Tag: Diego Cuglietta

Utah Grizzlies: Gone Streaking

Considering the schedule lately, you’d be pardoned for thinking that the Grizzlies will never play anyone other than the Rapid City Rush this season, but after tonight, it’ll actually be a couple of weeks before they meet again. The line of Diego Cuglietta, Pat Cannone, and Charlie Gerard started for Utah, backed by Ian Scheid and Alex Lepkowski, while Parker Gahagen got his first start in net as the Grizzlies looked to close out the series sweep. Cédric Paré drew in at forward in place of defenseman Edwin Hookenson, but otherwise the lineup remained the same.

The Grizzlies lost no time in bringing the energy, picking up the game’s first four shots in the first minute and a half, and Cédric Paré made sure everyone was awake with a big hit. Gahagen went on an adventure to the blue line just pas the half-way mark during a period of Rush pressure, but though there continued to be a number of whistles, the first half of the period passed relatively uneventfully.

At almost exactly the ten minute mark, the Grizzlies drew the first power play of the game, but weren’t able to convert, despite building their shot lead to 12-4. They got a second crack at it, thanks to the mobility of Trey Bradley at around the five-minute mark. Diego Cuglietta took a shot at the net from the right point, Adam Carlson made the save, but the puck went straight to Pat Cannone on the left side of the blue paint, and the veteran forward made no mistake to put Utah up 1-0.

Pat Cannone scores the 1-0 goal against Adam Carlson as Charlie Gerard looks on.

Joe Wegwerth picked up again on his scoring ways, thanks to some absolute chaos with about two to go. Jack Jenkins ended up on top of Carlson, and in the scramble that followed, Wegwerth put the puck into the open net. The goal was reviewed originally, but allowed to stand, presumably because — though it looked like Jenkins was literally on top of Carlson at one point, by the time the puck was in the net, Jenkins was next to rather than on top of the Rush goalie, and they were well outside the blue paint.

Wegwerth and Jenkins fight for the puck prior to Wegwerth’s 2-0 goal.

At the end of 20, shots were 20-5 for the Grizzlies, who led 2-0, and didn’t at all look like a group of players who were in the process of playing their third game in as many days.

The Grizzlies iced the puck twice in a row in the early going of the period, but Gahagen and the Grizzlies weathered the storm. Griffin Luce found himself in the cross-hairs again, this time hitting Terao and drawing the attention of Matt Hoover, but nothing significant came from it.

After the net came off yet again behind Carlson, there was a slight delay as the referees conducted some repairs.

Terao took a holding penalty with 13:33 to go in the second, which proved unfortunate, as the Rush struck just six seconds into it. He drew a penalty a couple of minutes later, however, but despite Cuglietta’s best efforts, the score remained the same when the Rush skater exited the box.

As the period progressed, the Rush took over the play more than they had previously, and it paid off. They tied it up with just under a minute to go, on a nice move from none other than Brennan Saulnier. So once again, the game was tied 2-2 after 2, shots 32-20 for Utah.

The Rush came out hot in the third, but Yuri Terao picked off a pass from Mark Auk, and sniped it five-hole at 1:32 for his first since returning to the Grizzlies.

Cédric Paré, Yuri Terao, and Matt Hoover celebrate Terao’s 3-2 goal.

Play slowed down a bit following to Rush icings, the third game in three days finally catching up with both teams. Gahagen saw a little more action through the stretch that followed, but play evened out again as they passed the half-way mark of the third.

The Grizzlies narrowly averted disaster with about 5:30 to go, but Matt Abt took a slashing penalty on the play, giving the Rush a power play. Gahagen was sharp, though and Utah killed it off.

Carlson was pulled for the extra skater with around 1:30 to go, but despite besieging Gahagen, before the time ran out, the Rush were unable to tie it up, and Terao’s goal stood for the game winner.

So the Grizzlies were able to complete the three game series sweep, Terao earning first star, Gahagen second with 28 of 30 saves in his Utah debut, and Cannone picking up third star with the first goal of the game.

