Grizzlies Gameday: Last Friday Home Game of Regular Season

Grizzlies Gameday: Last Friday Home Game of the Regular Season 

Kansas City Mavericks (50-11-4-2, 106 points, .791 Win %) @ Utah Grizzlies (31-34-3, 65 points, .478 Win %) 

Date: April 5, 2024 Venue: Maverik Center Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming: FloHockey – https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11056503-2024-kansas-city-mavericks-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 a three-game series between the Grizzlies and Mavericks. It’s the 8^th of nine meetings this season between the clubs. For the Grizzlies it’s the fifth of a six game homestand. It’s the final homestand of the regular season. 2 of the final 4 games in the regular season will be at Maverik Center, where Utah is 21-11-2 on the season, outscoring teams 114 to 104. The Grizz are 17-1-1 at home when scoring first. Utah is 11-0 at home when leading after 1 period and 14-1 at home when leading after 2 frames. Utah is 8-1-2 at home in one-goal games. The Grizz have outscored opponents 48 to 33 in the third periods over their last 32 games.

Kyle Mayhew has a point in 7 of his last 8 games. Mayhew leads all league rookie defensemen with 54 points (15, 39 assists). Dylan Fitze has scored 11 goals and 8 assists over his last 19 games. Brandon Cutler has a point in 8 of his last 10 games (5 goals, 9 assists). Utah is 6-0-3 in games decided past regulation. Utah is 23-5-2 when scoring first this season.

It’s a potential first round playoff match-up in the Mountain Division playoffs as Kansas City clinched the division title on March 29^th. The Mavericks lead the league with a +98-goal differential on the season. They have 45 regulation wins this season, which leads the league. The next closest team in the league is Toledo with 37. 

The Mavericks are 27-3-2-1 on the road this season. On Wednesday night the Mavericks set a new league record for road victories in a single season. 

Games This Week

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 – Kansas City 5 Utah 1 – Utah’s Alex Beaucage scored 56 seconds into the game. Connor Mayer scored his first professional point with an assist. It was Mayer’s pro debut with Utah. KC responded with 5 unanswered goals. Jacob Hayhurst and Cade Borchardt each had 1 goal and 1 assist. KC outshot Utah 35 to 26. Mavericks were 1 for 3 on the power play. Utah was 0 for 1. 

Friday, April 5, 2024 – Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. AFCU Friday. 

Saturday, April 6, 2024 – Kansas City at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. Fan Appreciation Night presented by Les Schwab. 

Next Week’s Road Games 

Friday, April 12, 2024 – Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena. 

Saturday, April 13, 2024 – Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena. 

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

All Times Mountain. 

Grizzlies Player Notes 

#6 Connor Mayer made his pro debut on April 3 vs Kansas City and he registered an assist in his first pro shift. 

#7 Brett Stapley had 22 points (7g, 15a) in 14 games in March. The 22 points in March tied for the league lead with Kalamazoo's Erik Bradford. Stapley has a point in 18 of his last 27 games. Stapley leads Utah with 46 assists and 69 points. He leads Utah with 17 multiple point games.

#8 Luke Manning - Scored his first pro goal on March 29 vs Idaho. Manning has a goal in 2 of his last 3 games. 

#10 Mick Messner has 3 points (1g, 2a) in his last 3 games. Messner is tied for the league lead among rookies with 3 shorthanded goals.  

#13 Dylan Fitze has 11 goals and 9 assists in his last 20 games. Fitze has a point in 7 of his last 10 games (4g, 6a).

#20 Josh Wesley leads all league defensemen with 17.  Wesley leads all league defensemen with 7 power play goals. Wesley is 3^rd among league defenseman with 181 shots on goal. Wesley has 3 goals and 7 assists in his last 12 games.

#21 Tyler Penner has appeared in 212 consecutive regular season games for Utah, 236 if you include the playoffs. 

#24 Nathan Burke is 4^th on the club with 18 goals. 

#25 Cole Gallant has 9 points in 14 games in March (3g, 6a). Gallant has 7 different 2 assist games. Gallant is 3^rd on the club with 33 assists.

#26 Alex Beaucage scored 2 goals and 3 assists vs RC on March 8. Beaucage had 16 points (6g, 10a) in 13 games in March. Beaucage has 110 shots in 25 games. He has a point in 16 of his 25 games with Utah. Beaucage was the league’s Player of the Week for March 4-10, 2024.

#27 Kyle Mayhew had 19 points in 13 games in March (7g, 12a).  Mayhew leads all league rookie defenseman with 54 points (15g, 39a). The 15 goals are tied for 2nd in the league among league defensemen. Mayhew is 3rd among league rookies with 17 power play assists. Mayhew has a point in 7 of his last 8 games. 

