Grizzlies Preview: Regulation Win Will Clinch Playoff Spot for Utah

Grizz Can Clinch Playoff Spot With Regulation Win

Utah Grizzlies (33-22-5-6, 77 points, .583 win %) @ Kansas City Mavericks(27-29-8-2, 64 points, .485 Win%)

Cable Dahmer Arena. May 27, 2021. 6:05 pm MST. Mixlr/FloSports.

It’s the first game of the 3 game series between the Western Conference rivals. Utah finds themselves in 4th place in the Western Conference with a .583 winning percentage, .068 percentage points ahead of Rapid City, who is in 5th with a win rate of .515. Utah has won 10 of their last 11 games. Utah is 4-4 vs Kansas City this season.

Grizzlies Can Clinch Playoff Spot With Regulation Win on Thursday

With a win in regulation on Thursday night the Utah Grizzlies clinch a playoff spot for the 12 time in the last 13 years where a postseason was held. The Grizz were in line for a playoff spot last season when it was canceled on March 14, 2020. If that postseason was held it would be 13 times in the last 14 years.

Incredible Hot Stretch Last 11 Game

Utah is 10-1 in the last 11 games and their winning percentage jumped from .518 on May 4 to a .583 winning % on May 27. On the flip side the Rapid City Rush had a .553 winning percentage on May 4 and now they are at .515.

Since May 3rd AJ White and Trey Bradley each lead the league with 15 points. White has 6 goals and 9 assists and a +9 rating, while Bradley has 2 goals, 11 assists and a +11 rating. Ty Lewis has 9 points in his last 10 games (4 goals, 5 assists). Ryan Lowney has 8 points in his last 10 games (2 g, 8a). Hayden Hodgson and Travis Barron each has 4 goals in May.

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 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 69 games.

Trey Bradley Named ECHL Player of the Week

Bradley had 7 assists last week against Allen. Utah went 3-1 on the week. The 2nd year pro leads the Grizz with 33 assists and is 2nd with 43 points. Last season with the Newfoundland Growlers Bradley had 14 goals and 20 assists in 48 games.

Sasha Mutala Scores 2 Goals in Grizz Debut  

Mutalahas been added to the Grizzlies roster and made his Utah debut on Sunday afternoon vs Allen. Mutala played in 6 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to begin his pro career. Mutala played with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans from 2017-2021, scoring 65 goals and 89 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.

Miles Gendron Rejoined Team Last Saturday

Gendron has 7 goals and 7 assists in 40 games with Utah this season. He appeared in 15 games with the Colorado Eagles this year, scoring 2 goals, 1 assists and had a +4 rating. Gendron was drafted in the 3rd round, 70th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Penalty Kill Has Been Strong

Utah is 22 for 22 on the penalty kill over the last 6 games.

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 8 shots on goal in his first 4 games with the Grizz.

Parker Gahagen Won Goaltender of the Week in Back-to-Back Weeks

Gahagen wins the award for the 3rd time in his career and for the 2nd straight week. He saved 29 of 30 and 2 of 3 in the shootout to lead Utah to a 2-1 shootout win at Tulsa on May 15. The next afternoon he saved 47 of 50 in the Grizz 6-3 win at Tulsa. In 13 games this season Gahagen has a 8-2-1-1 record with a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals against average. It’s the 3rd time this season that a Grizzlies goaltender has won the award. Garrett Metcalf also won the award from April 19-25.

Peyton Jones Shuts Out Allen

Jones saved all 28 shots he saw in Utah’s 4-0 win vs Allen on May 23. Jones has won each of his last 3 appearances and is currently tied with Parker Gahagen with 8 wins on the season. Jones played at Penn State University the last 4 seasons. With Utah this season Jones is 8-4-2-1 with a 2.80 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.

Jared Pike Released

Pike had 3 goals and 1 assist in 31 games.

2020-2021 Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 33-22-5-6

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

Road record: 13-15-2-3

Win percentage: .583 (4th in Western Conference).

Streak: Won 3. Utah has won 10 of their last 11.

Standings Points: 77

Last 10: 9-1

Goals per game: 2.91 (10th). Goals for: 192

Goals against per game: 2.97 (8th). Goals against: 196

Shots per game: 32.71 (3rd).

Shots against per game: 29.48 (4th).

Power Play: 17.6 % - 46 for 262 (7th).

