Grizzlies Gameday: Homestand Continues vs Rapid City

Grizzlies Gameday: Saturday Night Battle at Maverik Center 

Rapid City Rush (21-33-2, 44 points, .393 Win %) @ Utah Grizzlies (25-29-2, 52 points, .464 Win %) 

Date: March 9, 2024  Venue: Maverik Center

Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming/TV: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11055226-2024-rapid-city-rush-vs-utah-grizzlies?nav_id=75 

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

Saturday’s Matchup

It’s the second of a three-game series between the Grizzlies and Rush. Utah is 3-0-1 vs Rapid City this season. Brandon Cutler leads the Grizzlies in goals (26) and shots on goal (210). Kyle Mayhew is tied for the league lead among all rookie defenseman with 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists). Mayhew has a point in 4 straight games. Dylan Fitze scored 7 goals in the recently completed 7 game road trip. The Grizz are 18-3-1 when scoring first this season. Rapid City’s leading scorer is Alex Aleardi, who has 20 goals and 35 assists in 56 games this season. 

Games This Homestand 

Friday, March 8, 2024 – Rapid City 3 Utah 2 (Overtime) – Nathan Burke had 1 goal and 1 assist. Kyle Mayhew had 1 goal for Utah. Utah outshot Rapid City 46 to 38. Rapid City got goals from Blake Bennett, Keanu Yamamoto and Logan Nelson. Nelson scored the game winner 3:20 into OT. Rush goaltender Connor Murphy saved 44 of 46. Utah’s Will Cranley stopped 35 of 38. It was the first time this season the Grizzlies played past regulation at home. 

Saturday, March 9, 2024 – Rapid City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. 

Monday, March 11, 2024 – Rapid City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Smith’s Family Night. 

Saturday, March 16, 2024 – Norfolk at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Military Night. 

Sunday, March 17, 2024 – Norfolk at Utah. 3:10 pm. Maverik Center. 

Monday, March 18, 2024 – Norfolk at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Smith’s Family Night. Tickets for Grizzlies home games are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000. 

All Times Mountain. 

Grizzlies Among League Leaders

Brandon Cutler is 3^rd in the league with 210 shots on goal. Cutler is 7^th in the league with 26 goals. Josh Wesley is tied for the league lead for goals among defensemen with 14. Wesley leads league defensemen with 6 power play goals and is 3^rd among defensemen with 145 shots on goal. Kyle Mayhew is tied for fourth among league defensemen with 41 points. Mayhew is tied with Jonny Tychonick with 41 points for the league lead for points among rookie d-men. 

Tyler Penner Appeared in his 200^th Straight Regular Season Game 

Grizzlies ironman Tyler Penner appeared in his 200^th straight regular season game on March 8 vs Rapid City. Penner has 33 goals and 39 assists in his Grizzlies career. It’s also his 200^th career league game. Penner is in his third season with the Grizzlies. He played with the Birmingham Bulls in the SPHL in the 2020-21 season. Penner played his college hockey at Colgate University from 2016-2020. 

Utah Has Had Success at Home

The Grizzlies will be home for 11 of their final 16 games of the 2023-24 regular season. The Grizzlies are 16-8-1 at home this season. They have outscored opponents 82 to 68 at Maverik Center this season. 33 of Utah’s 52 standings points have come at home. Utah’s penalty kill is 8^th in the league at home (58 for 71, 81.7 %). Utah is 9-0 at home when leading after 1 period and 11-1 when leading after 2 periods. The Grizz are 5-1-1 at home in one goal games. 

What a Turnaround for the Grizzlies

At the Christmas break the Grizzlies had a record of 8-17 and were in last place in the Mountain Division. Since Christmas Utah is 17-12-2 over a 31-game stretch and they are 1 point behind Allen for fourth place in the Mountain division.  

Outstanding Home Crowds at Maverik Center 

On March 8^th a crowd of 7458 saw Utah’s 3-2 OT loss vs Rapid City A season high crowd of 10,498 saw the Grizzlies Defeated Rapid City 4-2 on January 27. Utah has averaged 7,182 fans per game over their last 13 home games. For the season Utah is averaging 5,888 fans per game. The Grizzlies are on pace to have their best average attendance since the 2002-03 season where the AHL’s Utah Grizzlies averaged 6353 fans per game. 

Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Notes 

The Grizzlies are home for 11 of their last 16 games. Utah has won 8 of their last 11 home games. Utah is 16 -8-1 at home this season, outscoring opponents 82 to 68. Utah is averaging 7,182 fans per game over their last 13 home games. Utah has had 6 home games with over 7,600 fans.  Utah is 4-2 in games past regulation this season. Utah is 18-3-1 when scoring first this season. Utah has scored 5 shorthanded goals this season. Utah is 14-2 when leading after 1 period and 15-2-1 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 9-0 at home when leading after 1 period. Utah has outscored opponents 31 to 20 in the third periods over their last 20 games. The Grizz are 9-10-1 in their last 20 road games.

Recent Transactions: 

March 9 – Grizzlies released forward Jeremiah Addison. He had 1 goal and 1 assist in 6 games with Utah. 

March 4 – Defenseman Josh Wesley was reassigned to Utah from Colorado (AHL). 

February 26 – Goaltender Arvid Holm and Defenseman Josh Wesley were each recalled to Colorado (AHL). 

February 23 – Defenseman Keoni Texeira released from loan with San Jose (AHL), returns to Grizz. 

February 19 – Defenseman Josh Wesley reassigned to Utah from Colorado (AHL). 

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

Overall record: 25-29-2 

Home record: 16-8-1 

Road record: 9-21-1 

Win percentage: .464 

Streak: Lost 1

Standings Points: 52

Last 10: 4-5-1

Goals per game: 3.14 (Tied 17^th) Goals for: 176

Goals against per game: 3.57 (22^nd) Goals Against: 200

Shots per game: 31.45 (15^th) 

Shots against per game: 34.14 (23^rd) 

Power Play: 32 for 170 – 18.8 % (Tied 18^th) 

Penalty Kill: 126 for 172 – 73.3 % (28^th) 

Penalty Minutes: 572. 10.21 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 5. 

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 5. 

Record When Scoring First: 18-3-1. 

Opposition Scores First: 7-26-1. 

Record in One Goal Games: 9-7-2. 

Team Leaders 

Goals: Brandon Cutler (26) 

Assists: Brett Stapley (35) 

Points: Stapley (52) 

Plus/Minus: Bryan Yoon (+11) 

PIM: Cutler (67) 

Power Play Points: Kyle Mayhew (15) 

Power Play Goals: Brandon Cutler/Josh Wesley (6) 

Power Play Assists: Mayhew (13) 

Shots on Goal: Cutler (210) – 3^rd in the league. 

Shooting Percentage: Nathan Burke (14.8 %) - Minimum 50 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: Cutler/Stapley (4) 

Wins: Dante Giannuzzi (11) 

Save %: Trent Miner (.917) 

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.75) 

Shutouts: Giannuzzi/Garrett Metcalf (1) 

Multiple Point Games 

12 – Brett Stapley 

11 – Cole Gallant. 

10 – Brandon Cutler. 

8 – Nathan Burke. 

7 – Mick Messner. 

6 - Dylan Fitze. 

5 – Kyle Mayhew, Josh Wesley. 

3 – Aaron Aragon, Adam Berg, Dakota Raabe, Bryan Yoon. 

2- Alex Beaucage, Kyle Betts, Jordan Martel, Jacob Semik. 

1 – Jeremiah Addison, J.C. Campagna, Gianni Fairbrother, Tyler Penner, Ryan Sandelin, Robbie Stucker, Keoni Texeira, Dean Yakura. 

Streaks 

Goals: Kyle Mayhew (2) Nathan Burke (1) 

Assists: Alex Beaucage, Burke, Cole Gallant (1)

Points (2 or more) –Mayhew (4) 

Utah Grizzlies Roster

Forwards (13): Aaron Aragon, Alex Beaucage, Adam Berg, Nathan Burke, Cody Caron, Brandon Cutler, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Mick Messner, Max Neill, Tyler Penner, Brett Stapley, Dean Yakura. 

Defenseman (10): Cody Corbett, Kade Jensen, Kyle Mayhew, Jacob Semik, Jordon Stone, Robbie Stucker, Keoni Texeira, Michael Underwood, Josh Wesley, Quinn Wichers. 

Goaltenders (2): Will Cranley, Dante Giannuzzi.