Tag: Ian Scheid

Utah Grizzlies: Ringing In the New

After last night’s smashing success, the line of Joe Wegwerth, Jack Jenkins, and Trey Bradley started the game off for Utah, together with Tanner Jago, Garrett Johnson, and Payton Jones. However, there were some shuffles to the rest of the lineup. Cedric Paré and Jared Pike both were out in exchange for Matt Hoover, while on defense, Miles Gendron sat out for Edwin Hookenson.

It didn’t take the Grizzlies long to get the offense going again, Charlie Gerard striking first just 1:20 into the game from Diego Cuglietta and Pat Cannone.

Utah had a couple of good shifts in the offensive zone towards the end of the period, but it was Rapid City who got on the scoreboard next, tying it up with just under seven to go in the period.

Things started to heat up a couple of minutes later, as Bradley was knocked down by the Rush bench. Wegwerth stepped in originally against Griffin Luce, but Cedric Montminy stepped in, and the two got double minors for roughing. Wegwerth also got an additional ten for continuing the altercation. On the very next shift Brennen Saulnier and Alex Lepkowski also dropped the gloves.

Things continued to be tense between the two teams through the end of the period, which ended 1-1, the Rush outshooting the Grizzlies 7-6.

Utah started the period strong, but Avery Peterson got his second of the game 2:06 into the frame. The two teams traded penalties, but neither team ended with anything to show for it.

However, half-way into the period, no one tied up Christian Horn sufficiently, and he scored the equalizer, just before Wegwerth returned to the ice.

The Grizzlies took a delay of game penalty a couple of minutes later, but they killed it off handily, and the period ended with little of note, save that Wegwerth threw a huge hit on Luce.

Utah had taken the shot lead 17-16 at the end of 40, game still tied 2-2.

Abt took another tripping penalty at 3:23 but Jenkins, who had been flying around all game, streaked up the ice on a two-on-one, delayed, and then sniped it in for his second of the year. Unfortunately though, Rapid City tied it up yet again about 30 seconds later on the tail end of their power play.

The home team drew the next three penalties, including a brief 5-on-3, and Ian Scheid continued his hot streak by blasting one home for the 4-3 goal from Cannone and Wegwerth. Cannone took a tripping penalty with 2:44 to go. The Rush got a point blank chance as their goalie headed to the bench, but Jones calmly snagged it. That was ultimately their best chance of the advantage, and despite the extra man, the Rush weren’t able to tie the game up yet again, giving Utah their second win in as many days.

Scheid (1G, GWG), Jenkins (1G), and Gerard (1G) were named the three stars of the game, while Cannone deserves an honorable mention with two primary assists.

The Jenkins line had another strong night, as did Ian Scheid, but they also got contributions from the other lines, and another good game from their goalie. In addition, this iteration of the Grizzlies have shown, on multiple occasions now, that they are willing and well able to get physical, throw their weight around, and drop the gloves when necessary. Something that we will no doubt see more of on Saturday.

Goals

  • First Period: Gerard (Cannone, Cuglietta)
  • Second Period: Horn (Abt)
  • Third Period: Jenkins (Jago, Jones) (SH), Scheid (Cannone, Wegwerth) (PP)
    Jones: 23/26

Image courtesy of Tim Broussard.

Utah Grizzlies: A Stylish Send-off

After the Grizzlies’ original home opener was pushed back, Utah finally got to skate in front of a small, socially distanced home crowd for the first and last time in 2020. There were several new additions and several subtractions since the two games that started the season.

Brayden Gelsinger, Diego Cuglietta, and Yuri Terao opened the game at forward, together with Alex Lepkowski and Ian Scheid, while Payton Jones made his third start for Utah.

Utah controlled play through most of the first five minutes of the game, but the Rush had evened things up by the five minute mark or so. By and large, the first half of the period was uneventful, though Jones calmly turned aside a shot from Brennan Saulnier one-on-one, and guys like Garrett Johnston and Cedric Paré stood out.

