Grizzlies Gameday: Game 6 in Boise. Idaho Leads Series 3-2

Grizzlies Gameday: Game 6 in Boise. Idaho Leads Series 3-2

Utah Grizzlies at Idaho Steelheads. Game 6 of the Mountain Division Semifinals

Idaho Central Arena. 7:10 pm. Idaho leads the series 3-2. 

Video Stream – FloHockey.TV - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/10888798-2023-utah-grizzlies-vs-idaho-steelheads

Audio Broadcast - The Utah Grizzlies YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@THEUTAHGRIZZLIES

The Utah Grizzlies are facing elimination as they face the Idaho Steelheads for game 6 at Idaho Central Arena. The road team has won all 5 games in the series. Each of the last 4 games in the series has been decided by 1 goal. Utah’s Tarun Fizer has 2 power play goals in the series. Fizer led Utah with 12 power play goals in the regular season.

#1 Idaho Steelheads (58-11-3) vs. #4 Utah Grizzlies (35-33-4)Game 1 – Utah 3 Idaho 0 – Trent Miner 43 save shutout. Jordan Martel had 1 goal and 1 assist. Dakota Raabe and Kyle Betts each scored a goal. Idaho outshot Utah 43 to 24. Utah was 0 for 2 on the power play and 4 for 4 on the penalty kill.Game 2 – Utah 3 Idaho 2 – Trent Miner saved 29 of 31. Kyle Mayhew had 1 goal and 1 assist. Dylan Fitze and Tarun Fizer added goals. Utah was 1 for 4 on the power play and 4 for 4 on the penalty kill.Game 3 – Idaho 3 Utah 2 (Overtime) – Idaho’s Willie Knierim scored the game winner 26 seconds into overtime. Idaho outshot Utah 37 to 27. Idaho was 1 for 7 on the power play. Utah was 1 for 8. The Grizz scored 2 second period goals 28 seconds apart. Cameron Wright on the power play 8:16 in. Dylan Fitze scored from the left wing 8:44 in. Idaho got regulation goals from Wade Murphy and Colton Kehler.Game 4 – Idaho 6 Utah 5 (Overtime) – Idaho’s Ty Pelton-Byce scored the game winner 3:27 into overtime. AJ White had 2 goals and 1 assist to lead Idaho. The Steelheads got 1 goal and 1 assist performances from Jordan Kawaguchi and Wade Murphy. Byce had 2 goals. For Utah Cameron Wright had 1 goal & 3 assists and Kyle Betts had 1 goal & 2 assists. Keaton Jameson, Kyle Mayhew and Zach Tsekos added goals for Utah. Idaho outshot Utah 51 to 34. Utah was 2 for 4 on the power play and Idaho was 2 for 5.Game 5 – Idaho 3 Utah 2 (Overtime) – Willie Knierim scored the game winner 1:26 into overtime. Nolan Ritchie and Tarun Fizer each scored a goal for Utah. Justin Ducharme had 1 goal and 1 assist for Idaho. Both teams went 1 for 3 on the power play. Idaho outshot Utah 36 to 31. Idaho’s Adam Scheel saved 29 of 31. Utah’s Trent Miner stopped 33 of 36.Game 6 – Monday, May 1 at 7:10 p.m. MT at IdahoGame 7 – Tuesday, May 2 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho (If Necessary)

• Utah has outscored Idaho 15-14 in the first 5 games of the series. Utah has a goal from 11 different skaters.
• Utah is 5 for 21 on the power play and 19 for 23 on the penalty kill through 5 games.
• The Grizz outscored the Steelheads 5 to 3 in the third periods of the first 5 games.
• The team that has scored first has won 4 of the first 5 games in the set.
• Interesting Fact: Each of Idaho’s last 9 playoff wins against Utah have come in overtime. The last time Idaho defeated Utah in the playoffs in regulation was on April 23, 2010 when Idaho won 4-1 to sweep Utah 4 games to 0 in the second round. Utah has won 7 playoff games all-time against Idaho and all 7 were decided in regulation.

MATCH UP

Utah Grizzlies 2023 Kelly Cup Playoff Roster

Forwards (13): Kyle Betts, Brandon Cutler, Dylan Fitze, Tarun Fizer, Keaton Jameson, Jordan Martel, Mick Messner, Tyler Penner, Dakota Raabe, Nolan Ritchie, Zach Tsekos, Johnny Walker, Cameron Wright.

Defenseman (8): Brycen Martin, Luke Martin, Kyle Mayhew, Connor McDonald, Kyle Pouncy, James Shearer, Cory Thomas, Aaron Thow.

Goaltenders (3): Garrett Metcalf, Trent Miner, Lukas Parik. 

Trent Miner

Trent Miner has started all 5 games for Utah in the 2023 playoffs. Miner has a record of 2-0-3 with 1 shutout (Game 1 where he saved all 43 shots in a 3-0 win). Miner has a 2.75 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. Miner was named the Grizzlies team MVP for the 2022-2023 season. Last season in the playoffs Miner had a 7-6 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.80 goals against average. Miner is in the second season of a three-year NHL Entry deal with the Colorado Avalanche.

Balanced Scoring Attack for Utah

The Grizzlies scoring attack was very balanced in the first 5 games of the first round series. 10 Grizzlies skaters have 2 or more points in the series. Cameron Wright leads the way with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists). Kyle Betts has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists). Dylan Fitze. Tarun Fizer and Kyle Mayhew each have 2 goals for Utah in the series.

Utah’s Plus Performers of the Series

Defensemen Keaton Jameson and Kyle Mayhew are each a +4 for Utah in the playoffs. Tyler Penner and Aaron Thow are each a +3. 

2023 Utah Grizzlies Kelly Cup Playoffs Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 2-0-3

Home record: 0-0-3. Utah went 19-17 at home this season.

Road record: 1-0. Utah won 3 regular season games at Idaho Central Arena. Idaho was 25-1 at home vs teams other than Utah.

Win percentage: .400

Streak: Lost 3

Goals per game: 3.00 Goals for: 15

Goals against per game: 2.80  Goals Allowed: 14

Shots per game: 29.60

Shots against per game: 39.60

Power Play: 5 for 21 (23.8 %)

Penalty Kill: 19 for 23 (82.6 %) 

Penalty Minutes: 68. 13.60 per game.

Shorthanded Goals: 0

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 0 

Record When Scoring First: 2-0-1

Opposition Scores First: 0-0-2

Record in One Goal Games: 1-0-2

SCORING          1ST       2ND               3RD               OT/Shootout       TOTAL                     

Utah Grizzlies     6           4                      5                      0                               15        

Opposition           4           4                      3                      3                               14

Team Leaders (2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs)

Goals: Kyle Betts/Dylan Fitze/Tarun Fizer/Kyle Mayhew/Cameron Wright (2)

Assists: Wright (4)

Points: Wright (6)

Plus/Minus: Keaton Jameson/Mayhew (+4) 

PIM: Cameron Wright (13)

Power Play Points: Betts/Wright (3)

Power Play Goals: Fizer/Wright (2)

Power Play Assists: Betts/Nolan Ritchie (2)

Shots on Goal: Brandon Cutler (28) 

Shooting Percentage: Kyle Mayhew (2 for 3, 66.6 %)

Game Winning Goals: Fitze/Raabe (1)

Wins: Trent Miner (2)

Save %: Miner (.929).

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.75)

Shutouts: Miner (1)