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AHL Utah Grizzlies

Grizzlies can't get by Lehtonen, Wolves

January 27, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH - Preparing to face the best goaltender in the league, Kari Lehtonen, can be an ominous task for an opponent but when he was forced out due to illness you have to wonder how the back-up would respond and for Michael Garnett he answered that question with 43 saves. The Wolves helped the cause for their back-up netminder by putting a four spot on the board in the first period en route to a 5-1 victory.

The Chicago Wolves came out firing on all cylinders in the first period scoring four times on 12 shots. Cory Larose started the scoring on a turnover behind the Grizzlies net that rolled out in front to him and he finished with a backhanded shot by David LeNeveu for his 16th goal of the season. Stephen Baby scored the first of two goals for him in the frame when he crashed the net on a pass from Kevin Doell and pushed the puck by LeNeveu for his fourth goal of the season. Baby collected the third goal of the period on a redirection of a Tim Wedderburn slapshot marking his fifth goal of the season and first multiple goal game of the season. The final tally came on the power play on a shot from the slot by Travis Roche, named to the Team Canada All-Star team earlier in the day, assisted by Tommi Santala and Lonny Bohonos. The Grizzlies outshot the Wolves 18-13 in the period including four shots while shorthanded.

In the second frame, the Wolves added to their lead with their second power play goal this one scored by Steve Maltais assisted by J.P. Vigier and Lonny Bohonos at the 5:07 mark of the period. Utah would get on the board in the final three minutes when Randall Gelech redirected a Matthew Spiller shot past Michael Garnett for his seventh goal of the season. Joe Callahan and Spiller had the assists. Utah was outshot in the frame 11-9 but with Gelech's power play goal has scored on the man advatage in each of the last five games.

The Grizzlies continued their shot barrage in the third period outgunning the Wolves 17-7 ending the game with a 44-31 shot lead. The 44 shots on Michael Garnett was the most in a game by Utah this season. With the victory, Garnett improves to 4-3 and LeNeveu falls to 6-18-1 taking the loss,

Utah will host the Manitoba Moose on Friday night at the 'E' Center with face-off scheduled for 7:05 PM.

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