Grizzlies rout Victoria, stay unbeaten at home

WEST VALLEY CITY — Just down from AHL Bridgeport on Halloween, winger Trevor Smith played his first game for the Utah Grizzlies on a line with Ryan Kinasewich, the top scorer for Utah since it moved to the ECHL three seasons ago. Smith saw Kinasewich score a hat trick that night in Idaho, and the next day, last Saturday, Kinasewich was called up to Bridgeport.

Leading Grizzlies' goalscorer Scott Burt was called up for a game with Bridgeport Wednesday.

"I think it motivates you even more," said Smith about seeing a couple of veteran free agents get called up by the team he just left. He could only say "good for them" and hope his breakout game Friday night in the E Center will lead to his own return to the AHL club.

Smith's four points were the biggest scoring night of the season for Utah.

It's the kind of benefit — motivation over the chance to advance — that the Grizzlies hoped to see when they signed on as part of the New York Islanders' chain last summer after two years as independents.

Smith, admitting frustration at not having gotten a goal in his first three games, scored two goals and two assists to help the Grizzlies to a rollicking 7-1 win over a team that had come in on a four-game win streak, the Victoria Salmon Kings, who were 5-2 and second in the ECHL West until Friday. They're still second at 5-3. Utah is now 4-5.

The Salmon Kings get two chances for revenge in the E Center, tonight and Monday, 7 p.m. each.

"We can't live off this one game," cautioned Utah coach Jason Christie. In terms of competitiveness and playing smart, Christie called it Utah's best game so far. Obviously, they made an effort to put a lot of traffic in front of the Victoria net, both shots and players, as a couple goals came from close-in.

"We just had a sense of confidence at home," said Smith. Utah is 3-0 in the E Center.

Smith's first goal, on a scramble near the net of formerly unbeaten Victoria goalie Julien Ellis (2.32 goals-against average coming in) came at 17:11 of the first period, bounced off a defender's stick to Utah defenseman Sean Offers, and he passed to Smith for a score that seemed to ignite the Grizzlies, who played well for all 60 minutes.