Entering the weekend, spots two-through-eight in the National conference standings were separated by nine points. 48-hours later, the seven teams are now separated by seven points as the cluster has thickened.

Stockton and Utah, who at 60 games are tied for the fewest played in the ECHL, will make up a game in hand tonight on Victoria, Alaska and Ontario and also have a chance to gain two full points in the standings without scoreboard watching till midnight for a game ongoing in Anchorage.

Unfortunately in this series, referee Keith Kaval has again found a way to make himself the focus of attention after calling 8 minor penalties in the third period yesterday and botching a delay of game call in the third period Friday that led to Utah’s first lead of the third period. Stockton was especially rattled by his performance Friday and both teams yesterday as they both will look to avoid doing anything that gets him involved in the action before he finally departs town after the game.

Along the same lines, the Grizzlies have absolutely throttled Stockton five-on-five in the last three games outscoring them 11-3, including 6-2 this weekend. The Grizzlies will definitely look to tighten up the penalty-kill which has been the best in the league since January 9 after giving up six goals to Stockton the last two nights after previously giving up six power-play goals in their previous 15 games. Those things happen, earlier this season when the Grizzlies hit another penalty-killing wall, allowing seven goals in two games against Idaho November 4 (2), 6 (5) they rebounded November 7 to go 7-7 on the penalty-kill and win the game 3-0 in Boise.
It’s definitely been a series of power-play goals, Utah is also 3-11, but hasn’t been able to keep up with Stockton’s pace.

Expect Mitch O’Keefe to get the start tonight for Utah as this three-game-in-three-night (45 hours) series continues. Mitch has stopped 53 of the last 56 shots he has seen and will look to improve to 3-1 against Stockton.
Meanwhile, I would expect Andrew Perugini to go again for Stockton as I don’t think the Thunder have the confidence to ever go back to contracted goalie Aaron Sorochan who has a 1-3-1-0 record, a 5.01 goals-against-average and a .854 save percentage this year. The goaltending depth could benefit Utah.

The “Must Win” theme continues for each team at 4:05 p.m.

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The Grizzlies have put together a three-game home winning streak against Stockton and have combined for 17 goals in three games.

Each night, the Grizzlies have had a different line dominate. Last night, the Grizzlies got seven points from Tim Crowder (three assists), Lance Galbraith (two goals) and James Sixsmith (one goal, one assist). For Crowder, it marked his first multiple-point game since January 16 (against Stockton one goal, two assists) and snapped a stretch of four-straight scoreless contests and 12 of the last 14. While Crowder hasn’t been scoring, the coaching staff has still liked his play and thus he was teamed on a line with Sixsmith and Galbraith. Galbraith continues to love life at the E-Center where he has scored 20 of his 25 points this year for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies veteran now has six goals and three assists in his last three games against Stockton, including five goals in Utah's last four third periods at home.

Tonight, look for AJ Perry, Ryan Kinasewich and Dylan Hunter to possibly be the breakout line for a Utah team that has gotten a combined 25 points from three separate lines the last three nights against Stockton. AJ Perry hasn’t scored in two-straight games for the first time since November 6 and 7 and hasn’t gone three-straight without a point all season long.  Kinasewich has gone four-straight games without a multiple-point game for the first time since he went five-straight contests without a multiple-point night from December 4-16. That for the Grizzlies captain, who has 23 multiple-point games in 46 played this year. Dylan Hunter who has 31 points in 30 games this year has also gone scoreless in four-straight games for the first time this year dating back to prior to his call-up in February.

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While the Grizzlies welcome three new faces tonight, their three most influential players in Ryan Kinasewich, James Sixsmith and Dylan Hunter look forward to playing their first full game together since November 14.

The three actually played about a period together in a 4-1 win over Las Vegas on February 1 as Sixsmith was coming down with a case of pneumonia. With all three in the lineup this year, Utah has a 13-4 record. Through Utah’s first 12 games, the three combined for 63 points..

Had Sixsmith not played on February 1, he would be looking to tie the longest scoring streak in the ECHL this season tonight. That was the only game in the last 17 that he has not scored in dating back to November 13. Sixsmith, who has a current league-high eleven-game scoring streak would be looking to tie Tyler Donati of Elmira for the longest scoring stretch in the ECHL thus far in 2009-2010.

Despite only playing in 17 of Utah’s last 40 games, Sixsmith is still Utah’s fourth-leading scorer during that stretch with 14 goals and 16 assists. Hunter leads the ECHL in shooting percentage by scoring 13 goals on 55 shots this year for a 23.6-percent success rate.

