Grizzlies lose game 3 to Idaho, down 2-1 in series


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WEST VALLEY CITY — The Utah Grizzlies dropped game three of their first-round ECHL playoff series to the Idaho Steelheads Saturday night at the Maverik Center, a 5-4 loss in overtime.

It was the second overtime loss for the Grizzlies in the series after they also fell in game one in Idaho by a 3-2 count in extra time. Utah had bounced back Friday to even the series with a 3-2 victory, but Saturday’s loss puts the team down 2-1 in the series heading back to Idaho for game four.

“I thought both teams played well enough to win,” said Utah coach Tim Branham following the game.

This may not have been the case Friday night, when the Grizzlies seized the advantage early and dominated the flow of play for much of the game despite an early deficit on their way to an eventual victory. But Idaho seemed to have the fresher legs this time out, outshooting Utah by a 10-2 count at one point midway through the period and controlling the pace of the game. It paid off as the Steelheads capitalized just over 11 minutes in, a point shot from Zack Kamras that was tipped past Utah goalie Igor Bobkov by Wade MacLeod to give Idaho a 1-0 lead.

Roughly midway through the frame, though, the tides changed and the Grizzlies found their legs. They drew a couple of Idaho penalties, and though they were unable to convert with the man advantage, they struck not long after. Following a Steelheads icing, Utah’s Ryan Hayes blasted a one-time shot past Idaho goalie Olivier Roy from the high slot off a slick pass from Alex Krushelnyski.

Utah continued its pressure for much of the remaining period, and with just 30 seconds left, cashed in once again as Branden Walker flew in past the defense and converted a half-breakaway following a tricky pass from Michael Pelech. The period ended with Utah ahead by this same 2-1 score, though Idaho more than doubled the Grizzlies in shots, 16-7.

The second began as a back-and-forth affair with chances on both ends, but the Grizzlies got the first tally at the 7:21 mark. Utah’s Howard Lenz sped around his man to create a two-on-one advantage, then slid the puck back for Danick Paquette to rifle home his fourth goal in just three games this series for a 3-1 Grizzlies lead.

Utah’s focus waned at this point, however. Sloppy play in its own end led to an icing call that kept tired Grizzlies skaters on the ice too long, and Idaho hemmed them in its own end and cut the deficit to one on yet another tipped shot from the point, this time credited to James Livingston.

Discipline also became an issue, with the Grizzlies taking three penalties in the period, two of which were silly and could have been easily avoided. The second of these did them in, as Idaho’s MacLeod sniped home his fourth of the series and second of the night on a man advantage with just 20 seconds left in the period to even the score at three at the intermission. Shots were 27-18 for Idaho at the end of the period.

Both teams seemed gassed for much of the third frame, the Grizzlies in particular after the previous night’s intense effort. The teams traded chances for much of the period with no results, and the game looked to be headed to overtime before Idaho’s Colton Beck threw a puck out front from behind the net that caromed off Bobkov and into the net with under two minutes remaining for a 4-3 Steelheads lead.

But not to be outdone, the Grizzlies mustered one final charge, pulling Bobkov for an extra skater. A defensive mishap by Idaho left Hayes wide open in front, and he converted off a cross-ice pass to tie the game with under a minute left, sending the game to overtime after all.

“Ryan Hayes scores big goals,” said Branham. “You can’t say enough about a guy like that.”

In the extra period, Utah began with renewed vigor and mustered a couple strong chances, including one in the slot from Walker that just missed. It proved a fatal blown chance, as Idaho’s Patrick Cullity seized a Steelheads opportunity and ripped one by Bobkov to end the game.

Idaho takes a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series back home to Boise, where game four will be played at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24.

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Ben Dowsett

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