Grizzlies just hang on to beat Roadrunners 6-5
January 18, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Center Gino Guyer had a goal and two assists and defenseman Chris Murray recorded the first three-assist game of his career, but the Phoenix RoadRunners' late rally came up short as they fell to the Utah Grizzlies 6-5 before 3,352 at the "E"-Center in ECHL action Friday.
For the second consecutive game the RoadRunners (13-20-6) struck first as Peder Skinner found the back of the net 2:26 into the game to give Phoenix a 1-0 lead. Utah (19-16-3) responded 55 seconds later when Justin Johnson scored his second goal of the season at 3:21 of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Skinner gave the RoadRunners the lead right back scoring his second goal of the period at 7:37 on the power play to make it a 2-1 game. Utah then took control of the game scoring the next five goals, including two at the end of the first period. Tyler Haskins scored his first of three goals on the night at 11:38 of the period and James Sanford notched a power play goal at 18:06 to give the Grizzlies a 3-2 lead at the end of twenty minutes.
Utah stormed out of the gates in the second period with three goals in the first nine minutes. Haskins scored consecutive goals at 1:52 and 6:59 of the second to complete the hat-trick, and Sanford ended RoadRunners' goalie Cody Rudkowsky's night when he was credited with a second power play goal at 8:46 of the period that kicked off a RoadRunners' skate and trickled into the net. Phoenix began their comeback on the ensuing face-off as Gino Guyer potted his sixth goal of the season beating Utah goalie Mike Mole to the far side of the net at 8:54. Mitch Carefoot got the RoadRunners to within two goals at 6-4 before the conclusion of the second when he re-directed Murray's shot from the blue line through the pads of Mole at 19:23.
During a tough third period in which the RoadRunners out-played Utah on a consistent basis, Phoenix finally broke through when Guyer tapped the puck to newcomer Nathan Gillies in front of the net, and Gillies lifted the puck over Mole's left shoulder and into the cage at 16:53 to cut the deficit to a single tally. However, the RoadRunners rally would end there as Phoenix could not muster the equalizer.
Phoenix out-shot Utah 35-25. Rudkowsky stopped 14 shots and took the decision falling to 7-14-3 on the season. The RoadRunners went 1-3 on the power play while Utah was 2-3 with the man-advantage.
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