Hockey: Steelheads up 2-0 over Grizzlies thanks to late goal

BOISE — The Idaho Steelheads broke a 3-3 tie with 1:41 left in regulation to defeat the Utah Grizzlies 4-3 Saturday night in Boise. Idaho takes a 2-0 series lead with the series headed back to the E Center starting Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Utah took three separate one-goal leads in the game, but Idaho battled back each time.

Lance Galbraith banged in a Ryan Kinasewich shot off of the back wall to give Utah a 1-0 lead 7:21 into the first period.

The Steelheads came back to tie 3:31 later at 10:52; Utah killed four shorthanded situations in the first period, including four-straight minutes that also had two minutes of five-on-three hockey for Idaho.

Utah took a 2-1 lead that it carried into the third period on a Tom May redirection as he knocked in a Kinasewich power-play shot with 53 seconds left in the second period.

Idaho tied the contest 2:22 into the third period before the Grizzlies again grinded the puck deep and May knocked in a puck on the backhand with 9:17 left in regulation.

Idaho tied with a four-on-three power-play goal with 7:35 left in the third and John-Scott Dickson clanged a post to score with 1:41 left to finish the contest and that proved to be the game-winner.

Kinasewich (two assists) and Malcolm MacMillan (two assists) also chipped in multiple-point games for Utah.

Mike Morrison stopped 30 of 34 shots and 24 of 25 through two periods for Utah to keep the contest tight.

2nd-round playoff series for ECHL Kelly Cup

Utah vs. Idaho, best-of-seven

Game 1: Idaho 7, Utah 2

Game 2: Idaho 4, Utah 3

Game 3, Tuesday: at Utah, 7 p.m.

Game 4, Friday: at Utah, 7 p.m.

*Game 5, April 24: at Utah, 7 p.m.

*Game 6, April 27: at Idaho, 7:10 p.m.

*Game 7, April 28: at Idaho, 7:10 p.m.

* if necessary