If the Utah Grizzlies were suffering a hangover from Friday night’s explosive eight-goal affair against the visiting Rapid City Rush, it didn’t show. Rapid City, however, was determined to erase a bitter pill swallowed Friday. In what turned out to be a hard-fought contest, Utah prevailed 5-4, winning its third game in the last four.
Utah came charging out of the gates in the first, recording a season-high 20 shots on net, two of which were successful as Ryan Misiak and Erik Higby scored to give Utah a 2-0 lead.
However, in the second period, two careless Utah turnovers were captured by Thomas Maxwell and Pavel Jenys, and suddenly the score was level at 2-2. That’s when the line of Kyle Thomas, Greger Hanson and Michael Pelech all contributed a goal to ensure a Grizzlies victory.
Turning Point • Hanson scored early in the third period to give Utah a 3-2 lead.
First STAR • In addition to his brilliant goal, Thomas assisted on a Michael Pelech shot to create a 5-3 cushion.
Second STAR • With the Grizzlies on a power play, Higby placed himself in perfect position to the right of the net and buried a juicy rebound surrendered by Rush goaltender Shane Owen.
Third STAR • Hanson followed up on his three point night with another solid two point affair, recording a goal and an assist.
Quoteworthy • “We were on a huge scoring drought and now we come back with an eight-goal and five-goal effort,” Utah coach Tim Branham said. “We have two lines on this club that are playing with tremendous confidence.”
What’s next • Utah Grizzlies at Colorado Eagles, 7 p.m. Wednesday.
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