AHL Utah Grizzlies

Grizzlies get five crucial points to stay in playoff picture

Published on March 23, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


A LOOK AT LAST WEEK (2-1-1-0)

Wednesday Vs. Milwaukee Win 2-1
Friday Vs. Milwaukee Loss 7-2
Saturday @ Chicago Win 4-1
Sunday @ Cincinnati Tie 2-2

The Utah Grizzlies, decked in Irish green, proved to be luckier than the division leading Milwaukee Admirals by taking a 2-1 victory at the 'E' Center Wednesday. Dan Ellis stopped 34 shots and Zenon Konopka gave Utah the game winner. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Utah and improved the Grizzlies' Wednesday home record to 6-0 on the season. For Milwaukee, the loss ended their six-game winning streak. Justin Cox got the Grizzlies on the board early by getting past Brian Finley at 7:02 of the first period as Tim Wedderburn picked up the assist. Milwaukee received numerous chances to score in the first frame but failed to capitalize even with a 14-6 shot advantage. In the second period, Zenon Konopka would put in the eventual game winner by cleaning up a rebound off a shot by Nick Naumenko. Milwaukee would finally get on the board halfway through the third period as Brad Tiley got past Ellis to cut Utah's lead to one. However, the Grizzlies would survive the 16-shot offensive attack by Milwaukee in the third period and hold on for the victory. Finley would finish the game with 24 saves.

Utah beat the Admirals for the third time this season in eight tries. Milwaukee was tied for first place in the West Division with Grand Rapids with a league-leading 88 points. With the victory the Grizzlies came within two points of San Antonio and Cincinnati who are currently tied for the fifth and final playoff position. The Grizzlies had an early two-goal lead Friday but watched it vanish as the Milwaukee Admirals strung together seven unanswered goals and claimed the victory at the 'E' Center in front of 7,819. The Admirals went 4-for-9 on the power play and were led by two goals from Curtis Murphy. Goaltender Brian Finley earned the win with 25 saves. Utah had reason to hope for a much-needed victory after a win over the Admirals on Wednesday and after getting two early goals in Friday's contest. Trevor Daley got the Grizzlies on the board first connecting on the power play at 3:05 of the first period. Warren Peters would be next to get past Brian Finley at the 9:59 mark to give Utah a 2-0 lead. Finley would shutout the Grizzlies for the next 50 minutes. The Admirals offense heated up tying the game with two quick goals near the end of the first frame. Curtis Murphy cut the Utah lead to one by getting past Dan Ellis at the 17:12 mark. Just when the Grizzlies thought they could go into intermission with a lead, Kirill Safronov put in a shot from the high slot with only seven seconds remaining. The second period was all Milwaukee. Greg Classen scored only 58 seconds into the session and four more Admirals goals would follow. Murphy picked up his second of the night and Brad Tiley, Darren Haydar and Wyatt Smith all connected on the power play. Haydar notched two assists in addition to his goal. Ellis, who finished the game with 24 saves, was replaced by Jason Bacashihua after Milwaukee's sixth goal. Milwaukee finished with a 41-27 shot advantage. The Grizzlies next visited Chicago where they skated away with a 5-2 victory by putting up four third-period scores. In the first period, Chicago got on the board first with a shot by Evan Nielsen. The Grizzlies struck back when Jeff MacMillan caught the net and tied the game 1-1 at the 13:21 mark. The Grizzlies were aggressive in the scoreless second period fending off the Wolves offense and finishing the frame with an 11-5 shot advantage. In the third period the Grizzlies went to work on the offensive game scoring three unanswered goals in under two minutes. David Gove put the Grizzlies on top 2-1 when Mike Siklenka was able to center a perfect pass that Gove one-timed past Frederic Cassivi at the 2:59 mark. Gove struck again at 4:30 of the third scoring the eventual game winner. David Bararuk got in on the action at the 4:47 mark to give the Grizzlies a 4-1 advantage. The Grizzlies' third and fourth goals were the fastest consecutive scores of the season coming only 17 seconds apart. Chicago's Jim Campbell would give Chicago a second goal at the 15:13 mark but Jarrod Skalde would have the game's final goal, this time on netminder Michael Garnett who replaced Cassivi after the Grizzlies fourth goal. The Grizzlies battled back from a 2-0 deficit to gain a point the Cincinnati Gardens remaining in the hunt for the fifth and final playoff spot. The Grizzlies needed a third period goal from Mathias Tjarnqvist and 41 saves from Jason Bacashihua to skate to a 2-2 tie with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. The tied pulls Utah even with San Antonio and keeps them two points behind Cincy for the final playoff spot. The Ducks gained the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Joel Perrault and a four-on-four goal by Mike Mottau to capture a 2-0 lead. The Grizzlies would get on the board late in the second period with a power play goal by Nick Naumenko making the score 2-1 after two periods. In the third period, Jarrod Skalde and Tjarnqvist would take off on a two-on-one break that saw Tjarnqvist clean up the rebound off a save from Ilya Bryzgalov. The teams would remain tied and headed into overtime where neither team got a shot on goal each having to settle for a point. Naumenko finished with a goal and an assist giving him points in each of his last four games. Utah wins the season series from the Ducks with a 5-2-1 record.