#29 Brandon Cutler has 21 points in 14 games in March (9g, 12a). He has a point in 12 of his last 15 games and 2 or more points in 6 of his last 15 games. Cutler is 2^nd in the league with 254 shots on goal and is tied for 3rd with 33 goals. Cutler leads Utah with 9 power play goals. Cutler has 15 multiple point games this season. 

Grizzlies Team Notes 

Utah went 7-5-2 in the month of March. They scored 52 goals in 14 games in March. It was the third straight month where Utah had a .500 point percentage or better. The Grizzlies are home for 2 of their last 4 games. Utah has won 13 of their last 20 home games (13-5-2 record). Utah is 21-11-2 at home this season, outscoring opponents 114 to 104. Utah is averaging 6,620 fans per game over their last 22 home games. Utah has had 8 home games with over 7,600 fans. Utah is averaging 5,867 fans per game and is on pace for their largest average attendance since the 2002-03 season when the Grizz averaged 6353 fans per game when the club was in the AHL. Utah is 6-3 in games past regulation this season. Utah is 23-5-2 when scoring first this season. Utah has scored 5 shorthanded goals this season. Utah is 16-2 when leading after 1 period and 18-2-1 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 12-0 at home when leading after 1 period. Utah has outscored opponents 48 to 33 in the third periods over their last 32 games. The Grizz are 10-12-1 in their last 23 road games. 

Scoreboard Watching

Utah is currently tied with Tulsa for third place in the Mountain division. The Grizz have a 4-point lead over fifth place Allen. 

Tied for 3^rd. Utah – 67 games played, 31-34-3 record – 65 points. 4 games left (2 home vs Kansas City, 2 away at Idaho). 

Tied for 3^rd. Tulsa – 66 games played, 29-30-6-1 record – 65 Points. 6 games left (2 home, 4 away). (3 vs Wichita – 1 home 2 away. 3 vs Allen – 1 home 2 away). 

5^th. Allen – 66 games played, 29-34-2-1 record – 61 Points. 6 games left, 5 home, 1 away ( 3 vs Adirondack, 3 vs Tulsa – 2 home, 1 away). 

6^th. Rapid City – 67 games played, 27-36-4 record – 58 Points. 5 games left, 3 home, 2 away (2 at Idaho, 3 vs Wichita). 

7. Wichita – 66 games played, 24-33,8-1 record – 57 Points. 6 games left, 2 home, 4 away (3 vs Tulsa – 2 home, 1 away, 3 at Rapid City). 

March Offensive Stars 

Utah had a record of 7-5-2 in March. It is the third straight month where the Grizzlies have a .500 or better point percentage. The Grizzlies have had a good offensive month, scoring 52 goals in 14 games (3.71 goals per game). Brett Stapley was tied with Kalamazoo’s Erik Bradford for a tie among league skaters with 22 points in March. Stapley is also tied with 2 other skaters for the league lead with 15 assists in March. Brandon Cutler had 8 goals and 13 assists in March and Dylan Fitze had 7 goals in March. Kyle Mayhew had 19 points in March (7 goals, 12 assists) and ended the month with a point in 7 straight games. 

Grizzlies March 2024 Team Leaders

Points: Brett Stapley (22). 

Goals: Brandon Cutler (9) 

Assists: Stapley (15) – Tied for league lead in March. 

Shots: Alex Beaucage/Cutler (55) 

Plus/Minus: Fitze (+7). 

Grizzlies Sign Defenseman Connor Mayer

The Utah Grizzlies have signed defenseman Connor Mayer. Mayer played at Colorado College for 5 seasons from 2019-2024. In the 2023-24 season he tied for the team lead in plus/minus among defenseman at +11. He appeared in 159 games at Colorado College, where he scored 32 points (7 goals, 25 assists). Mayer was a member of the NCHC all-academic team for four straight seasons from 2021-24. Mayer majored in Economics at CC. Mayer is a native of Champlin, Minnesota. He made his professional debut on April 3^rd vs Kansas City and had 1 assist.

Mountain Division Champion Kansas City Mavericks 

Kansas City leads the league in goals per game at 4.24 and they are 3^rd in goals allowed per game at 2.78. The Mavericks have outscored opponents 111 to 55 in the third period this season. Kansas City is 27-3-2-1 on the road this season. They are led by Patrick Curry, who is 2^nd in the league in goals (36) and points (80). Max Andreev is 4^th in the league with 51 assists. Nolan Walker has a 32.3 shooting percentage on the season (32 goals on 99 shots). 

