Grizzlies Gameday: Friday Night Showdown vs the Rush

Grizzlies Gameday: Friday Night Showdown at Maverik Center 

Rapid City Rush (17-20-2, 36 points, .462 Win %) @ Utah Grizzlies (16-22, 32 points, .421 Win %) 

Date: January 26, 2024  Venue: Maverik Center

Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming/TV: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11054707-2024-rapid-city-rush-vs-utah-grizzlies?nav_id=75 

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

Friday’s Matchup

It’s the second of nine meetings this season between the Grizzlies and Rush. Utah has now won 4 in a row against Rapid City dating back to last January. Utah was 5-3-2 vs Rapid City in the 2022-23 season. The Grizz are 8-5 in their last 13 games. Utah has been led by Brett Stapley, who has a point in 12 of his last 13 games. Stapley leads Utah in assists (25) and points (34). 2024 All-Star Kyle Mayhew has a point in 10 of his last 12 games. Dylan Fitze has 5 goals in 10 games in January. Cole Gallant has 8 assists in 10 games in January. 

Rapid City is led by Alex Aleardi, who has 38 points this season (13 goals, 25 assists). Blake Bennett leads the Rush with 16 goals and is 3^rd on the team with 28 points. 

Games This Week

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 – Rapid City 2 Utah 4 – Trent Miner stopped 32 of 34 for Utah. Mick Messner had 2 assists. Alex Beaucage, Adam Berg, Tyler Penner and Ryan Sandelin each scored a goal for Utah. James Hardie and Logan Nelson had the Rush goals. Utah outshot RC 38 to 34. 

Friday, January 26, 2024 – Rapid City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. AFCU Friday. 

Saturday, January 27, 2024 – Rapid City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Guns N Hoses Night. 

All Times Mountain. 

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

Games Next Week

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 – Utah at Kansas City. 6:05 pm. Cable Dahmer Arena. 

Friday, February 2, 2024 – Utah at Tulsa. 6:05 pm. BOK Center. 

Saturday, February 3, 2024 – Utah at Tulsa. 6:05 pm. BOK Center. 

Sunday, February 4, 2024 – Utah at Tulsa. 3:05 pm. BOK Center. 

Recent Transactions: Grizzlies Get Beaucage, Miner, Sandelin and Wesley From AHL’s Colorado Eagles 

January 24 – Goaltender Trent Miner and forwards Alex Beaucage and Ryan Sandelin were reassigned to Utah from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. 

January 24 – Grizzlies release defenseman Sam Rossini. He had an assist in each of his 2 games with Utah. 

Miner has appeared in 10 games with Utah this season and has a .914 save percentage and a 2.72 goals against average. In 11 games with Colorado he has a 4-4-1 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.51 GAA. 

Beaucage played in 126 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles over a 3 year stretch, scoring 13 goals and 26 assists. This season for Colorado he has 1 goal and 6 assists in 21 games. Beaucage scored a goal and had 6 shots on goal in Utah’s 4-2 win over Rapid City on January 24. 

Sandelin has played in 5 games with Utah this season and has 1 goal and 2 assists. In 20 games with Colorado he has 3 goals, 2 assists and a +6 rating. 

January 22 – Grizzlies captain Josh Wesley was reassigned to Utah from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Wesley is tied for the league lead for goals among defenseman with 8. 

January 19 – Grizzlies claimed forward Jordan Stallard off waivers from Kansas City. Stallard made his Grizzlies debut on January 19 at KC, wearing number 54. 

January 19 – Grizzlies sign defenseman Sam Rossini. He played at the University of Minnesota for 5 seasons from 2017-2022. Rossini had 1 assist in each of his first 2 pro games at Kansas City (Jan. 19-20). 

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 +9 in his last 9 games. 

Grizzlies Player Notes

Brett Stapley has a point in 12 of his last 13 games. Stapley leads Utah in assists (25), points (34) 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 9 of his last 12 games (1g, 8a). Mayhew is 2^nd among all league rookie defensemen with 23 points. 

Josh Wesley is tied for 2nd for goals among defensemen (8). He is 3^rd among league defenseman with 110 shots on goal. 

Brandon Cutler leads Utah with 15 goals, 53 penalty minutes, 4 power play goals and 139 shots on goal. He also leads Utah with 3 game winning goals, including the OT GWG at Kansas City on January 20. 

Cole Gallant is 2^nd on the club with 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists). Gallant leads Utah with 8 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 102 shots on goal. Messner leads all league rookies with 3 shorthanded goals.

