Grizzlies Preview: Final Road Game of Regular Season

Utah Grizzlies (33-24-5-6, 77 points, .566 win %) @ Kansas City Mavericks(29-29-8-2, 68 points, .500 Win%)

Cable Dahmer Arena. May 29, 2021. 6:05 pm MST. Mixlr/FloSports.

It’s the final game of the series and the last road game of the regular season. Utah has won 10 of their last 13 games. Utah is 4-4-2 vs Kansas City this season. It’s the 3rd game of a series and this season the Grizz are 13-2-0-1 in the 3rd game.

How Can Utah Clinch Playoff Spot Tonight? 

Utah can clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference if…

1. Utah wins in regulation.
2. Utah loses in overtime/shootout.   
3. Tulsa loses

Utah has reached the playoffs in 11 of the last 12 seasons where a playoff was held. Utah was in line for a playoff spot last season when it was cancelled on March 14, 2020. Utah has a current winning percentage of .566. Tulsa is in 5th place with a 514 win %.

Last Night: KC 5 Utah 2

KC has won 5-2 in each of the first 2 games of the series. Last night Utah took a 2-0 lead after Garrett Johnston scored his 2nd of the year 2:07 into the 2nd period. 28 seconds later Ty Lewis delivered his 8th of the year. Kansas City scored 5 unanswered and did it in bunches. KC scored 2 goals 24 seconds apart late in the 2nd period and in the 3rd period they scored 3 goals in a 1 minute 44 second stretch. KC outshot Utah 28 to 23. Utah went 0 for 4 on the power play, while Kansas City went 0 for 5. Lewis and Johnston were each a +1 for Utah.

Thursday Night: KC 5 Utah 2

Kansas City defeated Utah 5-2 on Thursday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. Cedric Pare deflected a Cole Fraser shot 16:46 in for his 17th goal of the season. 5 minutes into the 2nd period Travis Barron intercepted a KC pass, threw it to Sasha Mutala who scored his 3rd goal in 2 games 5:11 into the 2nd period. Willie Corrin and Brodie Reid each scored 1 goal and 1 assist for the Mavericks and Andrew Shortridge saved 24 of 26 as he got his 6th win of the season.

Last game in May

Utah is 10-4 in 14 games in the month of May. Trey Bradley leads Utah with 16 points in May (2 goals, 14 assists). His 16 points are tied for the league lead with 3 others, including Kansas City’s Giorgio Estephan. Bradley has a +9 rating for the month. AJ White has 15 points in May (6 goals, 9 assists). Ty Lewis has 10 points in May (5 goals, 5 assists). The month was highlighted by the 7 game winning streak, sweeping Rapid City from May 4-8 and the next week winning 3 games at Tulsa on May 14-16.

Travis Barron Returns to Club

Barron was instrumental in kickstarting the Grizzlies hot stretch as he set a franchise record with 3 shorthanded goals on May 4 vs Rapid City. Barron scored 4 goals that night as Utah won 5-3. This season the 3rd year pro has 7 goals and 5 assists in 23 games. In 3 seasons with Utah, Barron has 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 71 games.

Trey Bradley Named ECHL Player of the Week for May 17-23

Bradley had 7 assists last week against Allen. Utah went 3-1 on the week. The 2nd year pro leads the Grizz with 34 assists and is 2nd with 44 points. Last season with the Newfoundland Growlers Bradley had 14 goals and 20 assists in 48 games. Bradley had 1 assist last night in the 5-2 loss to KC.

Sasha Mutala Has Made a Strong First Impression

Mutala scored a goal 5:11 into the second period on Thursday night at Kansas City. Mutala has 3 goals in his first 3 games with Utah. Mutala played in 6 games this season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to begin his pro career and had 1 assist. Mutala played with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans from 2017-2021, scoring 65 goals and 89 assists. This season with Tri-City, Mutala had 20 points in 19 games (6 goals, 14 assists). Sasha was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 5th round (140th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Mutala was born on May 6, 2021. He’s the 4th player in Grizzlies history to who was born after the turn of the century. On Sunday Mutala scored his first 2 professional goals to lead Utah to a 4-0 win over Allen.

Penalty Kill Has Been Strong

Utah is 26 for 26 on the penalty kill over the last 8 games. Last night Utah was 4 for 4 on the PK. On Thursday night neither team had a power play.  

Mason Mannek Made Professional Debut on Wednesday

Mannek, 21, made his pro debut with the Grizzlies on May 19 vs Allen. Mannek was born and raised in Herriman, Utah. He played with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks from 2018-2021 and scored 43 goals and 51 assists. He had a +27 rating in 4 seasons with Portland. Mannek had an assist in his pro debut, wearing number 28. Mannek is the 3rd player in team history who was born in this century, joining defenseman Wyatt McLeod, who scored 2 goals on Wednesday night, and Hunter Skinner, who is now with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and next year will begin a 3 year entry level deal with the NHL’s New York Rangers. Mannek has 2 assist and 10 shots on goal in his first 6 games with the Grizz.

