Grizzlies Gameday: Last Game of 2 Week Road Trip

Utah Grizzlies (32-20-2-1, 67 points, .609 Win %) at Rapid City Rush (28-20-4-4, 64 points, .571 Win %) Sunday, March 6, 2022. The Monument Ice Arena. 4:05 pm. Broadcast: Mixlr/FloSports 

It’s the rubber match of a 3 game weekend set at The Monument and it’s the last game of a 6 game road trip for the Grizz, who are in first place in the Mountain division with a .609 points percentage. Utah is 5-3 vs Rapid City this season. After today’s game 9 of the next 11 contests for Utah will be at home, beginning on March 9 vs Kansas City. 

Last Night: Bowen and Tardif scored Goals in Loss 

Brian Bowen and Ben Tardif each found the back of the net in Utah’s 10-2 loss at Rapid City on Saturday night. Bowen scored his team leading 20th goal 3:32 into the first period. Ben Tardif scored 11:20 into the second period. The 10 goals allowed by Utah are the most given up in recent memory. Rapid City broke a single game scoring record as Gabe Chabot had 2 goals and 2 assists and Stephen Baylis had 2 goals and 1 assist. Peyton Jones saved 12 of 16 in the first period. He was relieved by Garrett Metcalf, who made his first appearance for Utah since December 27, 2021 and he saved 24 of 30. Utah was outshot 46 to 29. Rush went 2 for 5 on the power play and Utah was 0 for 2. Rapid City took over 2nd place in the Mountain Division, passing Idaho, who lost 4-2 at Allen.

Friday Night: Goaltenders Showcase at the Monument 

Utah goaltender Peyton Jones saved 49 of 50 and all 7 shots he saw in the shootout as Utah won 2-1 in the series opener. Charle-Edouard D’Astous scored the game winner in the 7th round of the shootout. While last night’s goal is not officially listed as a game winning goal in the league’s stats it’s just another example of how clutch D’Astous has been all year. He leads all league defenseman and the Grizzlies with 6 game winning goals. Luka Burzan delivered Utah’s lone goal in regulation as he scored 6:22 into the contest on a rebound from a Tyler Penner shot. 

Both teams went 0 for 1 on the Power Play. Rapid City outshot Utah 50 to 30. 

Brian Bowen Takes Over Grizzlies Goal Lead 

Bowen scored his 20th goal of the season 3:32 into the game last night. He broke a tie with Charle-Edouard D’Astous for the club’s goal scoring lead as D’Astous has 19 on the season. Scoring goals is nothing new for Bowen, who led the SPHL in goals in the 2019-20 season with 30. In 118 SPHL games he had 132 points (68 goals, 64 assists). Bowen played his college hockey at the University of Vermont from 2015-2018. He has previous experience in this league with Worcester, Norfolk and Adirondack. 

Ben Tardif Joins Double Digit Goal Club 

Ben Tardif scored his 10th goal of the season 11:20 into the second period last night in Rapid City. Tardif became the 9th different Grizzlies skater to score 10 or more goals this season. Tardif is averaging more than a point per game as he has 38 points (10 goals, 28 assists) in 37 games. Tardif leads Utah with 13 multiple point games this season. 

Players with 10 or more Goals 

19: Brian Bowen, Charle-Edouard D’Astous. 

17: Mason Mannek 

15: Trey Bradley 

13: Matthew Boucher 

12: Quinn Ryan 

11: Tyler Penner. 

10: Brandon Cutler 

Multiple Point games (2021-2022) 

13: Ben Tardif 

12: Trey Bradley, Charle-Edouard D’Astous. 

10: Brian Bowen. 

9: Mason Mannek 

8: Luke Martin. 

6: Matthew Boucher, Brandon Cutler. Andrew Nielsen. 

5: Tyler Penner. 

4: Luka Burzan 

3: Gehrett Sargis. 

2: Christian Simeone. 

1: Neil Robinson, Bailey Conger, Nate Clurman, Zac Robbins, Quinn Ryan, Connor McDonald, Miles Gendron, Nick Henry. 

Grizzlies Current 6 Game Road Trip 

Last Week’s Games 

February 25, 2022 – Utah 4 Kansas City 2 - D’Astous 1 goal, 2 assists. Nick Henry 1 goal, 1 assist. Peyton Jones saved 31 of 33. 

February 26, 2022 – Utah 4 Kansas City 5 – Luka Burzan 1 goal, 2 assists. Charle-E. D’Astous, Miles Gendron and Mason Mannek added goals. Nate Clurman was a +3. 

February 27, 2022 – Utah 0 Kansas City 2 – KC’s Matt Greenfield 39 save shutout. Utah outshot KC 39 to 28. This Week’s Games 

Friday, March 4, 2022 – Utah 2 Rapid City 1 - Luka Burzan scored his 9th goal of the year. Charle-E. D’Astous Shootout Game Winner. Peyton Jones saved 49 of 50. 

