Grizzlies Gameday: First Meeting vs Kansas City This Season

Grizzlies Gameday: First Meeting vs Kansas City This Season

Utah Grizzlies (14-21, 28 points, .400 Win %) @ Kansas City Mavericks (26-7-1, 53 points, .779 Win %) 

Date: January 19, 2024  Venue: Cable Dahmer Arena

Game Time: 6:35 pm. 

Streaming/TV: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11054625-2024-utah-grizzlies-vs-kansas-city-mavericks 

Audio/Radio: Utah Grizzlies YouTube channel. - https://www.youtube.com/@THEUTAHGRIZZLIES

Friday’s Matchup

It’s the first of nine meeting this season between the Grizzlies and Mavericks. Utah was 7-1 vs Kansas City in the 2022-23 season. The Grizzlies are 3-4 on the current nine game road trip. The Grizz have played good hockey as of late as they are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Utah has been led by Brett Stapley, who has a point in 10 straight games (6 goals, 8 assists). 2024 All-Star Kyle Mayhew has a point in 7 of his last 9 games. Adam Berg has a point in 3 straight games. Kansas City is on a current 9 game winning streak and they are in first place in the Mountain Division with 53 standings points and a .779 points percentage. The Mavericks are 4^th in the league in goals per game (3.97) and they lead the league in goals allowed per game (2.68). 

Games Last Week

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 – Utah 4 Allen 5 – Dakota Raabe had 2 goals and Tyler Penner had 3 assists to lead the Utah attack. Both teams had 41 shots on goal. Trent Miner saved 36 of 41 for Utah. Allen’s Leevi Merilainen stopped 37 of 41. Allen got 2 goals from Grant Hebert and 1 goal and 1 assist from Hank Crone & Mikael Robidoux. 

Friday, January 12, 2024 – Utah 6 Allen 2 - Dylan Fitze had 2 goals and 1 assist. Brett Stapley had 2 goals. Adam Berg and Josh Wesley added goals for Utah. Grizz outshot the Americans 29 to 27. Utah went 1 for 4 on the power play and 2 for 2 on the penalty kill. Dante Giannuzzi got the win in net as he stopped 25 of 27. Cole Gallant had 2 assists. 

Saturday, January 13, 2024 – Utah 4 Allen 2 – Utah overcame a 2-1 second intermission deficit as they scored 3 unanswered goals in the third period. Bryan Yoon, Mick Messner, Adam Berg and Josh Wesley each scored a goal for the Grizz. Nathan Burke and Jacob Semik each had 2 assists. Messner’s goal was his 3^rd shorthanded goal of the season. Utah’s Will Cranley saved 30 of 32 in the win. Utah outshot Allen 22 to 5 in the third period and 46 to 32 for the game. The 46 shots are the 3^rd most for Utah in a game this season. 

Sunday, January 14, 2024 – Utah 3 Wichita 6 – Michal Stinil had 3 goals and 1 assist to lead Wichita. Utah got goals from Brandon Cutler, Brett Stapley and Quinn Wichers. Adam Berg and Bryan Yoon each had 2 assists. Utah outshot Wichita 45 to 26. The Grizzlies did not commit a single penalty in the game. Utah was 0 for 1 on the power play. 

Games This Week

Friday, January 19, 2024 – Utah at Kansas City. 6:35 pm. Cable Dahmer Arena. 

Saturday, January 20, 2024 – Utah at Kansas City. 5:05 pm. Cable Dahmer Arena. 

All Times Mountain. 

Tickets for every Grizzlies home game are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000. 

Recent Transactions: Bryan Yoon Loaned to Hartford 

January 19 – Grizzlies claim forward Jordan Stallard off waivers. Stallard had played in 5 games with the Kansas City Mavericks. 

January 19 – Grizzlies sign defenseman Sam Rossini. He will wear number 40 for Utah. 

January 18 – Defenseman Bryan Yoon was loaned to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Yoon leads the Grizzlies with a +11 rating and is a +10 in his last 9 games. 

January 17 – Grizzlies defenseman Josh Wesley reassigned to Colorado (AHL). Wesley has 8 goals, which are tied for the league lead among defenseman. 

January 14 – Grizzlies release defenseman Zane Schartz – He played in 2 games with Utah and had 1 assist. 

January 11 – Gianni Fairbrother and Trent Miner Recalled to Colorado. 

Kyle Mayhew Represented Grizzlies at All-Star Classic

Grizzlies defenseman Kyle Mayhew scored 1 goal in the 2024 All-Star Classic where team ECHL defeated the Savannah Ghost Pirates 18-11 on January 15^th. 

Grizzlies Player Notes

Brett Stapley has a current 10 game point streak, where he has 14 points in 10 games (6 goals, 8 assists). Stapley leads Utah in assists (23), points (32) and multiple point games (8). He also leads Utah forwards with 9 power play points (3 goals, 6 assists).

