Grizzlies Gameday: Black Friday at Maverik Center

Grizzlies Gameday: Black Friday at Maverik Center

Trois Rivieres Lions (6-6-1, 13 points, .500 Win %) at Utah Grizzlies (6-7, 12 points, .462 Win %) 

Friday, November 25, 2022. 7:10 pm. Arena: Maverik Center

Broadcast: FloHockey.TV -https://www.flohockey.tv/events/7759731-2022-idaho-steelheads-vs-utah-grizzlies  

Audio: YouTube.com/UTAHGRIZZLIES.

It’s the first ever meeting between the Grizzlies and Lions. Utah has lost 4 in a row, which came after a 4 game winning streak so Utah is 4-4 in their last 8 games. Watch out for Zach Tsekos, who has a point in 5 of his last 8 games. Johnny Walker has 4 goals in his last 7 games. Utah is 10 for 35 on the power play over the last 7 games.

It’s an AFCU Friday, where tickets start at $8 when you pay using your AFCU debit or credit card at the Maverik Center box office. Saturday night is the Grizzlies 2nd annual Pride Night presented by FedEx. The Grizzlies have a 50 percent off Black Friday ticket offer good for the games this weekend vs Trois Rivieres at utahgrizzlies.com as well as a Cyber Monday deal which is a 3 game pack with the first Grizzlies home playoff game for free. That offer is good from November 28th through December 2nd. Take advantage of the holiday deals at utahgrizzlies.com/blackfriday.

Games This Week 

November 25, 2022 – Trois Rivieres at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. AFCU Friday.

November 26, 2022 – Trois Rivieres at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Pride Night presented by FedEx.

November 27, 2022 – Trois Rivieres at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center.

You can catch every game on FloHockey and audio on the Grizzlies YouTube channel.

Recent Transactions

November 24 – Brandon Cutler Loaned to Belleville

Forward Brandon Cutler was loaned to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Cutler is the 2nd Grizzlies skater to be loaned to Belleville this season as Kyle Betts was loaned in late October and he’s still there. Cutler has 3 goals and 2 assists in 11 games for Utah this season. All 5 of Cutler’s points have been on the power play. It won’t be his first taste of AHL action as he played in 36 games with the Abbotsford Canucks last season, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists. He was in training camp with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose prior to the 2022-2023 season.

November 18 – Cory Thomas Signs with Utah

Defenseman Cory Thomas signed with the Grizzlies on November 18 and he made his Grizzlies debut that night. Thomas played in 8 games with the Idaho Steelheads towards the end of the 2021-2022 season, where he scored 1 assist. Thomas was in camp this season with Idaho. He has good size at 6’4” and 205 pounds. Thomas played at Canisius College as a graduate transfer last season and was a +3 and had 2 goals and 1 assist in 39 games. Before that he played at the University of Vermont for 4 seasons from 2017-2021. Thomas will wear number 3 for Utah. Last season he was number 14 for Idaho. 

Grizzlies Player Trends

Andrew Nielsen – Tied for2nd in the league with 12 assists. Nielsen leads the league in power play assists (8) and power play points (8). Nielsen is 2nd in points among defenseman with 13. Nielsen leads Grizzlies blueliners with 32 shots on goal. Nielsen was out of the Grizzlies lineup on Nov. 18 vs Idaho.

Cameron Wright – Tied for the league lead with 3 game winning goals. All 3 of his professional goals have been game winners. Wright leads all rookies with 46 shots on goal (tied for 5th overall). Wright has 2 goals and 6 assists in his last 7 games.

Tarun Fizer – Fizer has a point in 4 of his last 8 games and a point in 7 of 12 contests. Fizer has a 19.4 shooting % (6 for 31). Tarun has the first goal in the game twice this season. Fizer is tied for the club lead with 6 goals.

Zach Tsekos – Tied among all league rookies with 3 power play goals. Tsekos has 4 goals in his last 6 games and he has a point in 5 of his last 7 games. Tsekos has a 21.4 shooting % (6 for 28). Tsekos is tied with Fizer for the club lead with 6 goals.

Johnny Walker – Walker has 4 goals in his last 6 games. Johnny has a 25.0 shooting % (4 for 16). Walker leads all league rookies with 43 penalty minutes.

Dylan Fitze – Had 9 shots on goal vs Idaho on November 17. Fitze has 21 shots on goal over his last 4 games. Fitze has 4 different games with 5 or more shots. Fitze is 2nd on the club with 36 shots.

Neil Robinson – Scored a first period goal in his first game back on November 17, 2022 after coming back from a major injury suffered on Nov. 6, 2021. Robinson scored 1 goal in 3 games with Utah last season.

Christian Simeone – Got an assist in his 2022-2023 season debut. Simeone had 5 goals and 10 assists in 55 games last year.

Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Notes

Utah is 10 for 35 on the power play over the last 7 games. Utah is 4-2 in one goal games. Utah is 4-2 when scoring first. Utah is the first team to outshoot Idaho in 13 games this season. Utah has outscored opponents 15 to 12 in the second period this season. Utah has outshot opponents 148 to 132 in the second period's this season. 

Utah is 3-0 when leading after 1 period. Utah is 4-1 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 2-0 in overtime this season

Match-Up With Trois Rivieres

It’s the first ever meeting between the Grizzlies and the Lions. There are no former Grizzlies skaters on the Lions roster. Goaltender Thomas Sigouin was on the Grizzlies roster at the end of the 2021-2022 regular season and throughout the playoffs but he did not appear in any games for Utah. The Lions leading scorer is Colin Bilek, who has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists).

2022-2023 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 6-7

Home record: 1-4

Road record: 5-3

Win percentage: .462

Streak: Lost 4

Standings Points: 12

Last 10: 4-6

Goals per game: 2.52 (Tied 23rd)  Goals for: 33

Goals against per game: 3.23 (17th)  Goals Against: 42

Shots per game: 30.15 (19th) 

Shots against per game: 32.32 (22nd)

Power Play: 12 for 64 – 18.8 % (16th) 

Penalty Kill: 35 for 45- 77.8 % (17th) 

Penalty Minutes: 153. 11.77 per game.

Shorthanded Goals: 0

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1.

Record When Scoring First: 4-2.

Opposition Scores First: 2-5.  

Record in One Goal Games: 4-2. 

Team Leaders (2022-23 Regular season)

Goals: Tarun Fizer/Zach Tsekos (6). 

Assists: Andrew Nielsen (12). 

Points: Nielsen (13). 

Plus/Minus: Zach Tsekos (+4). 

PIM: Johnny Walker (43)

Power Play Points: Nielsen (8)

Power Play Goals: Brandon Cutler/Tsekos (3)

Power Play Assists: Nielsen (8).  

Shots on Goal: Cameron Wright (53).  

Shooting Percentage: Walker (22.2 %) 4 for 18.   

Game Winning Goals: Wright (3)

Wins: Garrett Metcalf (3)

Save %: Lukas Parik (.917).

Goals Against Average: Parik (2.51)

Active Streaks 

Goal Streaks: Keaton Jameson, Brycen Martin (1)

Assist Streaks: Trent Miner, Cory Thomas, Cam Strong, Victor Bartley (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: 0