Grizzlies Preview: April 16, 2021 KC at Utah

Kansas City Mavericks(20-20-6-2, 48 points, .500 win %)@Utah Grizzlies(20-16-5-6, 51 points, .543 win%)

Grizzlies Game #48. Maverik Center. April 16, 2021. 7:10 pm MST. Mixlr.

Referee: Kyle Lekun

Linesman: Andrew Collins, Kollin Kleinendorst. 

Where to See and Hear the Game  

You can catch every game on Flohockey.TV, the new home for ECHL.TV. The games can also be heard on Mixlr, the new broadcast home for Grizzlies hockey.Watch Live:  https://www.flohockey.tv/Listen Live: https://mixlr.com/utah-grizzlies

Boucher Enjoying the Home Cooking Maverik Center

Matthew Boucher has a point in 8 of his last 11 games. Even better, Boucher has a point in 10 straight home games. It’s been an impactful 10 games at home as Boucher has 17 points, including 4 multiple point contests.

Cannone and Lowney Continue to Deliver

Pat Cannone and Ryan Lowney have a point in 6 of their last 9 games.

The Match-up vs Kansas City.

It’s the 2nd game of the 3 game series. It’s the 7th season meeting between the clubs. They will also meet for a big 3 game set on May 27-29 at KC. Utah is 14-8-3-1 vs KC in the last 3 seasons. Utah this season is 3-1-2 vs the Mavericks. Pat Cannone leads Utah with 8 points vs KC (3 goals, 5 assists). Matthew Boucher has 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) vs KC. Cedric Pare has 6 points in 6 games. Defenseman Miles Gendron has 3 goals in 5 games vs KC. For the Mavericks watch out for Brodie Reid, who has 8 goals and 4 assists in 6 games vs Utah. Reid scored the overtime game winner on April 14 at Maverik Center.

Kansas City 5 @ Utah 4 (Apr 14 2021) OT

Utah 3 @ Kansas City 2 (Feb 6 2021)

Utah 4 @ Kansas City 2 (Feb 5 2021)

Kansas City 5 @ Utah 2 (Jan 18 2021)

Kansas City 5 @ Utah 4 (Jan 16 2021) OT

Kansas City 1 @ Utah 4 (Jan 15 2021)

Recent Transactions

Defenseman Miles Gendron was reassigned to Utah this afternoon. Gendron is tied for 3rd in the league for goals by a defenseman with 7. Goaltender Peyton Jones was reassigned to Utah from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on April 13. Jones is 4-2-3 with a 3.30 GAA and a .880 save percentage in 9 games with Utah this season. Peyton got the start on Wednesday night and saved 22 of 27. Jones appeared in 3 games with the Eagles. Utah forward Josh Dickinson was sent to the Chicago Blackhawks organization as part of a 3 team trade where Colorado acquired Carl Soderberg. In 68 games with Utah since the start of the 2018-19 season, Dickinson had 62 points (25 goals and 37 assists). Defenseman Miles Gendron was reassigned to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on April 12. South Carolina traded defenseman Cole Fraser to the Grizzlies for future considerations on April 8, 2021. Fraser has 2 goals and 2 assists in 18 games with South Carolina. He also has played in 46 games with the Allen Americans. Fraser was a 5th round pick (131st overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Fraser is the 47th player to appear in a game for Utah this season and he scored a goal in his home debut on April 14 vs Kansas City.  

Local Boy in Net

Grizzlies signed goaltender Garrett Metcalf on March 16th. He made his professional debut on March 28th as Utah won 2-1 and Metcalf saved 24 of 25 shots to earn his first pro win. Last night Metcalf saved 27 of 28 in his first pro road start. He was born in Salt Lake City on March 5th, 1996. Metcalf was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 6th round, 179th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He played with Long Island University in the 2020-21 season and had a 2-7 record with a .901 save percentage and a 4.02 GAA. Metcalf also played in 2 seasons at Mercyhurst University in 2019 and 2020. Garrett has good size at 6’4” and 190 pounds. Metcalf saved 63 of 65 shots last weekend at Wichita. He has allowed only 1 goal in each of his 3 starts.

May I Interest You in a 1 Goal Game

27 of the 47 games Utah has played this season have been 1 goal contests. 7 of the last 8 games have been decided by 1 goal. 3 of the 6 games vs Kansas City have been decided by 1 goal with 2 of those games ending past regulation.

Grizzlies Among League leaders

Matthew Boucher leads all rookies in goals (18), assists (24), points (42) and shots on goal (153). Boucher’s 42 points rank 7th overall in the league. Pare is 3rd in shots among rookies with 108 and is 5th in points (26) and 3rd in goals (12). Charlie Gerard is 4th in shots among rookies (90). Hunter Skinner leads the league with 3 shootout goals. Ryan Lowney, Miles Gendron and Skinner are tied for 3rd in goals among defenseman with 7 each. Lowney leads all league defenseman with 5 power play goals. Cole Fraser is 4th in penalty minutes with 96.

Hat Tricks

Matthew Boucher (1) – March 24th, 2021 vs Tulsa

Nick Henry (1) – February 21st, 2021 vs Rapid City.

2 goal games

On Wednesday night Charlie Gerard got his second 2 goal game of the season. Matthew Boucher is the other Grizzlies skater with 2 multiple goal games.

Joe Wegweth – December 31st vs RC.