Kyle Mayhew has a point in 7 of his last 9 games (1g, 6a).  Mayhew is tied for 3rd among all league defensemen with 7 goals. Mayhew is 2^nd among all league rookie defensemen with 21 points. He is tied for the club lead with 9 power play points (2 goals, 7 assists). Mayhew is going to the 2024 All-Star Classic in Savannah, Georgia.

Josh Wesley is tied for the league lead for goals among defenseman (8). Wesley has 4 goals in his last 8 games. He leads Utah in shots on goal in January with 33. Wesley has a power play point in 4 of his last 9 games.  

Brandon Cutler leads Utah with 13 goals, 53 penalty minutes and 129 shots on goal. 

Cole Gallant is 2^nd on the club with 26 points (7 goals, 19 assists). Gallant leads Utah with 6 assists in the month of January. 

Mick Messner is tied for 2^nd on the club with 10 goals. He is 3^rd on the club with 94 shots on goal. Messner leads all league rookies with 3 shorthanded goals.

Tyler Penner has appeared in 179 straight regular season games, 203 if you include the playoffs. Penner had 3 assists at Allen on January 10. He has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 7 games in January.

Dylan Fitze scored the game winner 5:09 into overtime on Jan. 5 at Newfoundland. Fitze has 4 goals in 7 games in January. 

Dakota Raabe scored 2 goals at Allen on Jan. 10. Raabe had 2 goals and 5 assists vs Allen this season. 

Will Cranley got his second win in a Utah uniform on January 13 as he saved 30 of 32.

Star Performers on the Road Trip

The Grizzlies are 3-4 on the current nine-game road trip. There have been many great individual performances on the trip. Brett Stapley has a point in all 7 games as his point streak is now at 10 games. Stapley leads Utah with 8 games on the road trip (4 goals, 4 assists). Dylan Fitze leads Utah with 4 goals. Josh Wesley has 3 goals and he leads Utah with 33 shots in the last 7 contests. Cole Gallant leads Utah with 6 assists in the 7 games. Bryan Yoon has the best plus/minus in January at +7. 12 different Grizzlies players have scored a goal in the 7 games. 

Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Notes

Utah is 10-3 when scoring first and 9-0 when scoring first at home. Utah is 11-6 at home this season, outscoring opponents 57 to 47. Utah has 5 shorthanded goals this season. Utah outshot its opponents 387 to 320 in the third period. Utah is 8-2 when leading after 1 period and 10-2 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is averaging 6,801 fans over their last 5 home games. Utah is 10-7 when scoring a power play goal this season. Utah has won 6 of their last 10 games. They appeared in overtime for the first time all season on January 5 at Newfoundland and they won 4-3 on a Dylan Fitze game winner. Utah is 1-0 in overtime this season.  

2023-2024 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals (league rankings) 

Overall record: 14-21

Home record: 11-6

Road record: 3-15

Win percentage: .400

Streak: Lost 1

Standings Points: 28

Last 10: 6-4

Goals per game: 2.91 (Tied 25^th) Goals for: 102

Goals against per game: 3.40 (17^th) Goals Against: 119

Shots per game: 31.94 (12^th)

Shots against per game: 33.11 (20^th)

Power Play: 19 for 117 – 16.2 % (25^th)

Penalty Kill: 78 for 108 – 72.2 % (28^th)

Penalty Minutes: 407. 11.97 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 5. 

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 4.   

Record When Scoring First: 10-3. 

Opposition Scores First: 4-18. 

Record in One Goal Games: 5-7. 

SCORING         1ST       2ND               3RD               OT/Shootout      TOTAL                      

Utah Grizzlies     25         41                   35                   1                              102

Opposition          37         43                   39                   0                               119

Team Leaders 

Goals: Brandon Cutler (13) 

Assists: Brett Stapley (23)

Points: Stapley (32)

Plus/Minus: Bryan Yoon (+11)

PIM: Cutler (53)

Power Play Points: Kyle Mayhew/Stapley (9)

Power Play Goals: Cutler (4) 

Power Play Assists: Mayhew (7) 

Shots on Goal: Cutler (129) 

Shooting Percentage: Cole Gallant (13.0 %) - Minimum 35 shots.   

Game Winning Goals: Cutler/Dylan Fitze/Stapley/Josh Wesley (2) 

Wins: Dante Giannuzzi (6)

Save %: Miner (.911) 

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.80) 

Shutouts: Giannuzzi/Metcalf (1)

Utah Grizzlies Roster

Forwards (14): Aaron Aragon, Adam Berg, Nathan Burke J.C. Campagna, Cody Caron, Brandon Cutler, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Mick Messner, Tyler Penner, Dakota Raabe, Jordan Stallard, Brett Stapley, Dean Yakura. 

Defenseman (8): Kade Jensen, Kyle Mayhew, Sam Rossini, Jacob Semik, Jordon Stone, Keoni Texeira, Michael Underwood, Quinn Wichers. 

Goaltenders (3): Will Cranley, Dante Giannuzzi, Garrett Metcalf.