Penalty Kill: 84.5 % - 207 for 245 (5th). – 22 for 22 in the last 6 games.

Penalty Minutes: 911 (13.80 per game).

Shorthanded Goals: 10 (Tied for 3rd)

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 8 (9th)

Players Used: 52.

Record When Scoring First: 21-8-2-1

Team Leaders (2020-21 season)

Goals: Matthew Boucher (23)

Assists: Trey Bradley (33) – Bradley has 13 assists in the last 11 games.

Points: Boucher (49)

Plus/Minus: Jack Jenkins (+8)

PIM: Teigan Zahn (86) Cole Fraser leads the league with 142 PIM with 53 of those coming with Utah.

Games Played: Cedric Pare (61)

Power Play Points: Ryan Lowney (17)

Power Play Goals: AJ White (9)

Shots on Goal: Matthew Boucher (201)

Shooting Percentage: AJ White (15.2 %) – Minimum 40 shots.

Game Winning Goals: White (5)

Wins: Parker Gahagen/Peyton Jones (8)

Save %: Gahagen (.933) – Minimum 7 games

Goals Against Average: Gahagen (1.96). – 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 - Utah is now 13-2-0-1 in the 3rd game of a series. 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 at Kansas City. 6:05 pm

Friday, May 28, 2021 – Utah at Kansas City. 6:05 pm

Saturday, May 29, 2021 – Utah at Kansas City. 6:05 pm.

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: AJ White, Sasha Mutala, Luke Bafia (1)

Assist Streaks: Trey Bradley (4) AJ White (3), Ryan Lowney, Cedric Pare, Miles Gendron, Mason mannek (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Bradley (5), Lowney (4) White (3), Pare (2)

Multiple Point games

12 - Matthew Boucher

11 – Trey Bradley

9 – AJ White

6- Charlie Gerard, Ryan Lowney, Ty Lewis, Cedric Pare.

5 - Riley Woods,  Matt Hoover.

4- Pat Cannone, Hunter Skinner.   

3 - Miles Gendron, Travis Barron.

2 - Diego Cuglietta, Nick Henry, Joe Wegwerth, Mitch Maxwell, Hayden Hodgson, Alex Lepkowski.

1 - Jack Jenkins,  Braylon Shmyr, Ian Scheid, Matt Abt, Ryker Killins, Josh Dickinson, Brayden Gelsinger, Brandon Fehd, Wyatt McLeod, Sasha Mutala.

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.

#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 (23), points (49) and shots on goal (201). He is also 4th with 26 assists. Boucher leads the team and all league rookies with 12 multiple point games.

Among Rookies

Goals – 23 (1st) – 2nd is Wichita’s Jay Dickman with 18.

Assists – 26 – 4th

Points – 49 (1st) – 2nd is Dickman with 46.

Shots on goal – 200 (1st) – 2nd is teammate Charlie Gerard with 157.

7 Have Double Digit Goal Seasons

Matthew Boucher (23), Cedric Pare (16) Charlie Gerard, AJ White (15), Ryan Lowney (11) Pat Cannone and Trey Bradley (10) each have a double digit goal season.

Grizzlies Record is Outstanding When Leading After 1st and 2nd

Utah is 12-4-0-1 when leading after 1 period and 20-4-1-1 when leading after 2.

Grizzlies Like Home Cooking

Utah has outscored opponents 112 to 90 at home this season. The Grizz are 20-7-3-3 at Maverik Center, earning 46 standings points in 33 games. Utah ends the regular season by hosting Fort Wayne on June 2, 4-5. 

Many 1 Goal Games

33 of the 66 games Utah has played this season have been 1 goal contests. This season the Grizzlies have played in 18 games past regulation.

Grizzlies Players Winning League Awards in 2020-21

Diego Cuglietta – Player of the Week for weekend of December 11-13.

Matthew Boucher – Player of the Week for January 18-24.  

Matthew Boucher – Player of the Week for March 22-28.

Matthew Boucher – Rookie of the Month for March 2021.

Garrett Metcalf – Goaltender of the Week for April 19-25.

Parker Gahagen – Goaltender of the Week for May 3-9.

Parker Gahagen – Goaltender of the Week for May 10-16.

Trey Bradley – Player of the Week for May 17-23.

Grizzlies Goaltending Shutouts

Parker Gahagen – May 5, 2021 vs Rapid City.

Peyton Jones – May 23, 2021 vs Allen.