Grizz Gameday: Grizzlies Fight Cancer Weekend at Maverik Center

Allen Americans (24-25-1, 49 points, .490 Win %) @ Utah Grizzlies (23-24-3, 49 points, .490 Win %) 

Friday, February 24, 2023. 7:10 pm. Arena: Maverik Center

Broadcast: FloHockey.TV - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/7760820-2023-allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies

Audio: YouTube.com/UTAHGRIZZLIES.

It’s the second of a three-game series at Maverik Center. Utah is tied with Allen for 4th place in the Mountain Division. Both clubs are just 1 point behind Kansas City for 3rd place in the division. The Grizzlies have a standings point in 6 straight games and they are 4-1-2 in their last 7 games. Utah is 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. Utah has outscored opponents 27 to 20 over their last 6 games.

Grizzlies Fight Cancer Weekend

It’s Grizzlies Fight Cancer Weekend as the Grizzlies remember those we have lost to cancer and those who have battled and defeated cancer.

Games This Homestand

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 – Allen 3 Utah 5 -  Tarun Fizer had 2 goals, 2 assists, +4 and led Utah with 7 shots. Andrew Nielsen had 2 assists. Dylan Fitze, Tyler Penner and Cam Strong added goals. Lukas Parik saved 36 of 39 in net. Allen was 3 for 5 on the power play. Utah was 1 for 4.

Friday, February 24, 2023 – Allen at Utah – 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Grizzlies Fight Cancer Weekend.

Saturday, February 25, 2023 – Allen at Utah – 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Grizzlies Fight Cancer Weekend.

• Utah had 96 penalty minutes in their last meeting with Allen on February 4th.
• It’s a match-up of the top 2 penalty minute teams in the league. Utah leads the league with 937 penalty minutes (19.12 per game). Allen is in 2nd place with 922 penalty minutes (18.84 per game).

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

All Times Mountain.

Who’s Been Hot Lately

Goaltender Lukas Parik has won each of his last 4 starts.

Captain Connor McDonald is a +7 in his last 5 games.

Dylan Fitze has 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) during a current 5 game point streak. Fitze had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick at Savannah on February 17 with 1 goal, 2 assists and a fight. On February 20 against his former team, the Orlando Solar Bears, Fitze had 2 goals and 1 assist. On February 22 vs Allen he had 1 goal and 1 assist. Fitze is a +6 in his last 5 games. Dylan is tied for 2nd on the club with 128 shots on goal. Fitze has scored the Optum First Goal of the game 5 times this season, which is the most on the club.

Dakota Raabe also has a point in 5 straight games (2 goals, 5 assists). Raabe is 4th on the club with 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists).

Tarun Fizer has a point in 10 of his last 13 games. Fizer is 2nd on the club with 17 goals. He had 2 goals at Orlando on February 19 in a 4-1 win and 2 goals and 2 assists in a 5-3 win vs Allen on February 23. Fizer leads the team with 7 power play goals.

Andrew Nielsen is tied for the league lead for points among defenseman with 41. Nielsen has 26 power play points (6 goals, 20 assists). Nielsen leads Utah with 12 multiple point games. Nielsen has a point in 11 of his last 14 games. Nielsen has 17 points in his last 14 games (5 goals, 12 assists). Nielsen is 2nd in the league with 166 penalty minutes.

Jordan Martel – “The Rooster” scored 2 goals on 2 shots at Idaho on January 13, including the game winner 9:11 into the third period. Martel has 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 29 games with Utah. Martel has 68 shots in 29 games. Martel was the number 1 star on January 28 vs RC with 2 goals.

Statistical Leaders in the 6 Game Road Trip

Points: Dylan Fitze (8)

Goals: Cameron Wright (6)

Assists: Fitze/Andrew Nielsen/Dakota Raabe (4)

Shots: Wright (36)

Plus/Minus: Connor McDonald/Aaron Thow (+4)

Recent Transactions

February 24 – Grizzlies sign Goaltender Brent Moran. Moran was a 4th round pick (115th overall) by the Dallas Stars in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Moran played with the Niagara, Flint and North Bay in the OHL. After his OHL days he played at Nipissing University from 2017-2020. He had a .907 save percentage in his career with Nipissing. Moran appeared in 7 games with Manglerud in Norway in 2020Moran appeared in 30 games with the SPHL’s Fayetteville Marksmen over a 2 year stretch, where he had a record of 20-7-3 with a .922 save percentage. Moran played in 8 games with the Worcester Railers in the 2022-2023 season and had a 3-4 record with an .881 save %.