MOST ROAD WINS, ONE SEASON
27 – Kansas City Mavericks, 2023-24
26 – Idaho Steelheads, 2022-23
– Toledo Walleye, 2022-23
– Florida Everblades, 2017-18
– Cincinnati Cyclones, 2007-08
– Texas Wildcatters, 2007-08
– Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
25 – eight times, most recent:
South Carolina Stingrays, 2019-20 (season was not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic).

Grizzlies Among League Leaders 

Brandon Cutler is tied for 4^th in the league with 33 goals this season. He is 2^nd in shots on goal with 256.

Brett Stapley is tied for 9th in the league with 69 points (23 goals, 46 assists). The 46 assists are tied for 8^th best in the league. 

Josh Wesley leads the league in goals among defensemen with 17. Wesley leads all league defensemen with 7 power play goals and is 3^rd among defensemen with 181 shots on goal. Kyle Mayhew is tied 4^th among league defensemen with 54 points. The 51 points for Mayhew lead all rookie defensemen. Mayhew is 3^rd among league rookies with 17 power play assists.

Brandon Cutler Joins Grizzlies 30 Goal Club 

Brandon Cutler scored his 30^th goal of the season on March 18^th vs Norfolk. Cutler is the first Grizzly to reach 30-plus goals since Caleb Herbert tallied 32 goals for the 2018-19 club. Current Grizzlies Head Coach Ryan Kinasewich is the only player to have multiple 30 plus goal seasons in team history. 

Grizzlies Single Season Goals Leaders

Ryan Kinasewich – 48 (2009-10). 

Kinasewich – 39 (2005-06). 

Kip Miller – 38 (1997-98). 

Mark Lawrence – 36 (1997-98). 

Brett Lievers – 36 (1995-96). 

John Purves – 36 (1999-2000). 

Brandon Cutler – 33 (2023-24). 

Caleb Herbert – 32 (2018-19). 

Tom May– 31 (2008-09). 

Sean Tallaire – 31 (1999-2000). 

Brad Lauer – 31 (1998-99). 

Paul McIlveen – 30 (2011-12). 

AJ Perry – 30 (2009-10). 

Great Crowds at Maverik Center 

A big crowd of 8562 on Military Night saw the Grizzlies win a 5-4 overtime thriller. It was the 6^th time this season the Grizzlies had a crowd of over 8000. Utah has had 8 games with over 7600 fans at Maverik Center. For the season Utah is averaging 5,867 fans per game and they are on pace to have the largest average attendance since the 2002-03 season when the AHL’s Grizzlies averaged 6,353 per game. 

Utah Has Had Success at Home

The Grizzlies will be home for 2 of their final 4 games of the 2023-24 regular season. The Grizzlies are 21-11-2 at home this season. They have outscored opponents 114 to 104 at Maverik Center this season. 44 of Utah’s 65 standings points have come at home. Utah’s penalty kill is tied for 8^th in the league at home (86 for 105, 81.9 %). Utah is 11-0 at home when leading after 1 period and 14-1 when leading after 2 periods. The Grizz are 8-1-2 at home in one goal games. Utah is 17-1-1 at home when scoring first. 

Players Who Have Appeared in Every Game 

There are 3 players who have appeared in all 68 games for the Grizzlies this season. They are forwards Brandon Cutler, Mick Messner and Tyler Penner. 

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

Overall record: 31-34-3

Home record: 21-11-2 

Road record: 10-23-1 

Win percentage: .478

Streak: Lost 1.   

Standings Points: 65

Last 10: 5-4-1

Goals per game: 3.19 (Tied 14^th) Goals for: 217

Goals against per game: 3.63 (23^rd) Goals Against: 247

Shots per game: 31.54 (12^th) 

Shots against per game: 33.71 (23^rd) 

Power Play: 44 for 220 – 20.0 % (13^th)

Penalty Kill: 159 for 213 – 74.6 % (28^th) 

Penalty Minutes: 724. 10.41 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 5. 

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 7. 

Record When Scoring First: 23-5-2. 

Opposition Scores First: 8-29-1. 

Record in One Goal Games: 12-9-3. 

Games Decided Past Regulation: 6-0-3

Team Leaders 

Goals: Brandon Cutler (33)  

Assists: Brett Stapley (46) 

Points: Stapley (69) 

Plus/Minus: Bryan Yoon (+11) 

PIM: Cutler (77) 

Power Play Points: Kyle Mayew/Stapley (21) 

Power Play Goals: Brandon Cutler (9) 

Power Play Assists: Mayhew (17) 

Shots on Goal: Cutler (256) – 2^nd in the league. 

Shooting Percentage: Nathan Burke (14.3 %) - Minimum 55 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: Cutler (5) 

Wins: Dante Giannuzzi (13) 

Save %: Trent Miner (.917) 

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.75) 

Shutouts: Giannuzzi/Garrett Metcalf (1)