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Idaho Steelheads

Game Day Storylines- at Utah

February 17, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Steel Reel

After picking up two wins against the Wheeling Nailers to wrap up their home stand last weekend, the Steelheads begin a stretch of eight straight on the road against one of their most challenging opponents of the season. The Steelheads have earned points in four of eight games against Utah this season, but the Grizzlies came away with the win seven times. The Grizzlies have won nine of their previous ten games, and the Steelheads will look to slow their push for a playoff spot in their three-game stint at Maverik Center.

The Steelheads scored five unanswered goals on Saturday night to earn a 5-1 win over the Nailers at CenturyLink Arena. Anthony Luciani led the way with his third career hat trick, the Steelheads' first hat trick of the season, while linemates David Glen and Bryce Van Brabant also found the back of the net for Idaho. Landon Bow earned the win in net, improving his record to 9-1-1 in his last 11 appearances.

Maverik Motivation...

The Steelheads were 5-1-0 last season at Maverik Center but have not found the same success in West Valley this year, winless in their first three trips to Utah. The Steelheads will be eager to turn that fortune around against a Grizzlies team that is on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, but closing in fast on the fourth spot in the Mountain Division. When these teams last met at Maverik Center on January 16th, the Grizzlies were three games under .500 and 11 points outside the playoff picture. Utah is now just three points back of fourth-place Alaska, and five points behind Idaho, as they face the Steelheads for the final three times this season.

Luciani's Level...

Anthony Luciani is coming off arguably his best game as a Steelhead on Saturday, grabbing three goals but also recording Idaho's first four-point performance this season. Luciani also rifled ten shots on net, the most by a Steelhead in a game this season. Following up an impressive 12-game points streak that spanned from December 30th to January 25th, Luciani is right back to work with four goals and seven points in Idaho's last five contests. The Grizzlies will counter with a player carrying his own impressive run. Erik Bradford has points in ten straight games, dating back to the last meeting between these teams at Maverik Center on January 16th. Bradford boasts five goals and 15 points during his streak.

PK Climb

The Steelhead penalty kill has moved back into the ECHL's top-10, ranked eighth at 84.2 percent, and they haven't gotten there quietly. The Steelheads haven't given up a power play goal in their last three games and have killed off 15 consecutive penalties. The only power play goals Idaho has surrendered in their past five games have been two scored by the Grizzlies on the same major penalty when the teams last met on February 4th. In their last 11 games, the Steelheads' penalty kill is 41-for-45 (91.1 percent) with five shorthanded goals.

Idaho Leaders Grizzlies Leaders

Goals: Luciani (22) Goals: Cuddemi (22)

Assists: Dahl (31) Assists: Bradford (32)

Points: Luciani (49) Points: Bradford (44)

Plus/Minus: Bell/Glen (+12) Plus/Minus: Daly (+22)

Power Play Goals: Merchant (9) Power Play Goals: Cuddemi (7)

Goals-Against Average: Bow (2.51) Goals-Against Average: Faragher (3.02)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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ECHL Stories from February 17, 2017


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