Grizzlies Gameday: Grizz Fight Cancer Weekend Continues at the Mav

Grizzlies Gameday: Saturday Night Showdown at Maverik Center

Allen Americans (25-25-1, 49 points, .500 Win %) @ Utah Grizzlies (23-25-3, 49 points, .480 Win %) 

Saturday, February 25, 2023. 7:10 pm. Arena: Maverik Center

Broadcast: FloHockey.TV - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/7760856-2023-allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies

Audio: YouTube.com/UTAHGRIZZLIES.

It’s the rubber match of a three-game series at Maverik Center. Allen took over 3rd place in the Mountain division with a 8-5 win over Utah on Friday night. Utah is in 5th place but are just 2 points behind Allen for 3rd place and 1 point behind Kansas City for 4th place. The Grizzlies have standings points in 6 of their last 7 games. Utah has outscored opponents 32 to 28 over their last 7 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 8 Utah 5 – James Shearer had 2 goals. Jordan Martel had 1 goal and 1 assist. Connor McDonald, Christian Simeone and Cam Strong were each a +2 for Utah. Allen got 1 goal and 3 assists from Colton Hargrove and 2 goals and 1 assist from Hank Crone. Utah outshot Allen 40 to 37.

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

• It’s a match-up of the top 2 penalty minute teams in the league. Utah leads the league with 955 penalty minutes (18.73 per game). Allen is in 2nd place with 941 penalty minutes (18.45 per game).

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

All Times Mountain.

Grizzlies Offense Has Been Rolling

Utah has scored 32 goals over their last 7 games and they have 5 goals in each of their first 2 games in the home series vs Allen. Tarun Fizer and Cameron Wright each has 6 goals in the Grizzlies last 7 games. Dylan Fitze has 11 points in the last 7 contests (5 goals, 6 assists). Defenseman Connor McDonald and Aaron Thow are each a +7 over the last 7 games. Andrew Nielsen, Dakota Raabe and Cam Strong each has 8 points in the last 7 games.

Who’s Been Hot Lately

Goaltender Lukas Parik has won 4 of his last 5 starts.  

Captain Connor McDonald is a +9 in his last 6 games.

Dylan Fitze has 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) during a current 6 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. Dylan is tied for 2nd on the club with 132 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 has a point in 6 straight games (3 goals, 5 assists). Raabe is 4th on the club with 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists). Raabe is a +2 and has taken 22 shots over his last 6 games.

Tarun Fizer has a point in 11 of his last 14 games. Fizer is tied for the club lead with 18 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. Fizer is tied with Fitze for 2nd on the club with 132 shots on goal. Fizer has taken 53 shots in 11 games in February (4.81 per game).

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 15 games. Nielsen has 17 points in his last 15 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 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 30 games with Utah. Martel has 68 shots in 29 games. Martel was the number 1 star on January 28 vs RC with 2 goals. Martel had 1 goal and 1 assist on his 27th birthday on February 24 vs Allen.

Match-Up With Allen

Utah is 3-5 vs Allen this season. Tarun Fizer leads Utah with 9 points vs Allen (5 goals, 4 assists). Andrew Nielsen has 6 assists vs Allen. For Allen Hank Crone (7 goals, 7 assists) has 14 points. Jack Combs (3 goals, 10 assists) and Colton Hargrove (6 goals, 7 assists) each has 13 points vs Utah. Liam Finlay has 10 points in 6 games vs Utah (6 goals, 4 assists).

Allen 8 @ Utah 5 (Feb 24, 2023)

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: 23-25-3

Home record: 10-12

Road record: 13-13-3

Win percentage: .480

Streak: Loss 1

Standings Points: 49

Last 10: 4-4-2

Goals per game: 2.92 (23rd) Goals for: 149

Goals against per game: 3.67 (21st)  Goals Against: 187

Shots per game: 29.31 (25th)  

Shots against per game: 35.20 (26th)

Power Play: 48 for 242 – 19.8 % (15th)

Penalty Kill: 175 for 223 – 78.5 % (18th)

Penalty Minutes: 955. 18.73 per game.

Shorthanded Goals: 4.

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 7.  

Record When Scoring First: 15-4.

Opposition Scores First: 8-21-3.   

Record in One Goal Games: 8-3-3. 

SCORING          1ST       2ND               3RD               OT                  TOTAL       

Utah Grizzlies     42         59                   46                   2                      149                                       

Opposition           56         62                   66                   3                      187

Team Leaders (2022-23 Regular season)

Goals: Tarun Fizer/Cameron Wright (18). 

Assists: Andrew Nielsen (32). 

Points: Nielsen (41).

Plus/Minus: Connor McDonald (+4)

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: Tarun Fizer (2) Jordan Martel, Dakota Raabe, James Shearer (1)

Assist Streaks: Fitze (5)  Keaton Jameson (3), Martel (2) Victor Bartley, Vladislav Mikhalchuk, Christian Simeone (1)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Fitze, Raabe (6) Jameson, Strong (3) Fizer, Martel (2)

Best Grizzlies Home Attendances in the 2022-2023 Season

10,397 – January 28, 2023 – RC at Utah.

7382 – January 27, 2023 – RC at Utah.

6941 – February 24, 2023 – Allen at Utah.

6927 – December 30, 2022 – Idaho at Utah.

6494 – December 17, 2022 – KC at Utah.

6415 – February 4, 2023 – Allen at Utah.

6349 – November 18, 2022 – Idaho at Utah.

6325 – December 28, 2022 – Idaho at Utah. – Best Grizzlies Wednesday home crowd in 10 years.