Ian Scheid – December 31st vs RC

Trey Bradley – January 22nd at RC.

Hunter Skinner – January 31st vs Allen.

Riley Woods – February 5th at KC

Miles Gendron – February 6th at KC. 

Matthew Boucher – February 14th vs Wichita.

Ryan Lowney – February 20th vs RC. 

Cedric Pare – March 13th vs Allen.

Charlie Gerard – March 19th at RC.

Gerard – April 14th vs Kansas City.

2020-2021 Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 20-16-5-6

Home record: 12-5-3-3

Road record: 8-11-2-3

Win percentage: .543 (4th in Western Conference).

Streak: lost 1.

Standings Points: 51

Last 10: 4-4-1-1

Goals per game: 2.87 (11th). Goals for: 135

Goals against per game: 3.26 (13th). Goals against: 153

Shots per game: 33.19 (Tied for 2nd). Utah has taken 159 shots in the last 4 games.

Shots against per game: 29.94 (5th).

Power Play: 17.7 % - 34 for 192 (6th).

Penalty Kill: 81.3 % - 139 for 171 (10th).

Penalty Minutes: 594 (12.64 per game).

Shorthanded Goals: 5 (Tied for 5th) Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 7 (Tied for 10th)

Players Used: 47.

Attendance: 38,483 (1,673 per game).

Record When Scoring First: 13-5-2-1

Team Leaders (2020-21 season)

Goals: Matthew Boucher (18)

Assists: Boucher (24)

Points: Boucher (42)

Plus/Minus: Jack Jenkins (+9)

PIM: Teigan Zahn (67)

Power Play Points: Ryan Lowney (13) Lowney leads team and all league defenseman with 5 power play goals.

Shots on Goal: Matthew Boucher (153)  

Shooting Percentage: AJ White (13.1%) – Minimum 30 shots.

Game Winning Goals: Pat Cannone/Nick Henry/Matthew Boucher/Cedric Pare (2)

Wins: Brad Barone/Kevin Carr (5)

Save %: Garrett Metcalf (.967) – Minimum 3 games

Goals Against Average: Metcalf (0.99). – Minimum 3 games

Roster

Forwards: Travis Barron, Matthew Boucher, Trey Bradley, Pat Cannone, Charlie Gerard, Hayden Hodgson, Matt Hoover, Christian Horn, Jack Jenkins, Ty Lewis, Mitch Maxwell, Cedric Pare, Jared Pike, Joe Wegwerth. AJ White.

Defenseman: Brandon Fehd, Cole Fraser, Garrett Johnston, Alex Lepkowski, Ryan Lowney, Michael Prapavessis, Teigan Zahn.

Goaltenders: Kevin Carr, Trevor Gorsuch, Peyton Jones, Garrett Metcalf.

Active Streaks

Goal Streaks: Charlie Gerard, Cole Fraser, Matthew Boucher (1)

Assist Streaks: Hayden Hodgson (2) Cedric Pare, Boucher, Ryan Lowney, Pat Cannone, Ty Lewis (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Hodgson (2).

Multiple Point games

10 - Matthew Boucher

5 - Trey Bradley, Riley Woods, Cedric Pare

4- Pat Cannone, Hunter Skinner, Charlie Gerard.

3 - Miles Gendron, Matt Hoover, Ryan Lowney.

2 - Ty Lewis, Diego Cuglietta, Nick Henry, Joe Wegwerth, AJ White.

1 - Jack Jenkins, Mitch Maxwell, Alex Lepkowski, Braylon Shmyr, Ian Scheid, Matt Abt, Ryker Killins, Josh Dickinson, Travis Barron, Brayden Gelsinger, Brandon Fehd, Hayden Hodgson.

Last Week’s Games  (All games can be seen on Flohockey.tv and Mixlr)

Friday, April 9, 2021 – Utah 4 Wichita 5. – Grizz scored 4 goals in the last 9:18 of the second period. Utah went 1 for 4 on the power play and outshot the Thunder 43 to 36. Matthew Boucher had 1 goal and 2 assists and AJ White had 1 goal and 1 assist.

Saturday, April 10, 2021 – Utah 0 Wichita 1 – Evan Buitenhuis 53 save shutout for Wichita.

Saturday, April 11, 2021 – Utah 2 Wichita 1. – Trey Bradley and AJ White scored goals. Garrett Metcalf saved 36 of 37.

Fun Fact: The Grizzlies took 119 shots in 3 games at Wichita.

This Week’s Games

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 – Kansas City 5 Utah 4 (Overtime) – Charlie Gerard had 2 goals. Cole Fraser tallied a goal in his first Grizzlies home game. Matthew Boucher tied the game with 7.8 seconds left in regulation. Utah outshot Kansas City 40 to 29. Ty Lewis had 1 assist and was a +3. Boucher, Ryan Lowney and Travis Barron were each a +2. Kansas City defenseman Willie Corrin had 2 goals and 1 assist. Brodie Reid scored the game winner for KC with 3:15 left in overtime.

Friday, April 16, 2021 – Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm.

Saturday, April 17, 2021 – Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm.

All times Mountain.

Next Week’s Games

Friday, April 23, 2021 – Utah at Allen. 6:05 pm.

Saturday, April 24, 2021 – Utah at Allen. 6:05 pm.

Sunday, April 25, 2021 – Utah at Allen. 1:05 pm.