Though they lost Josh Dickinson to Colorado, the return of Grayson Downing and Joey Raats to the lineup meant that, for the first time in a very, very long time, the Grizzlies played with a full complement of skaters, while Joe Cannata got the start once more against a very different looking Rush team.
First Period
- Utah draws a power play 1:18 into the game.
- Mike Economos has three of the Grizzlies’ first seven shots!
- Just past the five minute mark, and Utah’s out-shooting RC 9-3.
- Well, if you’re gonna beat Adam Carlson, you might as well throw everything and the kitchen sink at him! 12-4 are shots for Utah nine minutes in…
- Gage Ausmus with a couple of nice shots this period.
- The game’s already getting pretty physical.
- Teigan Zahn gets run over, and Utah’s headed back to the power play.
- Five-on-three situation for 15 seconds as RC puts the puck over the glass.
- Caleb Herbert negates the power play.
- Generally good possession for Utah throughout this frame.
- Cannata looking sharp again.
- Utah skated fast and put up a lot of shots, but we’re 0-0 after 20. Shots are 16-7 for Utah.
Second Period
- Eric Freschi to the box for slashing early in the second.
- Downing, Herbert, Marchment, Ully and Richart on the power play. That is a pretty good looking first unit.
- Economos is battling for the puck around Carlson, and Blake Heinrich objects. They both get five for fighting.
- Oh boo. Point blank range shot goes through Cannata.
- Utah skating hard in response though.
- Ausmus gets run over, and Will Smith objects violently. He and Alex Rauter get sent to the box for fighting. Rauter is shown the door. But somehow Smith gets an extra two. Unless Rauter got bloody or something? Not really sure.
- Power play for Utah now. From the last ten seconds or so of the first penalty kill to now the Grizzlies have had possession of the puck. They still haven’t been able to beat Carlson though.
- How were the Grizzlies considered onside there?
- Utah keeps getting shots, but Carlson isn’t having any trouble with them.
- Well, the good news is that Utah has more shots after 40 than they did in the whole game on Wednesday, but the bad news is they trail 1-0.
Third Period
- Ok someone, anyone, in black…gonna need a big goal here…
- For a penalty kill, the Grizzlies are spending a lot of time in the offensive zone.
- The only shots on that kill belonged to the Grizzlies.
- Seriously guys, don’t lose 1-0 again. (Don’t lose by more than that either…)
- There’s a lot of time, and it’s just one goal…
- Cannata still sharp. Unfortunately, Carlson has been sharper.
- Marchment jumps on a rare rebound, but surprise, surprise, Carlson grabbed that too.
- …That is very not what anyone wanted. 2-0 Rush. On a bounce too.
- They’ve had the right idea a couple of times, but then just missed the pass or the shot. So frustrating.
- Empty net goal for the Rush.
- The most irritating thing about this series is that the difference has been in net, and it’s not because Cannata had been bad. He hasn’t. In fact, he’s been good. Carlson’s just been better.
- Shots 41-25 for Utah, who falls 3-0 shut out for two straight.
Well, Downing is back, and the Grizzlies’ penalty kill remains spotless. Unfortunately, the power play has been held off the scoreboard, and Carlson appears to have the Grizzlies’ number. They’re gonna have to create more traffic and get him moving, but RC seems to defend pretty well against just that.
FORTY ONE SHOTS.
Photo courtesy of Action Sports Photography.
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