ROSTER REPORT

No roster moves to report

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

Houston – 25-32-11-4, 65 pts. (4th - West Division)...The Aeros still hold fourth place in the division despite entering a slump which has seen them lose three of their last five. The Aeros lead the season series against Utah 5-4. Defenseman Travis Roche leads Houston in scoring with 7 goals and 29 assists in 58 games. Grand Rapids – 41-21-8-0, 90 pts. (2nd - West Division)...Since clinching a playoff spot Grand Rapids has posted some surprising losses including a 6-0 shutout versus Toronto on March 17. The Griffins are 4-6-0-0 in their last ten games. Utah has a 2-3-1-0 record against the Griffins and has managed to shut them out twice this season. Goaltender Joey MacDonald has played 31 games for Grand Rapids this season posting 20 wins and a 1.83 GAA.

GRIZZLIES THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1.) Nick Naumenko – Five points this week including a team best four-game assist streak
2.) David Gove – Two goals in Saturday's victory over Chicago including the game winner
3.) Mathias Tjarnqvist – A goal and three assists this week

GRIZZLIES AWARD BANQUET

The 2004 Utah Grizzlies Award Banquet has been set for Monday, April 5th at a TBD time and location. Be sure to reserve your seats by calling Marilyn Hunnewell at (801) 988-8039 to get your seat at the best table.

GRIZZLIES HOTLINE

Be sure to check out the Utah Grizzlies Information Hotline at (801) 988-8005 to get the latest news and information about the Grizzlies and while your surfing the web check out www.utahgrizzlies.com for all the latest growls from your favorite hockey team.

WHAT'S ON TAP

Tue. Mar. 23 – @ Houston Aeros, Toyota Center - - 6:00 PM mst – ESPN Radio 1230-AM
Fri. Mar. 26 – Vs. Grand Rapids Griffins, ‘E' Center - - 7:05 PM mst – ESPN Radio 1230-AM
Sat. Mar. 27 – Vs. Grand Rapids Griffins, ‘E' Center - - 7:05 PM mst – ESPN Radio 1230-AM
Fri. Apr. 2 – Vs. San Antonio Rampage, ‘E' Center - - 7:05 PM mst – ESPN Radio 1230-AM

SLAP SHOTS

~The Grizzlies snapped a six-game road winless streak with Saturday's victory at Chicago
~Nick Naumenko had five points this week including a team best four-game assist streak
~David Gove had two goals in Saturday's victory over Chicago including the game winner
~Mathias Tjarnqvist recorded a goal and three assists this week
~Gove and David Bararuk combined for the fastest consecutive goals of the season which came only 17 seconds apart in Saturday's win
~Justin Cox, Trevor Daley and Jarrod Skalde each registered a goal and an assist this week

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American Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2004


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