Utah and Colorado begin their first-round playoff series Thursday at 7 p.m., in Colorado.
Utah went 7-3 against the Eagles during the regular season, including the teams splitting four games going down the stretch during the month of March. Utah started the year 4-0 against Colorado before the two teams split their final six games against each other. Utah has finished at .500 or better against Colorado in the season series in all five seasons since the Eagles joined the ECHL in 2011-2012.
The Grizzlies and Colorado were the two hottest teams in the Western Conference going down the stretch. Utah was 6-3-0-1 in its final 10 games and the Eagles were 8-1-1-0.
Goaltender Ryan Faragher, (24-13-4) who was recalled to the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate in San Diego for the fourth time this year on March 30, and Matt Berry, (16 goals, 21 assists for 37 points in 38 games with Utah) who was recalled for the fourth time this year on Saturday, have both returned to the Grizzlies for the postseason.
Stealing a game on the road will be big in this series. Both the Grizzlies and Colorado continued to have exceptional home records in 2015-2016. Utah finished fourth in the ECHL with 23 home wins, and Colorado finished third in the ECHL with 24 home wins during the regular season. Utah went 3-2 on “The Ranch” this season and is 11-6 the last three seasons under Tim Branham in Colorado.
Barry Almeida led all scorers in the season series with seven goals and 12 points through nine games played. T.J. Syner was second among both teams in the season series with five goals for seven points in nine games.
Faragher went 6-3 against Colorado, and Mark Owuya went 1-0 against the Eagles, who combined to use five goaltenders in the 10 games against the Grizzlies. Faragher will be making his professional playoff debut this year after ranking 10th in the ECHL with a 2.24 goals against average during the regular season. Owuya, who went 8-6-0-1 this season with Utah, is 5-5 in the ECHL postseason but carries a 1.91 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage with two shutouts in 10 games for the Reading Royals in 2012 and 2013.
Utah drew more power-plays than Colorado in seven of 10 games this year and held a 40-32 edge on power-plays as it outscored the Eagles, 12-5, on the power-play. Grizzlies leading scorer Charlie Sarault finished second in the ECHL with 21 power-play assists during the regular season.
Utah scored three or more goals in six of 10 games against Colorado and four or more in six of the 10 head-to-head meetings. Utah goaltending allowed two goals or less against Colorado in five of 10 games and one or fewer in three of the 10 games.
Utah scored first in seven of the 10 games during the season series and finished 6-1 in those games as Colorado went 2-0-1-0 when scoring first against Utah. Utah was 27-6-0-2 this year when scoring first, while Colorado was 30-8-1-0. Utah was 32-9-1-3 when tied or ahead after one period this year and 6-0 when tied or ahead after one period against Colorado, having led after one period in only two of the games but outscoring Colorado, 12-2, in the second period in their wins. Utah was outscored, 5-1, by the Eagles in the second period of their losses. Colorado was 3-0-1-0 when leading Utah after one period this year and 22-3-1-0 overall. Colorado, however, was only 13-14-2-0 this year when tied after one period and 0-4 against Utah.
Utah’s Branham is 114-78-23 in three seasons behind the Utah bench as he’s led the team to their seventh, eighth and ninth consecutive playoff appearances. Branham has qualified for the playoffs in all seven years coaching after the Reading Royals reached the playoffs in the four years that Branham was their assistant coach. Colorado’s Chris Stewart has led Colorado to 11 playoff appearances in 11 seasons at the helm.