With five games under their belt, the Grizzlies have multiple point-per-game players. Cuglietta (1G, 5A) has put up points in every game this season, while the line of Wegwerth (4G, 2A in five games), Jenkins (2G, 1A in five games), and Bradley (3A in three) have been prolific. Cannone (1G, 3A) and Ian Scheid (3G, 1A), as well as Jenkins, Wegwerth, and Cuglietta, put up points in each of the last three games against the Rush. Overall, the Grizzlies improved to 4-1, which is good for fifth in the league, and second in the Mountain Division.

Now the Grizzlies will head off to Tulsa, hoping to keep their winning streak going against a team not named the Rapid City Rush.

Goals

  • First Period: Cannone (Cuglietta, Scheid), Wegwerth (Jenkins, Lepkowski)
  • Second Period: None
  • Third Period: Terao
    Gahagen (28/30 saves)

Images courtesy of Tim Broussard.

Utah Grizzlies: Take Two

In game two of the season and the set in Rapid City, the Grizzlies iced the same crew, though the lines and pairings saw some shuffling. Peyton Jones once again got the start.

The start of the game was more measured than Friday’s match, both teams doing a lot of passing, and neither team holding onto possession more than the other until about the four minute mark. Utah held onto the puck for large parts of a shift, and eventually drew the game’s first power play, but didn’t capitalize.

The Rush struck first following their return to full strength, but Utah didn’t let them rest on their laurels, Brayden Gelsinger scoring his first of the year from Diego Cuglietta and Charlie Gerard.

The ice started to tilt in Utah’s favor heading into the last six minutes of the period, the Grizzlies spending several minutes in the offensive zone. However, with three to go, the Rush pushed back, penning the Grizzlies in their own zone for the last minute. Utah narrowly escaped a goal into a gaping net, but fortunately for them, the Rapid City shooter whiffed on the shot.

At the end of 20, however, shots favored Utah 13-7 with the score tied 1-1. Interestingly, while the Grizzlies put up a decent amount of shots, only Gelsinger had more than one.

Gendron got hit along the boards about three minutes in, and was slow to get up, but he remained on the bench. Utah struggled to get anything going, but both teams found themselves missing passes and scrambling for pucks.

By the ten minute mark, Rapid City had outshot the Grizzlies 6-3 in the period. As the final five minutes of the period approached, Utah got more zone time, overtaking the shot lead 11-9 by the end. It was a very quiet period, and lacked cohesion, neither team possessing the puck for prolonged periods of time.

Matt Abt took a hooking call at 3:16, but just three seconds later off the face-off, Tyler Coulter took an interference call to kill the Rush advantage.

At 8:18 Gelsinger set up a nice pass to Cuglietta, who wired it past David Tendeck for his first goal of the season. Gelsinger’s assist gave him a goal and an assist as well.

Shortly thereafter, with a mess of players in front of the net, Michael McNicholas and a couple of other guys in the slot started celebrating as play got called. The officials reviewed it, and it was, indeed, a good goal, McNicholas getting his first goal of the year from Tanner Jago.

The Rush took a penalty at 16:40, but killed it off and pulled their goalie with 30 seconds to go. Utah held on though, taking the game 3-1, shots 34-22 in their favor.

If last night was the Paré, Gendron, Wegwerth show, tonight definitely belonged to Cuglietta and Gelsinger who both got a goal and an assist, Cuglietta’s holding up for the game winner. Jones got his first pro win, and another standout included Garrett Johnston, who definitely comes as advertised, and was a steady, skilled presence on the blue line. McNicholas and Gerard both led the team with 4 shots, while Gendron, Gelsinger, and Besinger all had three.

While the game wasn’t maybe as exciting as Friday’s from a sheer goals perspective, it was great to see the Grizzlies respond, and to see other players step up and show what they’ve got, especially since this early in the year, most of us still don’t know what to expect from this team.

Utah won’t be in action again until next weekend, when they will welcome the Tulsa Oilers to town.

Goals
First Period: Gelsinger (Cuglietta, Gerard)
Second Period: None
Third Period: Cuglietta (Gelsinger, Lepowski), McNicholas (Jago)

Image courtesy of Tim Broussard.