Jones, RoadRunners Stymie Utah 4-2
March 25, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Goalie Kyle Jones made a career-high 40 saves and David Rutherford scored a goal and added two assists to lead the Phoenix RoadRunners over the Utah Grizzlies 4-2 before 3,437 at the "E"-Center in ECHL action Wednesday.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first period Tuesday, the RoadRunners (29-33-5) responded Wednesday with a three-goal first period of their own. Rutherford opened the scoring at 4:56 making a nifty spin move to get around the defense and sliding a backhand shot along the ice past Utah goalie Mike Mole for a 1-0 lead. Phoenix then capitalized twice on special teams getting a power play goal off a rebound chance by Chase Trull at 14:45 and a shorthanded goal on a breakaway by Daniel Sisca at 18:02 to go into the first intermission up 3-0.
The RoadRunners continued their offensive attack in the second period as Michael Wilson fired a slap shot from the blue line through a screened Mole at 4:28 on the power play to extend the lead to 4-0.
Utah (27-26-16) tried to fight back in the third period getting even-strength goals from Jordan Hart at 8:55 and Rob Hennigar at 18:04, but the Grizzlies simply ran out of time in the end.
Phoenix out-shot Utah 43-42. Jones improved to 8-13-2 on the season with the victory. The RoadRunners went 2-6 on the power play while Utah was 0-6 with the man-advantage.
Notes: With the win, Phoenix pulled back within seven points behind fourth place Utah in the West Division and within three points of idle Stockton and four points of Bakersfield in the race for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The RoadRunners still have two games in hand over Utah whose magic number for clinching a playoff spot remains at four. Bakersfield was currently in action against Victoria at the time of this release and trailing 4-2 at the end of the second period...Along with his 30 saves last night, Jones stopped 70 of 72 shots against Utah in the two-game set...Prior to tonight, the RoadRunners had been outscored 10-3 by Utah in the opening period of the first eight games of the season series...Sisca's shorthanded goal was the 13th of the year scored by Phoenix...Mole left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury...The RoadRunners captured the season series from Utah 5-4.
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