Utah Grizzlies: Grizz take series with win over Fresno
The sixth-seeded Grizzlies eliminated the higher-seeded Fresno Falcons from the Kelly Cup playoffs Monday night at Fresno's SavMart Center — the last hockey game in that arena as Fresno moves back downtown to Selland Arena next season — in a 4-2 victory that gave Utah the 4-games-to-2 series win.
Rookie Keith Johnson got his third goal of the playoffs into an empty net with 39.3 seconds left to seal Utah's first-round series victory after Utah had nursed a one-goal lead from 10:10 of the second period into the final minute of play. Johnson has two game-winning goals and this insurance goal in his first five playoff games.
Utah must now await the outcome of the Bakersfield/Victoria series. If Victoria wins Game 6 at home tonight, it would advance and host Game 1 of the National Conference semifinals against the Grizzlies on Friday night. If Bakersfield can prolong the series to Game 7 on Wednesday night and win it, Utah would have home advantage against the Condors, and that series would start Friday night in the E Center.
It was the first goal of these playoffs for Kinasewich, who missed the first three games with injury, and it was the game-winner.
Utah again played without regular-season scoring co-leader Scott Burt, who took a puck to the face Wednesday and hasn't played since.
Recent comments
It is just jelousy or championship envy. Remember the only championship...
Mark | April 22, 2008 at 9:43 p.m.
When was the last time anyone saw a picture of any Grizzlies game...
SaltLakeGoldenGrizz | April 22, 2008 at 2:40 p.m.
I disagree with one item above: Real Salt Lake gets almost as much...
Steve | April 22, 2008 at 2:27 p.m.