Depending on when you read this, the ECHL trade deadline passes or passed at 1 p.m. today and the Grizzlies definitely like the first deal that they wheeled for veteran Malcolm MacMillan and big rookie defenseman Justin Suda. As the Grizzlies returned from Anchorage last week looking forward to a week off, Kevin Colley had three specific issues that he wanted to address on the roster. With the addition of Peter Vandermeer from Abbotsford and getting Dylan Hunter back, he is definitely very comfortable with the group he has for the final 14 games and playoffs right now, but still would pull the trigger on another deal or two should the perfect pieces fall into place. As of last night at 6 p.m., discussions were still ongoing as he and Assistant Pat Curcio setup camp in their coaches office with the NHL on the big screen, cell phones in hand and laptops fired up.

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The Grizzlies have one more game left before their “Spring Break” which will see them go nine days until their next game. That’s the longest stretch of the season, after they went December 20-25 without games during Christmas time.

After last night, in which Kevin Colley emphasized that the team needed secondary players scoring and didn’t get it, expect the Grizzlies to change up the lines tonight as they will likely breakup Sixsmith, Perry and Kinasewich in search of getting some other players involved.

Utah will look to keep riding Mitch O’Keefe, who gave up eleven five-on-five goals last week, but rebounded by stopping 20-straight Alaska shots last night after relieving Beau Erickson in a 4-2 game. With the strong effort, O’Keefe got his save percentage back over .900 and again will get the start tonight.

The Grizzlies were obviously happy with the first ten minutes last night as they dominated Alaska early to take a 2-0 lead. However, the club, which remains one of the youngest in the ECHL again struggled with prosperity as Kevin Colley then suggested the team tried to turn the game into “every guy gets a point night.” The frustrating part for Kevin, is his strong emphasis of playing every shift the same way no matter what the score and that didn’t happen last night after the team took the lead.

Today, as is usually the case on the second-half of a back-to-back on the road, the Grizzlies will not skate this morning. A team walk at the hotel was scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by a 4:15 p.m.  video session, and some one-on-one talks with players and the coaching staff possibly scheduled for in between.

What is going on at the Sullivan Arena and the E-Center you ask that gives both of these teams the weekend off?
The Sullivan will be hosting college hockey between the University of Alaska-Anchorage and the University of Minnesota-Duluth while the E-Center welcomes WWE Raw’s “Road To WrestleMania." Good seats are still available.

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Alaska has never been friendly to the Utah Grizzlies, but tonight Utah will have a chance at a two-game winning streak, which would satisfy half of their goal for this midweek visit, of four points in regulation.

Utah led in all three games here January 6-9, but playing shorthanded, especially on the back end, was unable to hold two third period leads on January 6 and 8. Comparing the rosters from that series, Utah has James Sixsmith, who comes to Alaska for just the second of five trips since joining Utah at the start of last year. Peter Aston, who was merely a gleam in Kevin Colley’s eye when Utah was last in Alaska, will also make his first trip to Anchorage. It was in Alaska last time, when the Grizzlies got word that bringing in Aston would be a possibility. Meanwhile the Aces will be now without Alexandre Imbeault (Europe), John Lammers (AHL), and Matt Stefanishion (Traded to Charlotte), not to mention January’s goaltender of the month Frank Doyle who is in Worcester for the indefinite future. Both Lammers (five goals, five assists in five games) and Imbeault (three goals, seven assists in six games) dominated against the Grizzlies. Utah though will now face Scott Reid (2-2 against Utah) who showed stretches of brilliance against the Grizzlies during two E-Center wins in November as he stopped 77 of 81 shots. He however was in net in Utah’s last game here that they won 5-1 on January 9.

Beau Erickson will get the start tonight for Utah after another strong outing Saturday in Ontario when he stopped 29 of 31 shots from the Reign. He is 4-3-0-1 with a 2.57 goals-against-average and a .924 save percentage since January 29 and had a 1.50 goals-against-average and a .951 save percentage last week.

Ryan Kinasewich participated in Utah’s lengthy practice here yesterday and is expected to be back in the lineup tonight. Utah, who arrived in Alaska late Monday night, was glad for the opportunity to practice on this large “Olympic Sized” ice surface which is ironic because the just completed Vancouver Olympics were not played on the large surface at the home of the Vancouver Canucks.

