Grizzlies Preview: Saturday Night Showdown in Lonestar State

Utah Grizzlies(22-17-5-6, 55 points, .550 win %)@Allen Americans(29-17-2-1, 61 points, .622 win%)

Grizzlies Game #51. Allen Event Center. April 24, 2021. 6:05 pm MST. Mixlr.

Referee: Alex Normandin

Linesman: Michael Miggans, Daniel Barnes.  

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

Tonight is the 2nd game of the 3 game set. It’s the 2nd game of the Grizz 6 game road trip and the 13th of 18 season meeting between the clubs. Utah won 4-2 last night as they got goals from Ty Lewis, Cedric Pare, Ryan Lowney and Charlie Gerard. Lowney broke a 2-2 tie with the game winner 8:12 into the third period. Gerard added an insurance goal with 3:41 left in the game. Utah outshot Allen 37 to 29. Utah has taken 276 shots over the last 7 games.

2020-2021 Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 22-17-5-6

Home record: 13-6-3-3

Road record: 9-11-2-3

Win percentage: .550 (4th in Western Conference).

Streak: Won 2.

Standings Points: 55

Last 10: 4-4-1-1

Goals per game: 2.88 (11th). Goals for: 144

Goals against per game: 3.16 (11th). Goals against: 158

Shots per game: 33.54 (2nd). Utah has taken 276 shots in the last 7 games.

Shots against per game: 30.00 (5th). 1500 shots in 50 games.

Power Play: 17.3 % - 35 for 202 (Tied for 5th).

Penalty Kill: 82.3 % - 149 for 181 (9th). 20 for 22 in the last 6 games.

Penalty Minutes: 618 (12.36 per game).

Shorthanded Goals: 5 (Tied for 8th) Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 7 (Tied for 8th)

Players Used: 47.

Attendance: 43,020 (1,721 per game).

Record When Scoring First: 15-6-2-1. Utah has scored first in each of their last 5 games.

Team Leaders (2020-21 season)

Goals: Matthew Boucher (19)

Assists: Boucher (24)

Points: Boucher (43)

Plus/Minus: Jack Jenkins (+12)

PIM: Teigan Zahn (69)

Power Play Points: Ryan Lowney/Pat Cannone (13) AJ White leads team with 6 power play goals.

Shots on Goal: Matthew Boucher (168) – 3rd in league.  

Shooting Percentage: AJ White (14.3%) – Minimum 30 shots.

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

Wins: Brad Barone/Kevin Carr/Peyton Jones (5)

Save %: Garrett Metcalf (.954) – Minimum 4 games

Goals Against Average: Metcalf (1.39). – Minimum 4 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, Peyton Jones, Garrett Metcalf.

Active Streaks

Goal Streaks: Ty Lewis, Cedric Pare, Ryan Lowney, Charlie Gerard (1)

Assist Streaks: Hayden Hodgson (3) Mitch Maxwell, Gerard, Michael Prapavessis, Lewis, Matt Hoover (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Pare (4), Cannone (3) Prapavessis (2).

Boucher Enjoying the Home Cooking Maverik Center

Matthew Boucher has a point in 9 of his last 14 games. Boucher has a point in 11 of his last 12 home games.  

Last 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 2 Utah 1 – KC’s Jared VanWormer scores GWG with 11 seconds left in regulation. AJ White scored a 2nd period power play goal. Utah outshot KC 41-35.

Saturday, April 17, 2021 – Kansas City 1 Utah 4 – Travis Barron 1 goal, 1 assist. AJ White had 2 assists. Peyton Jones saved 31 of 32 for his 5th win of the season. 

All times Mountain.

This Week’s Games

Friday, April 23, 2021 – Utah 4 Allen 2 – Ty Lewis and Charlie Gerard each had 1 goal and 1 assist. Mitch Maxwell had 2 assists. Garrett Metcalf saved 24 of 26 to earn his 3rd win of the season.

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

Sunday, April 25, 2021 – Utah at Allen. 1:05 pm. – Grizzlies are 9-2-0-1 in the 3rd game of a series.

Next Week’s Games

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 – Utah at Wichita. 6:05 pm.

Friday, April 30, 2021 – Utah at Tulsa. 6:05 pm.

Saturday, May 1, 2021 – Utah at Tulsa. 6:05 pm.

Pat Cannone Has Been Consistent

Cannone has a point in 8 of his last 11 games.

Cedric Pare Has a Points Streak

Pare has a point in 4 straight games as he scored a goal last night at Allen. Pare is 5th among all league rookies with 29 points. He leads Utah with 49 games played.