2020-2021 Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 33-24-5-6

Home record: 20-7-3-3. Utah has outscored opponents 113 to 90 at home.

Road record: 13-17-2-3

Win percentage: .566 (4th in Western Conference).

Streak: Lost 2

Standings Points: 77

Last 10: 7-3.

Goals per game: 2.88 (11th). Goals for: 196

Goals against per game: 3.03 (9th). Goals against: 206

Shots per game: 32.47 (3rd).

Shots against per game: 29.34 (4th).

Power Play: 17.2 % - 46 for 267 (5th).

Penalty Kill: 84.7 % - 211 for 249 (5th). – 26 for 26 in the last 8 games.

Penalty Minutes: 935 (13.75 per game).

Shorthanded Goals: 10 (Tied for 3rd)

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 8 (9th)

Players Used: 52.

Record When Scoring First: 21-9-2-1

Team Leaders (2020-21 season)

Goals: Matthew Boucher (23)

Assists: Trey Bradley (34) – Bradley has 14 assists in the last 13 games.

Points: Boucher (49)

Plus/Minus: Jack Jenkins (+8)

PIM: Teigan Zahn/Hayden Hodgson (86)

Games Played: Cedric Pare (63)

Power Play Points: Ryan Lowney (17)

Power Play Goals: AJ White (9)

Shots on Goal: Matthew Boucher (201)

Shooting Percentage: AJ White (14.9 %) – Minimum 45 shots.

Game Winning Goals: White (5)

Wins: Parker Gahagen/Peyton Jones (8)

Save %: Garrett Metcalf (.931) – Minimum 7 games

Goals Against Average: Metcalf (1.97). – Minimum 7 games

Roster

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

Defenseman: Luke Bafia, Brandon Fehd, Cole Fraser, Miles Gendron, Garrett Johnston, Alex Lepkowski, Ryan Lowney, Wyatt McLeod, Teigan Zahn.

Goaltenders: Parker Gahagen, Peyton Jones, Garrett Metcalf.

Last Week’s Games

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 – Allen 5 Utah 3 – Charlie Gerard scored his 15th goal of the season, which ranks 2nd on the club. Wyatt McLeod scored his first 2 professional goals. Allen scored 5 unanswered goals. Collin Shirley scored 2 goals 31 seconds apart to turn a 3-1 Utah lead into a 3-3 tie.

Friday, May 21, 2021 – Allen 1 Utah 4 – Ty Lewis had 2 goals and 1 assist. AJ White had 1 goal and 1 assist. Trey Bradley had 3 assists. Ryan Lowney scored a power play goal in the 3rd period. Parker Gahagen saved 33 of 34. 

Saturday, May 22, 2021 – Allen 1 Utah 2 - Cedric Pare scored 2 goals, including the game winner on the power play 57 seconds into overtime. Utah outshot Allen 26 to 14. Utah went 1 for 5 on the power play, while Allen went 0 for 4.

Sunday, May 23, 2021 – Allen 0 Utah 4 - AJ White scored his 9th Power Play goal of the season. Sasha Mutala scored his first 2 pro goals. Luke Bafia added his first goal in a Utah uniform. Peyton Jones got a 28 save shutout, his first as a professional. Utah went 2 for 6 on the power play.

This Week’s Games

Thursday, May 27, 2021 – Utah 2 Kansas City 5 – Cedric Pare, Sasha Mutala each scored goals. Utah outshot KC 26 to 21. Neither team had a power play in the game.

Friday, May 28, 2021 – Utah 2 Kansas City 5 – Garrett Johnston and Ty Lewis scored goals in the loss. Utah was 4 for 4 on the penalty kill.

Saturday, May 29, 2021 – Utah at Kansas City. 6:05 pm. Utah is 13-2-0-1 in the 3rd game of a series.

All times Mountain

Next Week’s Games

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 – Fort Wayne at Utah. 7:10 pm.

Friday, June 4, 2021 – Fort Wayne at Utah. 7:10 pm. Fan Appreciation Weekend.

Saturday, June 5, 2021 – Fort Wayne at Utah. 7:10 pm. TMNT Night (specialty jerseys) Shoot For Your Shot after the game. Fan Appreciation Weekend.

Active Streaks

Goal Streaks: Garrett Johnston, Ty Lewis (1).

Assist Streaks: Charlie Gerard (3), Ryan Lowney, Trey Bradley (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Gerard (3).