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One player that the Grizzlies look to keep rolling going down the stretch is Tom May. The “Big Guy” has a goal in three straight games, after snapping an eight-game drought and always seems to enjoy playing against the Ontario Reign.

May has three goals in four games all-time at the Citizens Business Bank Arena and last year started his team record 10-game goal scoring streak and 12-game scoring streak overall against the Reign, while tallying four goals in six total games against Ontario. This year, the second-year pro has three goals and three assists for six points in just three games against the Reign.

Entering last night, Utah had seven of the top eight scorers in the ECHL this week as during the game three points from James Sixsmith put him above teammate Lance Galbraith for weekly scoring. With one goal and two assists and factoring in on all three Utah goals, Sixsmith leads the ECHL and is an early player of the week favorite with two goals and six assists in three games.

Ryan Kinasewich was a last second scratch last night, still a little banged up. I’d expect Utah to continue to nurse him back to 100-percent and give him a night off again tonight. Last night, he joined the Grizzlies coaches on the bench in a suit, which allowed him to still get some of his usual jabs to the game officials anytime they came close.

Last night, the Grizzlies didn’t put forth any unnecessary energy as things fell apart in the final six minutes. Tonight, a win gives Utah a 3-1 week and their best month of the year as February ends. The good thing last night is that no one gained any ground on Utah in the standings. Both first place teams in Idaho and Bakersfield built on their division leads with wins and Las Vegas kept pace with Ontario for the final playoff spot in the National Conference by beating Stockton 5-2. That being said, Utah obviously missed a chance to improve their lead on the fourth playoff spot in the conference.

As was predetermined yesterday going into the weekend series, Beau Erickson will start tonight for Utah who wraps up four games in five nights with a travel day in between. Erickson has comfortably moved into a stretch that has seen him go 3-2-0-1 with a 2.93 goals-against-average and a .916 save percentage since January 29.

Click here to watch the KSL story that aired last evening as the Grizzlies Make-A-Wish come true for a West Valley City girl.

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It’s been quite the birthday week for Lance Galbraith who turned 30 Sunday and tallied six points Wednesday in Utah’s 7-1 win over Stockton.

Galbraith wowed the rest of the National Conference Tuesday with his three goal and three assist effort. Emails from other broadcasters out west instantly began pouring in after the game’s final box score hit the wire. Galbraith’s big night had to really hit home in Anchorage, as Alaska, who traded the veteran to Utah on December 27, lost 6-2 in bad fashion in Boise the same night. Galbraith has 10 goals and 13 assists in 26 games with Utah after finishing with three goals, seven assists and a minus-15 in 23 games with Alaska in limited ice time before Christmas. Galbraith has ten goals and ten assists in his last 20 games for Utah as well. The feelings could even become more sour about losing the ice hot Galbraith if the Aces continue to struggle in Idaho and Galbraith finishes strong in Ontario this week and is named the ECHL’s Player of the Week headed to Alaska Wednesday and Thursday.

This quote from the Salt Lake Tribune Thursday really paints the whole Galbraith picture and explains his importance to the team. He is beyond selfless and this quote is not lip service by any stretch of the imagination. "I'm just happy to be a part of a winning hockey team," Galbraith said. "I'm happy to score tonight but ... but obviously [my teammates] can have all my goals if they add up to W's."

Ryan Kinasewich, who left the game in the second period Tuesday after a hit from Stockton’s Bryan Young, and did return, should be fine to go for this evening in usual duty.

The Grizzlies bring a three-game winning streak to sunny California looking to continue their 8-2-0-3 stretch and following a 4-1 home stand. However that was also the case with the Stockton Thunder who came to Utah 7-1-2-0 in their last ten games and was the hottest team in the National Conference before being knocked off of their game at the E-Center Tuesday and Wednesday, while allowing 12 goals to Utah in two bad losses. In professional sports momentum and focus is important, and it is sometimes easy for a team to somehow lose focus with a slight venue and culture change. Stockton was making their first trip to Utah and had a bad midweek, Utah makes their first and only trip to Ontario this year before heading to always challenging Anchorage next week. Stockton Head Coach Matt Thomas left Utah frustrated after watching his team instantly fall apart against a rolling Grizzlies group. Ontario, could be similar for Utah, if they’re not careful, as they enter the week winners of three games in a row.

