Utah Grizzlies coach Kevin Colley said before the postseason began that his team shouldn't be judged by its seeding, or even its staggering finish to the regular season.

In the same token, he's not about to underestimate No. 6-seeded Victoria, which comes to Maverik Center this weekend to open the second round of playoffs.

"They're going to be a tough team," Colley says. "They have a lot of guys who know how to win in the playoffs."

Utah beat Stockton by picking on its hotheads, by provoking penalties and converting power-play opportunities. The Grizzlies picked on Tyson Sexsmith, who wasn't the Thunder's top option in the net.

But Victoria is built differently. The Salmon Kings' veterans won't be so easily drawn into meaningless scrums. They have seasoned skaters, such as Rob Hennigar, who was among the leading assist men this year.

And in goal, they're set with David Shantz, who boasted one of the top goals-against averages and save percentages in the league. In short, though the Grizzlies are the higher-seeded team, it's not going to be easy against a squad they went 3-5 against this year.

"The last series, we really outworked Stockton," forward Paul McIlveen says. "Victoria has a lot more skill. We're still going to have to play hard, but we have to be sharp as well."

That will mean continuing the recent scoring outburst: Utah leads the ECHL with 16 goals in only four postseason games, including six goals during power plays. Simon Ferguson, McIlveen, Matt Reber and Kevin Deeth are all among the top five in postseason points.

The Grizzlies proved they belong in the playoffs. Now they just need to prove they can stay there.

"We know nothing's going to be handed to you," center Marcus Carroll says. "We know they're an older, more experienced team. We just have to wear them down."

kgoon@sltrib.com —

ECHL playoffs Utah vs. Victoria

P Friday • Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday • Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20 • Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.

Friday, April 22 • Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.

Saturday, April 23* • Utah at Victoria, 8:05 p.m.

Monday, April 25* • Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday, April 27* • Victoria at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

*If necessary