Saturday, March 5, 2022 – Utah 2 Rapid City 10 - Brian Bowen and Ben Tardif each tallied a goal for Utah. 

Sunday, March 6, 2022 – Utah at Rapid City. 4:05 pm. 

All times Mountain. Every game can be seen on FloHockey and heard on Mixlr. 

Season Series vs Rapid City 

Utah is 5-3 vs Rapid City this season. Utah is 20-5-2-1 in their last 28 meetings with Rapid City. Sunday afternoon is the 9th of 12 meetings between the division rivals. The Rush will visit Maverik Center for a 3 game series on March 30, April 1-2. 

November 5, 2021 – Rapid City 2 Utah 5 – Trey Bradley 1 goal, 2 assists. Neil Robinson scored first pro goal 2:53 into the 3rd period to break a 2-2 tie. Brian Bowen and Robinson each had 1 goal and 1 assist. Brandon Cutler and Andrew Nielsen added goals in the win. Luke Martin had 2 assists and was a +3. Peyton Jones saved 25 of 25 to earn his 2nd win of the season. 

November 6, 2021 – Rapid City 3 Utah 4 – Utah got goals from Luke Martin, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Brandon

Cutler and Quinn Ryan. Utah outshot Rapid City 40 to 23. RC went 1 for 1 on the power play and Utah was 1 for 2. Peyton Jones saved 20 of 23 in the win. 

December 27, 2021 – Utah 0 Rapid City 3 – Utah’s 6 game win streak ended. Utah outshot RC 46 to 31. Luka Burzan had 10 shots. Matthew Boucher had 8 shots. Andrew Nielsen had 6 shots. Garrett Metcalf saved 28 of 30. Rapid City’s Lukas Parik saved all 46. 

December 29, 2021 – Utah 4 Rapid City 3 – Trey Bradley 3 goals. Ben Tardif 2 assists. Mason Mannek 1 goal. Luka Burzan game winning assist. Emergency starting goalie Brady Devries saves 18 of 21 in an improbable win. December 31, 2021 – Utah 1 Rapid City 3 - Christian Simeone scored Utah’s lone goal. Rapid City went 3 for 7 on power play, Utah was 0 for 3. 

January 1, 2022 – Utah 6 Rapid City 4 – Mason Mannek 2 goals, 1 assist. Tyler Penner 3 assists. Gehrett Sargis and Ben Tardif 1 goal, 1 assist each. Zac Robbins and Andrew Nielsen added goals. Cole Kehler saved 34 of 38 for his first Utah win. 

March 4, 2022 - Utah 2 Rapid City 1 (Shootout) - Luka Burzan scored his 9th goal of the season. Peyton Jones saved 49 of 50, including all 7 shots he saw in the shootout to pick up his 14th win of the season. Charle-Edouard D’Astous won the game in the 7th round of the shootout. 

March 5, 2022 - Utah 2 Rapid City 10 -

Luka Burzan is Playing Well

Luka Burzan scored Utah’s lone goal in regulation in the March 4 win in Rapid City. On March 5 Burzan had 1 assist. Luka has 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 8 games since returning from an injury. In 24 games this season he has 9 goals and 12 assists. Burzan was a 6th round pick (171st overall) of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Draft. Luka has appeared in 24 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles over the last 2 seasons and had 3 goals and 1 assist. This season he has played in 10 games with Colorado (AHL).  

Recent Transactions: Boucher and Metcalf Return to Club  

March 3, 2022 – Matthew Boucher reassigned to Utah from Colorado (AHL). 

March 1, 2022 – Garrett Metcalf returns from load with AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Cole Kehler and Gehrett Sargis were released. 

Next Homestand 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Bud Light College Night. Singles Night. Friday, March 11, 2022 Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm. AFCU Friday. Beer Fest. 

Saturday, March 12, 2022 Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Military Night Presented by Darren Bideaux RV.

Family Fun Zone is on the concourse for every Grizzlies home game. 

All times Mountain. Every game can be seen on FloHockey and heard on Mixlr. 

Grizzlies Among League Leaders 

Trent Miner leads the league with 4 shutouts. Charle-Edouard D’Astous leads all league defenseman with 19 goals and is 2nd with 42 points. D’Astous leads all defenseman with 6 game winning goals. Brian Bowen is tied for 4th with 185 shots. Ben Tardif leads all league rookies with 7 shorthanded points. Tardif is 2nd among rookies with 28 assists. Mason Mannek is tied for 4thin points among rookies with 40. 

Grizzlies Roster 

Forwards: Matthew Boucher, Brian Bowen, Trey Bradley, Luka Burzan, Taylor Crunk, Nick Henry, Mason Mannek, Tyler Penner, Zac Robbins, Quinn Ryan, Christian Simone, Benjamin Tardif. 