Tyler Penner has appeared in 182 straight regular season games, 206 if you include the playoffs. Penner had 3 assists at Allen on January 10. He has 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 10 games in January. Penner got the game winning goal 10:30 into the second period on Jan. 24. 

Dylan Fitze scored the game winner 5:09 into overtime on Jan. 5 at Newfoundland. Fitze has 5 goals and 3 assists in 10 games in January. 

Adam Berg has a point in 5 of his last 6 games (3g, 2a). Berg has 8 points (4g, 4a) in his last 8 games.

Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Notes

Utah is 11-3 when scoring first and 9-0 when scoring first at home. Utah is 12-6 at home this season, outscoring opponents 61 to 49. Utah has 5 shorthanded goals this season. Utah outshot its opponents 419 to 347 in the third period. Utah is 9-2 when leading after 1 period and 11-2 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 8 of their last 13 games. Utah is 2-0 in overtime this season. The 2 games past regulation are the fewest in the league. The Grizz went 4-5 on their season long 9 game road trip to start the 2024 calendar year. 

Outstanding Crowds at Maverik Center

Utah had a season high crowd of 7681 at Maverik Center on December 29^th vs Tulsa. On December 30^th a crowd of 7346 saw Utah won 5-2. Over the last 6 home games Utah has a combined crowd of 38,218, an average of 6,369 per game. For the season Utah is averaging 5,114 fans per game. 

Tyler Penner the Ironman 

Forward Tyler Penner scored the game winner 10:30 into the second period of Utah’s 4-2 victory over Rapid City on January 24. Penner has been an ironman for the Grizzlies as he has appeared in every game for the club since the start of the 2021-22 season. He has played in 182 straight regular season games and 206 if you include the 24 playoff games he has appeared in over the past 2 seasons. Penner has 30 goals and 38 assists in his Grizzlies career.

Players Who Have Appeared in Every Game 

There are 4 players who have appeared in all 38 games for the Grizzlies this season. They include forwards Brandon Cutler, Cole Gallant, Mick Messner and Tyler Penner. Defenseman Bryan Yoon missed a game for the first time this season on January 19 at Kansas City as he was loaned to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack on Jan. 19. 

Grizzlies/Rush Connections 

Grizzlies head coach Ryan Kinasewich and Rush head coach Scott Burt were teammates on the 2007-08 Utah squad. Both players were tied for the Grizzlies lead with 60 points on the season. Kinasewich had 23 goals and 37 assists in 44 games and Burt had 27 goals and 33 assists in 70 games. 

Grizzlies defenseman Quinn Wichers played with Rapid City for 2 seasons from 2021-2023. In 93 games he had 3 goals, 17 assists and 39 penalty minutes for the Rush. This season with Utah he has 2 goals and 5 assists in 18 games. 

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

Overall record: 16-22

Home record: 12-6

Road record: 4-16

Win percentage: .421

Streak: Won 2

Standings Points: 32

Last 10: 5-5

Goals per game: 2.95 (23^rd) Goals for: 112

Goals against per game: 3.50 (20^th) Goals Against: 133

Shots per game: 31.76 (12^th)

Shots against per game: 33.18 (21^st)

Power Play: 19 for 125 – 15.2 % (27^th)

Penalty Kill: 89 for 123 – 72.4 % (28^th)

Penalty Minutes: 444. 11.68 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 5. 

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 4.   

Record When Scoring First: 11-3. 

Opposition Scores First: 5-19. 

Record in One Goal Games: 6-7. 

SCORING         1ST       2ND               3RD               OT/Shootout      TOTAL                      

Utah Grizzlies     28         45                   37                   2                              112

Opposition          41         49                   43                   0                               133

Team Leaders 

Goals: Brandon Cutler (15) 

Assists: Brett Stapley (25)

Points: Stapley (34)

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 (139) 

Shooting Percentage: Adam Berg (17.6 %) - Minimum 34 shots.   

Game Winning Goals: Cutler (3) 

Wins: Dante Giannuzzi (7)

Save %: Trent Miner (.914) 

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.72) 

Shutouts: Giannuzzi/Metcalf (1)

Streaks 

Goals: Adam Berg (2) Alex Beaucage, Tyler Penner, Ryan Sandelin (1) 

Assists: Brett Stapley, Keoni Texeira (2) Brandon Cutler, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Kyle Mayhew, Mick Messner (1)

Points (2 or more) – Berg, Cutler, Fitze, Penner, Stapley, Texeira (2).