Aces hold on to top Grizzlies

WEST VALLEY CITY — Two breakaway goals got the Utah Grizzlies skating hard again. But Alaska already had a three-goal lead, and Utah couldn't make good on a couple of other third-period chances as it opened a four-game homestand in the E Center Wednesday night with yet another loss to first-place Alaska, 4-3.

It's the first time Utah has lost to Alaska in Utah after being 0-4-1 up north.

"Just didn't bury it. Just like up there. Same thing the last two games. The goaltender is playing well for them," said Grizzlies coach Jason Christie, whose 32-23-6 club has lost four straight to Alaska in the past since the beginning of March.

The 48-9-4 Aces, a team that sells advertising panels where it sits, on the tail end of its sweaters, are the ECHL's overall leaders, and the two teams will play twice again next week.

Utah had been on a 10-day layoff due to rescheduling caused by last fall's Gulf Coast hurricanes, and the rust was thick.

"No question. We battled there a little bit. Came on a little bit too late," said Christie.

Alaska led 4-1 after two periods, but Grizzly forward Kris Kasper stole a puck at mid-ice and sent Garett Cameron screaming in on a breakaway from the blue line in a short-handed situation, and he scored at 5:02 against Aces goalie Matt Underhill.

That started the Grizzlies' motor, though they couldn't score on a 5-on-3 power play. However, Ryan Kinasewich was sent on another breakaway by Louis Dumont and cut the lead to 4-3 at 9:53, then hit Underhill from behind in the leg a few moments later with a puck that came close to tying the game but didn't.

"When you're hot, you stop them anyway," said Christie.

The third-period energy is something Utah needs to hold onto. "It's something where we've just got to carry that over to Friday," Christie said. Idaho is in for one game Friday night, and then Alaska is back next Wednesday and Friday.

Until the third, Utah was a step slower than the Aces, who played three games over the weekend. "You can tell we've been off for a while defensively, giving the puck away in the . . . zone quite a bit. You're going to have that with 10 days off," said Christie. "Everybody is just trying to get used to one another again."

NOTES: Right wing Joe Dusbabek and defenseman Brent Henley, picked up Tuesday in a trade for the suspended Long Beach acquisition Nick Ganga, each played regular shifts Wednesday — until Dusbabek was rammed neck-first into the boards with about four minutes to play . . . Defenseman Ian Forbes left the game early with a leg injury and didn't return, forcing forward Trevor Baker to play defense . . . Four Aces have played for Utah teams. Kimbi Daniels was a Salt Lake Golden Eagle in 1993-94, and Barrett Heisten (2001-04), Peter Metcalf (2004-05) and Mike Lee (2004-05) are ex-Grizzlies.

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