Defenseman: Nate Clurman, Joey Colatarci, Austin Crossley, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Miles Gendron, Shane Kuzmeski, Luke Martin, Connor McDonald, Kyle Pouncy, Jordon Stone. 

Goaltenders: Peyton Jones, Garrett Metcalf, Trent Miner. 

2021-2022 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals (league rankings) 

Overall record: 32-20-2-1 

Home record: 16-9. Utah has outscored opponents 88 to 73 at home. 

Road record: 16-11-2-1 

Win percentage: .609. Best win % in Mountain Division. 

Streak: Lost 1. 

Standings Points: 67. 

Last 10: 5-5. 

Goals per game: 3.35 (9th) Goals for: 184. 

Goals against per game: 3.24 (14th) Goals Against: 178. 

Shots per game: 32.45 (9th) 

Shots against per game: 31.82 (Tied 16th) 

Power Play: 30 for 171 – 17.5 % (21st) 

Penalty Kill: 168 for 223- 75.3 % (25th) 

Penalty Minutes: 761. 13.84 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 18 (Tied for 1st). 

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 7. 

Record When Scoring First: 14-8-0-1. Utah has scored first in 23 of 55 games this season. Utah is 18-12-2 when the opposition scores first. 

Record in One Goal Games: 12-3-2-1. 18 of the 53 games have been decided by 1. 14 games have been decided by 2. Utah is 8-6 in 2 goal games. 

Team Leaders (2021-22 season) 

Goals: Brian Bowen (20). 

Assists: Ben Tardif (28) 

Points: Charle-Edouard D’Astous (42) 

Plus/Minus: D’Astoust/Luke Martin (+21) 

PIM: Andrew Nielsen (114) Taylor Crunk leads active Grizzlies with 85. 

Power Play Points: D’Astous (16) 

Power Play Goals: D’Astous (6) 

Power Play Assists: D’Astous (10). 

Shorthanded Goals: Trey Bradley/Matthew Boucher (4) 

Shots on Goal: Brian Bowen (185) - Tied for 4th in the league. 

Shooting Percentage: Quinn Ryan (12 for 65). 18.5 %. – Minimum 60 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: D’Astous (6). - D’Astous has Utah’s only shootout game winner this season. Wins: Peyton Jones (14). 

Save %: Trent Miner (.908). 

Goals Against Average: Trent Miner (2.76)

Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Stats 

Utah is tied for the league lead with 18 shorthanded goals. The Grizz are 12-4 when scoring a shorthanded goal. Utah is outscoring opponents 73 to 53 in the 2nd periods. Utah is 21-1 when leading after 2 periods. Grizz are 19-7-0-1 when outshooting opponents. Utah is 18-12-2 when the opposition scores first. Utah is 30-6-2-1 when scoring 3 or more goals. Utah has outscored opponents 88 to 73 at home. Their 67 standings points are tied for 3rd in the league. The Grizz are 14-9-2-1 when they play with 0 days rest between games. Utah is 25-11-1-1 vs Mountain Division opponents. Utah is 19-1 when allowing less than 3 goals. The Grizz are 12-3-2-1 in one goal games. Utah is 8-12-2 when trailing after 1 period. The 8 wins when trailing after 1 is the most in the league. 

Active Streaks (2021-2022 Season) 

Goal Streaks: Brian Bowen, Ben Tardif (1) 

Assist Streaks: Luka Burzan, Kuzmeski (1). 

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Bradley (4) Bowen, Burzan (2). 

Grizzlies Player Trends 

Brian Bowen: 22 of his 35 points have been at Maverik Center. 12 of his 20 goals have been at home. 10 of his 15 assists have been at home. Bowen has a point in 10 of his last 15 games. Bowen leads the team with 185 shots on goal. Brian has taken 5 or more shots in 19 different games. Bowen averages 3.73 shots per game. 

Charle-Edouard D’Astous has a point in 27 different games this season. He leads all league defenseman in goals (19) and game winning goals (6). He is 2nd among all league defenseman in points (42), shots (142) and is among league leaders in plus/minus (+25). 

Ben Tardif has a point in 8 of his last 12 games (5 goals, 7 assists). Tardif has 54 shots in his last 12 games. Tardif has 8 games of 2 or more assists. Ben has 19 games of 4 or more shots on goal. Tardif has scored a point in 23 of 37 games this season. Tardif leads the team with 13 multiple point games. 

Luka Burzan has 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 8 games. 

Miles Gendron has a goal in 3 of his last 6 games. 

Zac Robbins has 4 goals in his last 9 games. 

Nate Clurman has an assist in 8 of his last 12 games. 

Shane Kuzmeski has an assist in 5 of his last 7 games.