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GRIZZLIES UPDATE

Apr 30, 2008 | By Adrian Denny - Utah Grizzlies

The Utah Grizzlies, ECHL affiliate of the Sound Tigers, return to the E-Center for Games 3, 4 and 5 on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday to continue their National Conference semifinal best-of-seven series against the Victoria Salmon Kings. The series is currently tied at one.

In the second round series both the Grizzlies and Salmon Kings are tied at one game apiece. Tyler Haskins has returned to Utah after playing in 25 games with the Sound Tigers scoring four goals in the first two games of the series. The 21-year-old Ohio native recorded his third ECHL hat trick in three months Friday and scored Utah’s lone goal Sunday on a penalty-shot in regulation time.

Justin Bourne While the Grizzlies have over half of the team making their professional playoff debuts in 2007-08, 11 current Utah players appeared in games for the Sound Tigers at various points this season. With the Sound Tigers battling for a playoff spot all year, the players who started the year in Utah and have since returned for the Kelly Cup Playoffs, gathered valuable experience.

“It was a unique situation there, we were going down to the last couple points to make the playoffs, we didn’t, but every night the two points counted,” said Haskins. “It was a good experience overall and I’ll carry that into my next couple years.”

Rookie Keith Johnson, who played five games with the Sound Tigers in 2007-08, has two game-winning goals for the Grizzlies in this season’s playoffs and added the clinching empty-netter in game six of the first round which eliminated the Fresno Falcons and set up their current semifinal match-up with Victoria.

Defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who started the season with the Sound Tigers, has come on especially strong in the postseason. In the team’s six-game first round matchup against Fresno, MacDonald scored his first professional playoff goal. The first year Islander rookie defenseman raced down the ice to breakup a shorthanded odd-man rush, took control of the puck, skated back into the Fresno end and launched a slap-shot as he crossed the blue-line, giving Utah a 2-0 lead.

Micheal Haley, who was with the Sound Tigers nearly half of the season, showed tremendous confidence from his experience at the higher level by scoring two goals and two assists in the Grizzlies 6-1 win over Fresno on April 13.

The job that head coach Jason Christie and former Sound Tiger and current assistant coach Kevin Colley have done this season is a true reflection of the success the team is currently experiencing. To have the ability to get their team into the playoffs while filling in roster spots that have vacated by numerous call-ups and injuries by the team’s affiliates is a true accomplishment.

Utah Grizzlies Playoff Statistics:

16 Tyler Haskins – 4 goals & 3 assists for 7 points in 8 games
10 Keith Johnson – 3 goals & 4 assists for 7 points in 8 games
3 Andrew MacDonald – 2 goals & 5 assists for 7 points in 8 games
18 Micheal Haley – 2 goals & 4 assists for 6 points in 7 games
91 Olivier Labelle – 4 assists in 8 games
9 Ryan Kinasewich – 2 goals & an assist for 3 points in 5 games
27 Ryan Cruthers – A goal & 2 assists for 3 points in 8 games
7 Jeff Dwyer – A goal & 2 assists for 3 points in 8 games
14 Justin Bourne – A goal in 7 games
12 Scott Burt – An assist in 6 games