Molino Returns at Utah hosts Idaho on Monday Afternoon

Molino Returns as Grizzlies Host Idaho Monday Afternoon

Idaho Steelheads (23-14-5) at Utah Grizzlies (22-11-7). Maverik Center. Monday January 20, 2020. 1:00 pm MST. ECHL.TV.  

West Valley City, Utah – 2nd place is on the line with the Utah Grizzlies host the Idaho Steelheads in the annual MLK Monday Matinee at Maverik Center. Both teams have 51 standings points with Utah owning a better winning percentage at .638% and Idaho’s is at .607%.

Forward Griffen Molino returns to the Utah lineup after a 2 game stint with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Molino had 1 assist in 2 games for the Reign last weekend. He is 2nd in the league in plus-minus (+29). Mo has 15 goals and 27 assists this season. His 42 points is tied for 9th in the league.

Grizz have standings points in 19 of their last 22 games. They are 6th in the league in goals per game (3.55) and 3rd in goals allowed (2.73). They are the only team in the league to be in the top 6 in both categories.

13,739 fans were at Maverik Center for the 2 game series vs Wichita this past weekend. 8,412 were at Maverik Center for Guns and Hoses Night, the biggest crowd of the season. A crowd of 5327 was at the game last Friday night. It was the highest attendance total among the 10 games played in the league on Friday night.  

Utah took 75 shots vs Wichita in 2 games. In the last 11 games Utah has taken 456 shots (41.45 per game) and allowed only 291 (26.45). Utah is tied for 7th this season in shots for (33.15) and 2nd in shots against (27.33).

Goaltender Mason McDonald won both games last weekend vs Wichita. On Saturday’s Guns and Hoses Night he stopped a penalty shot, a 3 on 1 and a breakaway in the third period to secure the victory.

This Afternoon is Marvel Night, where the Grizzlies are wearing Black Panther themed jerseys. Those game worn jersey’s will be auctioned off on the Handbid App. The auction will start at around 11:50 am MST and end about 10 minutes after the game ends. The Handbid App is available on Google Play, Android and Apple.

The game this afternoon will be available on ECHL.TV. You can also get tickets to the game at utahgrizzlies.com, the Maverik Center Box Office or by calling 801-988-8000.

Head Coach Tim Branham, Player/Assistant Coach Teigan Zahn and broadcaster Tyson Whiting will be at Level Crossing Brewing for a live in-house show at 4:30 pm after the MLK afternoon game. The address to Level Crossing is 2496 South West Temple in south Salt Lake City.

Last Friday Night: Wichita 1 Utah 4

Thunder scored first 2:38 into the game on Nolan Vesey’s first of the year. Utah countered with 4 unanswered goals. Mitch Maxwell had a first period goal for his 4th of the season. Eric Williams and Tim McGauley tallied goals in the second period and Sasha Larocque got his first professional goal 7:06 into the third. Mason McDonald got his 3rd win of the season stopping 11 of 12 shots.

Season Series vs Idaho

Utah has a record of 1-3-1 vs Idaho this season. In the last 5 seasons Utah’s record is 27-25-3-4 vs Idaho. Travis Barron and Yuri Terao each have 4 points vs Idaho. Idaho goalie Tomas Sholl is 4-0 vs Utah this year with a .957 save percentage and has allowed 5 goals in 4 games. Brett Supinski and Marc-Olivier Roy each have 6 points for Idaho in the season series.

Idaho 1 @ Utah 0 (Nov 3 2019) Final

Idaho 3 @ Utah 2 (Nov 2 2019) Final OT

Utah 5 @ Idaho 4 (Nov 1 2019) Final – Yuri Terao GWG with 1:59 left in regulation.

Idaho 3 @ Utah 1 (Oct 12 2019) Final

Idaho 3 @ Utah 2 (Oct 11 2019) Final

Grizzlies Among League Leaders

Forward Tim McGauley leads the league in assists (33), plus-minus (+35) and points (50). Griffen Molino is second in plus-minus (+29) and tied for 9th in points (42). Goalie Martin Ouellette is tied for 4th in wins (15). Taylor Richart is tied for by a defenseman (10). He also leads all blueliners in shots on goal (124). Eric Williams is tied for 3rd in plus-minus among rookies (+16). Yuri Terao has 5 game winning goals, tied for the most among rookies.

Leading Scorers In 4 Games Last Week

Tim McGauley – 8 points (4g, 4a)

Ty Lewis – 7 points (3g, 4a).

Yuri Terao – 6 points (2g, 4a). Terao and JC Brassard led the team with a +5 last week.

Josh Dickinson – 4 points (1g, 3a).

Scoring in Bunches in the Third

In the last 14 games the Grizzlies have outscored opponents 21-6 in the third periods. For the season Utah has outscored opponents 48 to 30 and have outshot opponents 387 to 315.

Rio Tinto Kennecott Partners with the Grizzlies

For every goal scored at home this season Rio Tinto Kennecott will donate $100 to UCAIR, the Utah Clean Air Partnership. The Grizzlies have scored 71 goals at home so far this season.

2019-2020 Regular Season Totals

Overall record: 22-11-5-2

Home record: 13-5-2-1. Utah has outscored opponents 71 to 50 at home this season.

Road record: 9-6-3-1. Utah is outscoring opponents 71 to 59 on the road this season.

Last 10 games: Utah is 6-2-1-1.

Goals per game: 3.55 (6th in the league).

Goals against per game: 2.73 (3rd). 

Shots per game: 33.15 (8th). Utah is averaging 41.45 shots per game in the last 11 games.

Shots against per game: 27.33 (2nd). Utah is allowing 26.45 shots per game in the last 11.

Power play: 19.7 % (8th). Utah was 2 for 6 on the power play on Jan. 18.

Penalty Kill: 84.1 % (9th). 

Scoring By Period

First Period: Utah 34 Opponents 33.

Second Period: Utah 55 Opponents 39.

Third Period: Utah 48 Opponents 30.

Total Scoring: Utah 142 Opponents 109.

Record When Scoring First: 14-2-1 (.853 win %).

Team Leaders

Goals: Ty Lewis (18)

Assists: Tim McGauley (33) – Leads League.  

Points: McGauley (50) – Leads League.  

Plus/Minus: McGauley (+34) – Leads league.

PIM: Patrick McGrath (86)

Power Play Points: Travis Barron (11) Richart and McGauley each have 10 points.

Shots on Goal: Taylor Richart (124)

Game Winning Goals: Yuri Terao (5)

Wins: Martin Ouellette (11)

Save %: Hunter Miska (.947) 

Goals Against Average: Miska (1.62)