Grizzlies take to road

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Having been a .500 team over the last 10 games — seven of them at home — the Utah Grizzlies (9-19-0-2) will see what they're made of on the road.

Tonight they start a seasonlong eight-game trip at the AHL's No. 1 team, 18-8-0-2 Manchester, which also leads the league in four major scoring categories (116 goals, 209 assists, 325 points, 39 power play goals). The game is at Verizon Wireless Arena, where Utah was 1-0-1 last season, at 5 p.m. MST.

The Monarchs boast three of the league's top four scorers in No. 1 Yanick Lehoux 45 points), No. 2 Michael Cammalleri (44) and No. 4 Tom Kostpoulos (38). Manchester broke a three-game losing streak and has now won two straight. Even in its losing streak, it gained two points with a shootout and an overtime loss.

Utah is 0-2 against the Monarchs this season, having lost 5-3 in the E Center Oct. 20 and been shut out by goalie Adam Hauser 5-0 Oct. 23 in a Grizzly "home" game at Staples Center in Los Angeles; the L.A. Kings are Manchester's parent team.

From Manchester, Utah moves on to Hartford for New Year's Eve (2 p.m. MST) and New Year's Day (5 p.m. MST) games. Hartford is tied for the No. 2 overall standing in the 28-team AHL with 45 points on a 21-7-1-2 record. Utah then goes back to Manchester Jan. 5, hits Cincinnati Jan. 7-8 and Rochester Jan. 14 and 16.

Only one of Utah's four opponents on this road swing has a losing record: Cincinnati, 13-17-0-2. Rochester is tied for sixth in the league with 38 points and a 16-7-3-3 record.

Utah goes 30 days between home games, not hosting again until Cleveland calls Jan. 21-22.