Approaching the ten minute mark, Joe Wegwerth had an outstanding shift, getting a couple of terrific shots before finding the back of the net at 9:25 for his second of the season from Jack Jenkins and Trey Bradley. Unfortunately, the Rush tied it up almost immediately afterwards, as they seem to do quite frequently.

Utah took back the lead with about five to go, however, Jenkins neatly putting the puck into the top right corner of the net on a spectacular backhand pass from Bradley. Christian Horn then proceeded to draw the first penalty of the game with 4:13 to go.

Utah made good at the end of the power play with one second left, Scheid freezing a screened Adam Carlson for his first of the year

Mitch Maxwell and Tyson Empey dropped the gloves at center ice with two minutes to go, both getting in some punches before being sent to the dressing room to cool down.

By the end of the period, in addition to the 3-1 score, Utah had opened a 22-7 shot lead. Entertainingly, Wegwerth (3) and Charlie Gerard (4) led the Grizz in shots, with as many combined shots as the entire Rush team.

The Rush got the first goal of the second period, lifting it over Jones from the blue paint at 3:08, but Wegwerth refused to let the one goal game stand, picking up his second of the game less than a minute later, Jenkins picking up yet another point on the assist.

Jones got to see some more rubber as the period hit the half-way point, shots reaching 27-17 for Utah with about nine to go, and at 11:56. He remained the less busy goalie however, and Scheid got his second of the game at the half-wall, chasing Carlson from the Rush net on the 5-2 goal.

Gerard took a hooking call with just over five to go in the second, but Utah killed it off pretty comfortably.

Rapid City outshot Utah in the second 15-12, as might be expected considering the score, but the Grizzlies continued to hold the lead both in shots and where it mattered most.

Utah controlled the first couple of shifts of the third, and the Grizzlies eventually drew a power play with 17:02 to go. It almost went poorly as the Rush got the puck at the blue line, but Terao hustled back to keep the them from getting to Jones uncontested.

Although they didn’t capitalize on the advantage, Rapid City’s Peter Quennville beat Horn and Jones, making it 5-3 at 5:25. Gelsinger drew a power play a little over a minute later though, but despite Pat Cannone’s best efforts to get Wegwerth the hat trick, the Rush returned to full strength with no change in score. Abt took an interference penalty of his own shortly thereafter, but that too changed nothing.

Terao and Gelsinger led a dazzling rush with about eight to go, showing off their quick feet and quick passing, and Jones continued to hold off Rapid City. Wegwerth continued to get chances to cap off the hat trick, but Tendek stood firm.

The Rush pulled Tendek for the empty net with 2:14, and Diego Cuglietta took a penalty, leading to a six-on-four for two minutes. In the end, it didn’t matter, as Abt sailed the puck into the empty net with 49 seconds to go.

When the buzzer sounded Utah had outshot Rapid City 40-30, and took the 6-3 victory into the new year.

Bradley was spectacular in the first period, as were his other line-mates, Wegwerth and Jenkins. Wegwerth’s two goals (including the game winner), and Jenkins’ one goal and two assists earned them first and third stars respectively, while Scheid’s two goals also saw him named second star of the game. Abt also picked up a goal and an assist.

The Grizzlies have clearly put their off time since December 12th to good use, as they looked far more like a cohesive team with quite a bit of chemistry, and not at all like one that hadn’t played a game in several weeks.

They start off 2021 with a New Years Day game tomorrow, also against the Rush.

Goals

  • First: Wegwerth (Bradley, Jenkins), Jenkins (Bradley, Myllari), Scheid (Cuglietta, Bradley) (PP)
  • Second: Wegwerth (Jenkins, Abt) (GWG), Scheid (Maxwell)
  • Third: Abt (Cannone) (EN, SH)

Jones: 28/31

Image courtesy of Tim Broussard.