Utah Grizzlies: Grizz hoping road success continues

By John Coon
Deseret News
Published: Friday, April 25, 2008 1:11 a.m. MDT
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To claim a playoff series for the first time in more than a decade, the Utah Grizzlies did what any good team needs to do: They won on the road.

Utah beat Fresno in all three games it played away from the E Center during the first round of the ECHL Playoffs.

Now, it will be up to the Grizzlies to show they can keep that undefeated record intact when they travel to British Columbia to open their ECHL National Conference semifinal series with the Victoria Salmon Kings tonight.

The second-seeded Salmon Kings are newcomers to this late stage of the postseason, advancing past the ECHL opening round for the first time in franchise history with their 4-2 series win over Bakersfield.

Victoria presented quite a challenge to Utah when the team's met during the regular season. The Salmon Kings won six of nine meetings and two of the Grizzlies wins came only after surviving overtime.

Getting the offense moving quickly will be key. Utah averaged four goals per game in three wins over Victoria, but only produced 1.2 per game in six losses.

Generating goals should not be much of a problem if Rob Sirianni and Keith Johnson can keep up the scoring pace they enjoyed against Fresno. Sirianni and Johnson lead the Grizzlies with three goals apiece.

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Johnson, in particular, has had two game-winning goals for Utah — including his empty-net score in the final minute of the series clinching victory over the Falcons.

Defensively, the Grizzlies will look for rookie goalkeeper Nathan Lawson to maintain his current hot streak. Lawson led Utah to a 4-2 record while starting all six games and came up with a series saving shutout in game five versus Fresno to stop a two-game slide.

ECHL semifinals: Grizzlies vs. Salmon Kings

(best of seven)
at Victoria, today, 8 p.m.
at Victoria, Sunday, 8 p.m.
at E-Center, Thursday, May 1, 7 p.m. at E-Center, Saturday, May 3, 7 p.m.
at E-Center, Sunday, May 4, 4 p.m.
at Victoria, May 6, 8 p.m.
at Victoria, May 7, 8 p.m.

E-mail: jcoon@desnews.com

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Recent comments

Grizzlies Rock ! Best of luck boys !

Anonymous | April 25, 2008 at 5:32 p.m.

We'll see. It's a nice run so far. Anybody know Scott Burt...

Steve | April 25, 2008 at 3:06 p.m.

Outstanding Grizzlies!! way to go. Good luck in this next series!...

Gretzky | April 25, 2008 at 1:28 p.m.