Utah Grizzlies home for Game 3
In fact, with the second-round best-of-seven ECHL Kelly Cup series tied 1-1 after games last weekend in British Columbia, there will be three second-round playoff games in the E Center. The two teams will meet again Saturday night at 7 and Sunday afternoon at 4.
If Games 6 and 7 are necessary, they will be played at Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. MDT.
Utah won Game 1, 6-0, last Friday in Victoria and fell in Game 2, 6-1, on Sunday.
The Grizzlies won the IHL Turner Cup in their first year in Utah, but those games were played in the Delta Center (now EnergySolutions Arena) in downtown Salt Lake City.
They've had winning seasons in 11 of their 14 years (including the first year in Denver) but haven't gotten to a second round since 1997, when the Kansas City Blades swept them in three games in the Delta Center.
Utah still has to establish a winning tradition at home. It is 1-2 in 2008 home playoff games and 1-4 in home playoffs in its three years in the ECHL.
Victoria's Wes Goldie is the league's No. 2 playoff scorer with 13 points through eight games, and his nine assists lead the ECHL.
The Grizzlies, who have played a number of postseason games without their top two scorers from the regular season — Ryan Kinasewich missed the first three games with injury, and Scott Burt missed two games — have no scorers in the ECHL top 20, but they have several among the league's leading rookie scorers.
Tyler Haskin and Keith Johnson have seven points each, tied for eighth among rookies, and Micheal Haley has six points, tied for 12th. Defenseman Jordan Hart leads league rookies in both penalty minutes (43) and minor penalties (9).
One reason for Utah's playoff success is that it is No. 2 in the league in power-play percentage, 22, though it's 18th in penalty killing, 79.2.
Victoria vs. Utah
Series tied, 1-1
Game 1: Utah 6, Victoria 0
Game 2: Victoria 6, Utah 1
Game 3: today, Victoria at Utah, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, Victoria at Utah, 7 p.m.
Game 5: Sunday, Victoria at Utah, 4 p.m.
Game 6: May 6: Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.*
Game 7: May 7: Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.*
* if necessary
E-mail: lham@desnews.com
Recent comments
"Anon", depends which Grizzlies team shows up. The Good...
Steve | May 1, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
Do i dare go to this game..last home playoff game I went to was a...
Anonymous | May 1, 2008 at 10:58 a.m.
Time for the Grizz to put together some home playoff wins and eliminate...
RH | May 1, 2008 at 9:27 a.m.