Multiple Point games

10 - Matthew Boucher

5 - Trey Bradley, Riley Woods, Cedric Pare, Charlie Gerard

4- Pat Cannone, Hunter Skinner.  

3 - Miles Gendron, Matt Hoover, Ryan Lowney, AJ White, Ty Lewis.

2 - Diego Cuglietta, Nick Henry, Joe Wegwerth, Travis Barron, Mitch Maxwell.

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

Many Home Games to End Season

Utah is at home for 11 of the final 17 games in the regular season. Utah begins a 6 game road trip this weekend at Allen on April 23-25.

2020-21 Number of Times Grizzlies Face Different Opponents

Allen – 18 games.

Rapid City – 16 games.

Tulsa – 12 games.

Kansas City – 11 games.

Wichita – 9 games.

Fort Wayne – 3 games at Maverik Center from June 3-5.

Wheeling – 3 games. Only 3 games vs an Eastern Conference opponent.

Metcalf Outstanding in Goal

Grizzlies signed goaltender Garrett Metcalf on March 16th. He has appeared in 4 games with Utah, saving 96 of 100 shots with a 1.24 goals against average. 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 has kept the Grizzlies in all 5 games he’s played in. Metcalf has allowed only 7 goals in 5 games, a 1.39 goals against average with a .954 save percentage (144 of 151).

March 28 vs Tulsa – saved 24 of 25. Grizz won 2-1 in overtime.

April 10 at Wichita – saved 27 of 28. Grizz lost 1-0.

April 11 at Wichita – saved 36 of 37. Grizz won 2-1.

April 16 vs KC – saved 33 of 35. Grizz lost 2-1.

April 23 at allen – saved 24 of 26. Grizz won 4-2.

#Boucher4ROY

Matthew Boucher has put together a season worthy of the league’s Rookie of the Year honors. Boucher currently leads all league rookies in goals (19), assists (24), points (43) and shots on goal (166). He not only leads the league in all those categories but he has a wide margin in a few of them. Boucher leads the team and all league rookies with 10 multiple point games.

Among Rookies

Goals – 19 (1st) – 2nd is Wichita’s Jay Dickman with 14.

Assists – 24 (Tied for 1st with Orlando’s Joseph Garreffa. 

Points – 43 (1st) – 2nd is Dickman with 36.

Shots on goal – 166 (1st) – 2nd is Dickman with 126.

4 Have Double Digit Goal Seasons

Matthew Boucher (19), Cedric Pare (13), Charlie Gerard (11) and Pat Cannone (10) each have a double digit goal season. AJ White has 9 goals on the year. Pare and Gerard each had a goal last night in Utah’s 4-2 win at Allen.

Utah Series vs Allen

It’s the 13th season meeting between the clubs. Utah is 4-4-1-3 vs Allen this season. Matthew Boucher leads Utah with 10 points (6g, 4a). Hunter Skinner, now with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, had 7 points (3g, 4a) in 8 games. Cedric Pare has 6 goals vs Allen. Ryan Lowney has 3 goals vs the Americans, including the game winner last night 8:12 into the third period. These clubs will meet for a big 4 game series at Maverik Center on May 19, 21-23.

Utah 4 @ Allen 2 (Apr 23 2021)

Utah 3 @ Allen 2 (Apr 3 2021) SO

Utah 0 @ Allen 3 (Apr 2 2021)

Utah 2 @ Allen 3 (Apr 1 2021)

Allen 1 @ Utah 5 (Mar 14 2021)

Allen 5 @ Utah 4 (Mar 13 2021) OT

Allen 6 @ Utah 2 (Mar 12 2021)

Utah 3 @ Allen 5 (Mar 3 2021)

Utah 1 @ Allen 2 (Feb 9 2021) SO

Allen 3 @ Utah 4 (Jan 31 2021)

Allen 3 @ Utah 2 (Jan 30 2021) SO

Allen 5 @ Utah 2 (Jan 29 2021)

Grizzlies Among League leaders

Matthew Boucher leads all rookies in goals (19), points (43) and shots on goal (166). Boucher’s 24 assists are tied among league rookies. Boucher’s 43 points rank 7th overall in the league. Pare is 3rd in shots among rookies with 120 and is 5th in points (28) and 4th in goals (13). Charlie Gerard is 4th in shots among rookies (107). Hunter Skinner leads the league with 3 shootout goals. Ryan Lowney is 3rd among league defenseman with 8 goals. Lowney leads all league defenseman with 5 power play goals.