ECHL Utah Grizzlies

Second Round Playoff Preview: Utah Hosts Victoria Friday, Saturday

Published on April 13, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


Leading The League

Simon Ferguson leads the ECHL in playoff scoring with three goals and six assists for nine points. Ferguson and Paul McIlveen are tied for the league playoff lead with six assists. Matt Reber leads ECHL rookies in scoring with three goals and four assists. Kevin Deeth ranks second in rookie scoring, behind Reber, with two goals and four assists.

Last Second Addition

Rookie Matt Reber who made his pro debut during the last game of the regular season, has scored in all five games with Utah. Six of his seven points during the playoffs have come on special teams.

Point-A-Game Guys

Simon Ferguson (three goals, six assists), Paul McIlveen (one goal six assists), Matt Reber (three goals, four assists), Kevin Deeth (two goals, four assists) and Brett Parnham (two goals, two assists) all enter the second round averaging at least a point-a-game.

Getting The Goals

Utah scored four or more goals in three of four games during the first round. During the regular season, Utah was 15-0-1-1 when scoring four goals or more.

Good Starts, Better Finishes

Utah outscored Stockton 8-2 in the first period and 7-2 in the third periods.

Plus Player

Matt Clarke leads Utah with a plus-six after he was a plus-four in Sunday's game four in Stockton.

Special Teams

Utah leads the ECHL on the power-play by going six for 17 for a 35.3-percentage rate. The Grizzlies finished the first round by killing 12 of 13 shorthanded situations, which currently ranks fourth in the league.

Goaltending

J.P. Lamoureux is 4-0-1-0 since coming back from the AHL and has allowed two goals or less in regulation in all five starts. Since rejoining Utah on April 2, he has a 1.60 goals-against-average and a .951 save percentage.

J.P. Lamoureux Vs Victoria

J.P. Lamoureux shut the Salmon Kings out in back-to-back starts December 31 and January 1 at Maverik Center in his two previous meetings against Victoria. Playoff wise, Lamoureux, previously faced Victoria in the second round of the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs. He went 4-1 with a 2.40 goals-against-average and a .931 save percentage against Victoria as Alaska moved on to the conference finals.

Historically Speaking

Utah defeated Victoria four games to one in the 2008 Western Conference Semi-Finals. Utah went 3-0 at home and 1-1 in Victoria that year. Ironically, Victoria met Utah after also defeating Bakersfield in the first round, while Utah defeated Fresno and current Stockton Head Coach Matt Thomas.

Missing In Victoria

Utah went 1-3-0-1 this year in Victoria, but were without J.P. Lamoureux, Andrew Engelage, Paul McIlveen, Nick Tuzzolino, Simon Ferguson for at least parts of the trips.

Second Round

Utah advances to the second round for the second-straight year and for the third time in four years. Utah and Idaho are the only two teams in the conference to be in the second round for the second-straight year.

Did You Know'

Through one round of the playoffs, Utah is the only team to have not lost a game in regulation at 3-0-1-0.

Tickets

The Grizzlies, in conjunction with Maverik, the region's leading convenience and gas retailer, have announced that patrons presenting a Maverik Adventure Club Card at the Maverik Center box office will receive buy one get one free games tickets for Friday and Saturday's second round playoff games against the Victoria Salmon Kings.

Date Change

The potential game six of this series has been moved to Monday, April 25 at Maverik Center.

Friday, April 15: Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, April 16: Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20: Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.

Friday, April 22: Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.

**Saturday, April 23: Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.

**Monday, April 25: Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

**Wednesday,April 27: Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

All times mountain.

**If Necessary**

Check out the Utah Grizzlies Statistics

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ECHL Stories from April 13, 2011


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