Utah Grizzlies advance with playoff win

WEST VALLEY CITY — All the talk before the Utah Grizzlies' do-or-die Game 5 showdown against Las Vegas in the opening round of the Kelly Cup playoffs was about how the Grizz needed to bring it for 60 minutes.

Inconsistency had plagued Utah throughout its roller-coaster first-round playoff series, and to be able to ultimately get past Vegas and into the next round, Utah's players and coaches believed they needed to play well from start to finish.

In the final analysis, saying that Utah played well from start to finish in Tuesday's decisive Game 5 may be an understatement.

Following a quality opening period of hockey in which they led 1-0, the Grizzlies blitzed the Wranglers for three goals in just over two minutes of play in the second period and never looked back en route to a dominating 5-1 victory in front of 3,609 fans at the E Center.

"That was a hell of a performance by everybody," said Utah coach Kevin Colley. "That's a huge lift for us when guys play like that. They left it all on the line — nothing to lose — and I'm proud of them right now.

"I can't say enough about every guy in that locker-room right now," Colley added. "They got something special in there, and they proved it tonight. You play like we did, you're gonna have some success."

Utah advances to meet the Idaho Steelheads in the second round of the Kelly Cup playoffs. Game 1 of the seven-game series will be at 7 p.m. on Friday in Boise, with Game 2 to follow 24 hours later.

The Steelheads are regarded by many as the best team in the ECHL this season and will undoubtedly present a number of challenges to the Grizzlies. However, if Utah's players perform like they did in Game 5 against Las Vegas, they'll have a chance against just about anyone.

Leading 1-0 after an energized opening period Tuesday evening, the Grizzlies turned on the afterburners during the early stages of the second period. And when that happened, Las Vegas, quite simply, didn't stand a chance.

AJ Perry got Utah's three-goal salvo started with a goal in front of the net just 2:57 into the second period.

Tim Crowder added another goal 14 seconds later, and captain Ryan Kinasewich completed the burst with a nice goal less than two minutes later when Utah had a short stanza of 4 vs. 3 hockey.

Kinasewich cut across from right to left, made himself some space and then fired a fantastic shot into the net.