In game two of the Tulsa series, and the battle for second place in the Mountain Division, the roster remained the same, as did the lines.
First Period
- Eric Freschi getting manhandled in the corner, not sure it’s penalty worthy, but not sure it’s not penalty worthy…
- Ick. Not sure about that defensive coverage there. 1-0 Tulsa.
- Good response from Utah though. Strong shift in the offensive zone.
- Taylor Richart with a nice move to strip the puck from an Oilers player and start a rush up ice.
- Josh Dickinson draws a power play!
- MCGAULEY GOAL!! Fitzpatrick bit on Caleb Herbert, and Tim McGauley made good on the cross-crease pass.
- Teigan Zahn taking his sweeeeeeet time behind the Utah net, haha.
- Another Utah power play, but it’s negated.
- Jake Marchment and Ryan Walters counter-punching short-handed is always great to see.
- Taylor Richart is free with no official shots allowed on the PK!
- Mike Economos with the hustle.
- They’ve flipped the script in shots tonight, sort of. After 20 shots are 20-7 for the Grizzlies, score 1-1.
Second Period
- LOTS OF PENALTIES.
- Or just one. That’s anticlimactic. On the other hand, we’ll take the power play.
- Austin Carroll doing what he does best, creating chaos. A little too much chaos there though, and he’s off to the box.
- Jack Walker to the room. That’s not a good sign. Hopefully he’s back for the third…
- Carroll drops the gloves with Scott Moldenhauer!
- Dickinson draws a double minor.
- Herbert takes a roughing call after a kerfuffle around the Tulsa net.
- Marchy doing what he does best, scoring on Tulsa. It was a very nice backhand.
- Utah’s been pretty aggressive overall so far.
Third Period
- Another power play drawn by Dickinson.
- Richart falls over, and still makes the play.
- You get a high-stick, you get a high-stick! EVERYBODY GETS A HIGH-STICK!
- ECONOMOS WITH A BREAKAWAY. No goal, but he does draw another power play.
- Oh geez. Short-handed goal for Tulsa ties it up.
- And the Oilers are pressing.
- I swear, every game Economos seems to have gotten a step or two faster.
- ERIC GIVES US A FRESCHI LEAD.
- (Sorry, so not sorry)
- Oh god. Cannata…be ok…
- At the very least, Cannata is hockey ok, so that’s good news.
- Walters with the latest of a series of good shots he’s had this game.
- RICHART SCORES.
- Wait. No he doesn’t. And Zahn is down, and Zahn takes a penalty. WHAT EVEN IS HAPPENING.
- And now Richart for delay of game.
- Internal screaming.
- Empty net for Tulsa…
- More internal screaming.
- Marchment with the face-off win, Ausmus with the clear…
- EMPTY NETTER FOR JAKE.
- GRIZZLIES WIN 4-2!!!
Freschi (the game winning goal and six shots) and Herbert (two assists, six shots) were named first and second stars of the game, though Marchment certainly could have been a star as well, what with his two goals (granted, one into an empty net), and several crucial late-game face-offs. Cannata also played well, making 25/27 saves. Utah now stands tied with the Oilers for second in the division, though they hold four games in hand on their rival. They trail Idaho by only one point, and have a game in hand on them as well.
Now the Grizzlies head to Wichita for the final two games of the road trip.
Photo courtesy of Josh Pinnau.
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