February 22 – Goaltender Garrett Metcalf was loaned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Metcalf was with Calgary in training camp leading up to this season. Garrett has a record of 7-3-1 with Utah this season. He previously appeared in 5 AHL games with San Diego this season and 4 games with Lehigh Valley in the 2021-2022 season.

Bear Bites: Team Notes

Utah is 4-4-2 in the month of February. Utah is 15-3 when scoring first. Utah is 9-0 when leading after 1 period. Utah is 18-1 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 8-3-3 in one goal games. The Grizz lead the league in penalty minutes per game at 18.98. Utah has 949 penalty minutes this season.

Double Digit Goal Scoring Club

Cameron Wright (18)

Tarun Fizer (17)

Dylan Fitze (13)

Brandon Cutler, Johnny Walker (10).

There are currently 5 players with 9 goals this season. Keaton Jameson, Andrew Nielsen, Tyler Penner, Cam Strong and Zach Tsekos each are 1 goal away from reaching double digits on the season.

Match-Up With Allen

Utah is 3-4 vs Allen this season. Tarun Fizer leads Utah with 8 points vs Allen (4 goals, 4 assists). Andrew Nielsen has 6 assists vs Allen. For Allen Hank Crone (5 goals, 5 assists) and Jack Combs (3 goals, 8 assists) each has 11 points vs Utah. Liam Finlay and Colton Hargrove each has 5 goals and 4 assists vs Utah.  

Allen 3 @ Utah 5 (Feb 22 2023

Allen 8 @ Utah 1 (Feb 4 2023)

Allen 6 @ Utah 2 (Feb 3 2023)

Allen 4 @ Utah 1 (Feb 1 2023)

Utah 2 @ Allen 4 (Nov 12 2022)

Utah 4 @ Allen 2 (Nov 11 2022)

Utah 3 @ Allen 2 (Nov 9 2022) OT

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

Overall record: 23-24-3

Home record: 10-11

Road record: 13-13-3

Win percentage: .490

Streak: Win 1

Standings Points: 49

Last 10: 4-4-2

Goals per game: 2.88 (24th)  Goals for: 144

Goals against per game: 3.58 (20th)  Goals Against: 179

Shots per game: 29.10 (26th)  

Shots against per game: 35.16 (26th)

Power Play: 47 for 239 – 19.7 % (15th)

Penalty Kill: 174 for 221 – 78.7 % (18th)

Penalty Minutes: 949. 18.98 per game.

Shorthanded Goals: 4.

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 6.

Record When Scoring First: 15-3.

Opposition Scores First: 8-21-3.   

Record in One Goal Games: 8-3-3. 

SCORING          1ST       2ND               3RD               OT                  TOTAL       

Utah Grizzlies     41         57                   44                   2                      144                                       

Opposition           55         58                   63                   3                      179

Team Leaders (2022-23 Regular season)

Goals: Cameron Wright (18). 

Assists: Andrew Nielsen (32). 

Points: Nielsen (41).

Plus/Minus: Jordan Martel/Connor McDonald/Zach Tsekos (+2).

PIM: Nielsen (166)

Power Play Points: Nielsen (26)

Power Play Goals: Tarun Fizer (7)

Power Play Assists: Nielsen (20).  

Shots on Goal: Cameron Wright (183).  

Shooting Percentage: Tsekos (23.1 %) 9 for 39.   

Game Winning Goals: Wright (7)

Wins: Trent Miner (8)

Save %: Miner (.909).

Goals Against Average: Miner (3.12)

Active Streaks 

Goal Streaks: Dylan Fitze (2) Tarun Fizer, Tyler Penner, Cam Strong (1)

Assist Streaks: Fitze (4) Jordan Martel, Aaron Thow (2) Fizer, Keaton Jameson, Andrew Nielsen, Dakota Raabe (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Fitze, Raabe (5) Jameson, Martel, Strong, Thow (2)