The second season is here, the reset button has been hit, and the roster has seen some changes. Travis Barron returned from the AHL, Mitch Maxwell was placed on injured reserve, and Turner Ottenbreit and Grayson Downing are back in the lineup. The Grizzlies are electing to ice seven defensemen, and a truly lethal group of nine forwards. With Joe Cannata on the Avalanche roster, Alex Leclerc is backing up Kevin Carr for Game 1 of the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
The stage is set.
First Period
- Travis Barron, Jake Marchment, and Austin Carroll on one line? Goodness. That is pretty ridiculous. It’s even more ridiculous when you consider that it’s followed up by Caleb Herbert, Grayson Downing, and Jack Walker, and completed with Josh Dickinson, Ty Lewis, and Mike Economos. And that’s while missing Cole Ully AND Joey Ratelle. The Grizzlies are STACKED up front!!
- The amount of defensive zone time to open the period is definitely not good.
- Idaho ices the puck twice, and momentum shifts a bit.
- MARCHY OPENS THE SCORING. Jake’s goal came on a tip in of Kevin Davis’ shot, Carroll gets the other assist.
- Ew. Idaho ties it up.
- Steven McParland decides to sock Turner Ottenbreit for no reason after the whistle, and that leads to some rough stuff in front of the Utah net.
- Ahh playoff hockey. Zero penalties called unless someone dies.
- Things pretty even as the period passes the 15 minute mark.
- Dickinson with a really nice move to cut to the slot and put the Grizzlies up 2-1 through traffic!
- Downing and Herbert dig the puck out from the wall behind the Idaho net, and Walker buries the Grizzlies’ third goal of the period!
- 11-11 are the shots after 20, but Utah leads 3-1!
Second Period
- The 28s with a puck battle to start the period, because having Marchment and Will Merchant on the ice at the same time isn’t at all confusing.
- Oooh Walker did not miss the net by much.
- Downing gets taken down, and that’s the first power play of the game! Quite a crowd gathers on that play.
- HERBERT SCORES ON THE POWER PLAY. Tomas Sholl wasn’t able to cover up the puck, and it bounced around the front of the net right to Herbert’s stick!
- Multiple point nights for Lewis and Dickinson already.
- Oof Idaho very nearly scored there! Really heads up play there from Downing and a save from Carr.
- Power play Idaho…
- …and killed with no problem.
- Dickinson gets hit, and Josh Anderson and Nolan Gluchowski drop the gloves over it.
- Oh wow, that was a nice one for Dickinson’s second of the game. He kind of just slung it past Sholl, who is having an uncharacteristically rough night.
- Good defensive coverage there from the guys.
- Haven’t really needed to mention him much, but Carr’s had a good night.
- Lewis just needs a goal to go with the oodles of assists he’s got tonight!
- Another scuffle at the end of the second!
- Grizzlies lead 5-1 after 40, shots 23-20 for Idaho.
Third Period
- Ok boys, get Josh Dickinson that hat trick.
- Lewis trying to take the puck away from Keegan Kanzig was hilarious, as Kanzig is HUGE, and Lewis is, well, not.
- Idaho with a fair bit of offensive zone time to start the third, but only one shot to show for it so far.
- Merchant and Marchment continue to have shifts against each other.
- Please go play in the offensive zone. You’re making me nervous.
- Nice move from Carr there to make the save, then bat the puck away behind the net. He’s really good at that.
- CARROLL GETS IN ON THE FUN!
- AND BARRON FOLLOWS RIGHT AFTER!!
- Some pushing and shoving after the net gets dislodged behind Carr, and while that’s going on, Ryan Faragher is in for Sholl on the other end.
- Gabriel Verpaelst refuses to go, pulling the move that has been pulled on Utah a couple of times this season. It leads to a lengthy scrum though.
- Anderson gets two for roughing, Barron gets two for roughing and a misconduct, Kanzig gets a double minor for roughing and a misconduct, Kale Kessy gets five for fighting and a game misconduct for being the aggressor, and Elgin Pearce gets two for roughing and a misconduct. The final result is that Utah gets a five-on-three for two minutes, and then three minutes of five-on-four!
- Lewis with a nice chance to get his first, and then Downing.
- Grizzlies win 7-1!!!!
Dickinson (2G, 1A including the GWG and the team leading five shots), Lewis (3 A, four shots), and Richart (2A) were named the three stars of the game, though Carroll (1G, 1A, four shots) and Herbert (1G, 1A) could also easily have been named stars. Every single forward picked up at least one point, and though he was a bit overshadowed by the offensive outpouring, Carr was a strong 35/36.
The Grizzlies will look to continue their strong start in Game 2, also in Idaho on Saturday.
Goals
- First Period: Marchment (Davis, Carroll), Dickinson (Lewis, Richart), Walker (Herbert)
- Second Period: Herbert (Dickinson, Lewis), Dickinson (Lewis, Economos)
- Third Period: Carroll (Downing), Barron (Richart)
UTA: 1/3 (21 PIM)
IDH: 0/1 (48 PIM)
Photo courtesy of Rob Church.
If you like the work I do on the blog, please consider supporting me by buying me a coffee via the button below, or consider becoming a patron!
belowthehashmarks.com 