It’s another hockey double-header on 1230 KFAN-2 this afternoon with the United States playing Finland at 1 p.m. in Vancouver for a chance at going to Sunday’s Gold Medal Game. That game will be followed by live coverage from Ontario for Grizzlies/Reign that begins at 8 p.m. with 30-minute pre-game programming followed by an 8:30 p.m. face-off.

Also during tonight’s Grizzlies action, keep your eyes on KSL-5 after the Olympics where Kathy Aiken will feature the Grizzlies and Vlady Nikiforov in a story with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

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At 25-21-2-5, and with 18 games left in the year, the Grizzlies are close to surpassing several of last year’s team totals. Utah is three wins away from 28 wins after going 28-28-6-10 last year. Utah has tied their highest home win total since 2005-2006 with 15 and four-games above .500 beats their highest watermark of last year’s second half of the season which was three games above .500 which they reached several times.

Special teams were huge Tuesday, with the Grizzlies going 2-4 on the power-play and then holding Stockton’s previously ranked top power-play to 0-4 and now 0-11 on the season against Utah as the Grizzlies now hold the number-one ranked power-play in the league. The Grizzlies are five-for-eleven on the power-play. So with special teams in control, the Grizzlies now look to avoid giving up four five-on-five goals in game.

We definitely saw a lot of firepower last night with Kinasewich (one goal, three assists), Sixsmith (one goal, two assists) and Perry (two assists) combining for nine points. However we also saw a lot from Stockton’s number-one line with James Bates adding two assists. He now has four goals and three assists in his last two games against the Grizzlies.

Doubleheader action today on 1230 KFAN-2 with the United States/Switzerland at 1 p.m. followed by Grizzlies/Stockton at 6:35 p.m.

Send me your comments and your own blog entries adenny@utahgrizz.com.

If you have any questions about the Stockton Thunder feel free to ask Matt Sorteberg.

The Grizzlies defenseman, who was acquired from Idaho on January 13, had already played nine games against the Thunder as a Steelhead before his first game with Utah and Utah’s first meeting of the year versus Stockton on January 15.

If all plays out, the Grizzlies rookie could end up playing 19 regular season games against Stockton, and ironically enough, if the playoffs started today, based on winning percentage, the Grizzlies and Thunder would meet in the first round.

The Grizzlies power-play will happily welcome back Ryan Kinasewich. In his latest absence, the Grizzlies went 4-27 (14.8-percent), including a 2-21 stretch. During his first call-up of the year, the Grizzlies went 6-28 on the power-play, which included a 1-15 slump. With Kinasewich in the lineup this year, the Grizzlies power-play is 50-220 (22.7-percent) and he has tallied 25 of his 39 assists on the power-play.

Get used to Stockton, the Grizzlies begin five-straight home games against them tonight and eight of their next 14 games overall against the Thunder.

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After nearly three weeks of solid hockey, the Grizzlies hit a bump in the road last night, but still enter this evening with a chance to take two of three games against the second-best team in the National Conference tonight.

After the first five minutes last night, the Grizzlies never were really able to pull anything together as they dropped just their second contest in the last 14 days.

All season, Kevin Colley has played Saturday’s by ear as far as the game day schedule. Usually wrapping up three games in four nights on a Saturday, players generally have spent enough time at the rink and on the ice throughout the course of the week and there isn’t too much to rehash or accomplish with another morning skate. In some cases, it’s just better for the players to sleep in, clear their mind and rest as they prepare to wrap up a busy stretch; especially after an out of character loss like last night. Sometimes it’s an optional skate, if the team is on the road, going to the arena may be replaced with a team walk. Today, the Grizzlies were given the morning off from even coming to the arena and will not report until 5 p.m. At which point, I would assume there will be a video session for both forwards and defensemen.

Some coaches burn their players out after a tough loss with hours and hours of video and extra time on the ice which can just turn into mental anguish and frustration. Kevin Colley, at 31, and not far removed from his playing days, treats every situation differently and earns respect from his players for that. There is a time to be militant, but not all the time. Especially this day in age, the coaches who adapt to their players and don’t get stuck in their own ways are the most successful. See; Ken Hitchcock, who was recently fired by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After a tough loss three weeks ago to Las Vegas, which occurred in similar fashion to last night’s 5-2 loss, the Grizzlies responded with a 3-1 win over the Wranglers the next night. Utah needs to cleanup the turnovers which lead to Salmon Kings odd-man rushes and hang the goaltender out to dry. Victoria is always looking for their next chance, sometimes at the expense of playing defense, and last night they were able to take advantage of a sloppy Utah group.

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