FRESNO, Calif. — The Utah Grizzlies finished their recent homestand with a 3-1 record and the first three-game win streak of their ECHL era to climb into a tie for second place in the West Division standings.
This weekend they'll test that success with a three-game road trip to the cream of the Pacific Division.
Utah (5-3-0 —10 points) is at Pacific-leading Fresno (6-2-1 — 13 points) tonight at 8 and plays at second-place Long Beach on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. Long Beach is 4-4-1-9 going into tonight's home game with Phoenix (3-5-1-7).
Fresno has ECHL goalie of the week Brett Jaeger, who was 2-0 with a 1.38 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in winning two of the three games the Falcons claimed last week. Utah goalie Alfie Michaud was a runner-up at 2-0 with a 1.45 GAA and .955 save percentage. He has won three straight and is tied for second in the league with four wins overall.
Utah rookie Matt Craig was runner-up for both the ECHL October player- and rookie-of-the-month honors and has seven goals and four assists. He is second in the league in goals but has dropped to 11th in scoring. Fresno's Luke Curtin with 15 points is second in ECHL scoring and first in shots taken (51).
Fresno coach Matt Thomas and players Brad Both and Fraser Clair are suspended for this game due to a Nov. 8 altercation with the Las Vegas Wranglers. The Grizzlies return to the E Center next weekend to host Phoenix on Friday and Saturday.
GRIZZ BIZZ: The Grizzlies have hired as assistant equipment manager Terry "TC" Clark, who spent 20 years as assistant trainer/equipment manager of the Utah Jazz.