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Utah upends Salmon Kings

March 17, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC - The Victoria Salmon Kings, proud affiliate of the Manitoba Moose and the Vancouver Canucks, electrified the season record setting crowd at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre by scoring fast and early, but the Grizzlies set the tempo in the third to capture the 3-2 victory and game two of the three-game series.

The Salmon Kings were fired up in front of 5,070 fans in the first period as Wes Goldie tallied his 35th goal of the season and gave Victoria the 1-0 lead. Veteran Defenseman Steve Lingren led Goldie up the ice and he stopped at the left circle to fake the pass and wire a shot top corner shortside on Goaltender Ben Gray at the 00:28 mark.

Utah posted two goals to take the 2-1 lead still in the first. Matt Craig capitalized in a 2-on-1 situation and opted to shoot five-hole on Netminder Julien Ellis from the right wing. At 8:38 into the frame, the Grizzlies settled the crowd as they took the body behind the Salmon Kings net and Joel Irving spotted Danny Stewart cutting across the crease and he tapped it through the five-hole.

Victoria tied the game 2-2 with 5:52 remaining in the second stanza. The Salmon Kings won the faceoff on the powerplay and cycled the puck to Matt Kelly at the point, who fed Mike Stutzel at the right circle. Stutzel stepped to the net and snuck a wristshot inside the right post for his fourth powerplay goal against Utah this season.

Halfway through the third period, Utah nabbed the 3-2 lead as D.J. Jelitto snuck a rebound underneath Ellis, after a shot from the left circle by Defenseman Andy Sertich. Gray made 17 saves in the third to secure the victory and tie the season series between Utah and Victoria at two games apiece.

Final: 3-2 Grizzlies

Gray garnered his seventh win of the season, and Ellis had his 14th loss. Victoria was 1 for 6 on the powerplay and Utah was 0 for 4 with the man advantage. The Salmon Kings outshot the Grizzlies 47-32. The Salmon Kings (27-32-1-3) bounce into a rubber match tomorrow at 1:05 pm versus the Utah Grizzlies (22-33-3-4) at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The game is followed by a "Skate with the Salmon Kings", hosted by the Salmon Kings Booster Club.

The Victoria Salmon Kings and Select Your Tickets offer the best medicine for your playoff fever. Get four regular season ticket vouchers, plus two vouchers which can be used in the first two games of the first round of playoffs at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, for just $96 (valued at more than $129). That's a prescription you can't pass up! Call 220-7777.



ECHL Stories from March 17, 2007


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