The Utah Grizzlies are in the ECHL’s Western Conference Final for just the third time ever.
With the series against the Toledo Walleye tied 1-1, the action will be at the Maverik Center starting Tuesday for Games 3, 4 and 5.
“There’s just something about the intensity and the passion of live playoff hockey that draws people in,” Grizzlies play-by-play man Tyson Whiting says. “Getting people to watch is the hardest part. Once they watch it, they’re hooked. Nobody has ever watched playoff hockey and said they didn’t enjoy it. Boring is never a word someone uses to describe it.”
The series so far
A matchup of the league’s two top offenses. Utah stole Game 1 thanks to an overtime goal from defender Charle-Edouard D’Astous. But in Game 2, Toledo got goals from five different players and goalie Billy Christopoulos saved 23 of 25 in a 5-2 win to even the series.
3 players to watch
Charle-Edouard D’Astous — The defender’s Game 1 winner was his 18th of the playoffs, breaking a 22-year-old record for most goals in a single playoff year.
Ben Tardif — Tardif’s 24 assists so far are five off the single year playoff record. He has assisted D’Astous on 15 of his 18 goals in the postseason.
Trey Bradley — The son of two-time NHL all-star Brian Bradley is the Grizzlies’ captain and has the third most points in the postseason.
About the Grizzlies
Beating Toledo would put Utah in finals, facing the winner of Newfoundland and Florida.
The Grizzlies have won their league cup once in franchise history, way back in 1996.
First-year head coach Ryan Kinasewich, a former Grizzlies star, hopes to lead his team to a second cup. Kinasewich’s squad plays a fast-paced, high-scoring style of hockey. The Grizzlies have scored 38 goals in their last nine games.
“It’s a speedy team, a team with a lot of skill,” Whiting says. “They like to get out in open ice — like hockey’s version of the fast break offense the Phoenix Suns used to run under Mike D’Antoni. They’re not that big but they have a lot of speed and skill.”
How to watch
Go: Games 3, 4 and 5 will be at the Maverik Center. Tickets start at $16 and are available through utahgrizzlies.com
Watch: FloHockey.tv
Listen: https://mixlr.com/utah-grizzlies-hockey
Schedule
Game 3 — Toledo @ Utah — Tuesday, May 20 , 7:10 p.m. MST
Game 4 — Toledo @ Utah — Friday, May 27 , 7:10 p.m. MST
Game 5 — Toledo @ Utah — Saturday, May 28 , 7:10 p.m. MST
Game 6 — Utah @ Toledo — Monday, May 30, 5:35pm MST (if necessary)
Game 7 — Utah @ Toledo — Tuesday, May 31, 5:35pm MST (if necessary)
