7. The boys picked up 11 infractions including a game major and game misconduct from Galbraith nearing the end of the 3rd, and a bench minor which ended up in a power play, game winning goal for Stockton. Blah.

Who Made the Difference: Ryan Kinasewich
Ryan was a factor on all 3 Utah goals. Picking up 3 points (1g, 2a), Snatch tied with Hunter for 9 SOG this contest and ended the game with a +1. Kinasewich was the only Grizzly to have a multipoint game. He definitely carried the team tonight. Nicely done.


Stars of the Game:

1. STK - C. Hemingway
2. STK - A. Perugini
3. STK - O. Eizenman


Additional Notes:

> Ryan Kinasewich had a multiple point game tallying 1 goal and 2 assists in the match. The captain also extended his scoring streak.
> Mitch O'Keefe stopped 39 out of the 43 shots he saw in the losing effort.
> Brian Kilburg scored his first goal of the season tonight.
> Defenseman Chad Morin made his debut tonight after being signed to an ATO.

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs. Stockton Thunder

In case you haven't heard, the National Conference is in a battle. Of the eight teams in the conference, only the Idaho Steelheads have clinched a playoff spot. Let's face it, nobody's catching the potatoheads, but only eight points separate the other seven teams. That means that every point is like gold for the Grizzlies right now if they want to make the playoffs. Since Stockton used to be a gold mining town, it seems like a good place to start.

The last time the Grizzlies played the Thunder it was at home in the E Center, and things got a little bit ugly. There was much yelling, cursing, and mass chaos at high volume. We would have had more video of it, but some clownshoe kept blocking our camera shot. We'll let it go this time. We have too much going on to be bothered about what happened two games ago. We're hoping that holds true for the Grizzlies, and that they stick with playing hockey as opposed to gooning it up on the ice. They need points more than penalty minutes right now.

Utah has won five out of seven games against Stockton this season, but Stockton is three points ahead of Utah in the standings. This means that if the Grizzlies want to pass the Thunder in the standings, they have to win all three games this weekend. They can tie Stockton if they lose one in overtime, but every other scenario puts Utah behind. (Trust us - we did a whole spreadsheet on it. Our bosses at our real job were thrilled.) That said, we think this is a very possible task for the Grizzlies. They just have to stay focused on their game, get into their warrior haze and really put some skunk on the Thunder.

Stockton has won five of their last ten games, one of those against Utah. They haven't really had much of a streak going - they've mostly been winning one and losing the next one - so we wouldn't say they're hot or cold. The Grizzlies have only won three of their last ten, and have lost the last two (against Idaho). We'd say they're fizzling out, but we're going to look at it the other way and say they're due for a couple of good wins. Three in a row would be nice. In regulation.

Utah will have some new faces this weekend in Brian Kilburg (D), who they picked up from Ontario, and Mikko Koskinen (G), both of which are expected to play tonight. Best of luck, New Guys!

This weekend could be a great series for the Grizzlies to launch a serious push to the playoffs. It's a battle out there.