WEST VALLEY CITY — With five players still on call-ups to the parent Dallas Stars, who are having a number of injury problems, the Utah Grizzlies have made some call-ups of their own, needing depth for tonight's game at 7 in the E Center with the Houston Aeros.
With veteran defenseman Jeff MacMillan being Dallas' latest recall from Utah, on Monday, the Grizzlies reached to their Idaho Steelheads affiliate in the ECHL to recall center Zenon Konopka and defenseman Darrell Hay, son of Utah coach Don Hay, on Tuesday. Both were to be available to play tonight.
Konopka, 22, played eight games and scored five goals and seven assists in Boise. Hay, 23, played 18 games for Idaho and is the team's No. 2 scoring defenseman with 13 points and was +10 on the ice during November.
It's a battle of the two worst teams in the American Hockey League, Utah at 6-12-1-2 for 15 standings points, and Houston, the defending Calder Cup champion, at 5-12-2-2 for 14 points. They are the two lowest point totals in the 28-team AHL.
Led by three goals from newcomer Antti Mietenen, Utah was 2-2 on its four-game roadie last week. But it has not won at home since a 5-2 victory over Manitoba on Nov. 12 and has a three-game losing streak in the E Center.
Houston's last victory was Nov. 11, 3-1 at Grand Rapids. It has lost six and tied one since.
Both teams have been good penalty killers, Houston ranking fifth in the AHL at 89.09 percent efficiency and Utah ranking seventh (88.89), but they are the league's two worst power-play scorers, Houston getting goals on 13 of 79 chances and Utah on 10 of 111 man-advantage situations.
Center Jarrod Skalde with five goals and 11 assists is Utah's scoring leader, followed by center David Gove with nine points. For Houston, center Rickard Wallin has 15 points, followed by 12 each from right wings Kyle Wanvig and Dan Cavanaugh.
Tonight's game kicks off a three-game homestand. Cincinnati visits Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
E-mail: lham@desnews.com