Grizzlies Take 3-1 Series Lead; Game Five Sunday At E-Center
Published on May 3, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release
West Valley City, Utah - The Utah Grizzlies defeated the Victoria Salmon Kings 2-0 Saturday night at the E-Center to take a three games to one series lead in the National Conference semifinals. Utah can close the series out Sunday at the E-Center in game five which is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Ryan Kinasewich scored the game-winning goal 5:02 into the first period with Keith Johnson and James Sanford adding the assists. The Grizzlies battled to keep the puck in the Victoria end before Kinasewich held it in and shot the puck as he hit the ice.
Mike Mole, in his first start since March 14, stopped all 24 shots he saw in the game for his first shutout of the year. Since his last start, Mole has spent time with the New York Islanders, and the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers but did not see any action. The third-year goaltender has now stopped 37-straight shots dating back to the second period of Thursday's win.
Olivier Labelle added the game-clinching empty-netter with 15 seconds left to go in regulation for his first goal of the playoffs. Scott Burt started the play by chipping the puck out of the Grizzlies end through traffic.
The Utah penalty-kill has now stopped seven-straight situations after tonight's three-for-three.
The Grizzlies outshot Victoria 29-24 in the game.
Game Notes
Utah has won three-straight games at the E-Center for the first time since the first three games of the regular season.
The shutout was Utah's third in the last six games in the playoffs and the second in the first four games of this series. Utah had one shutout during the 72-game regular season.
Utah is 1-0 in potential series ending games in the playoffs. They defeated Fresno 4-2 in game six of the quarterfinals on April 21.
Utah has held Victoria scoreless in nine of the 12 periods in the series.
ECHL Stories from May 3, 2008
- Grizzlies Take 3-1 Series Lead; Game Five Sunday At E-Center - Utah Grizzlies
- Cincinnati Wins Game Six In Reading, 4-2 - Reading Royals
- Utah's Mike Mole pushes Victoria to the brink of elimination. - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Inferno Stay Alive, Force Game Five - Columbia Inferno
- Stingrays Lose Heartbreaker in Overtime to Columbia 3-2 - South Carolina Stingrays
- Cyclones Force Seventh Game With 4-2 Win - Cincinnati Cyclones
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Rays Look to Clinch Division Finals Tonight in Game Four - South Carolina Stingrays
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Aces lose Game Five 6-3, series 4-1 - Alaska Aces
- Wranglers Trump Aces 6-3 in Game Five - Las Vegas Wranglers
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