West Valley City • Any resemblance between the Utah Grizzlies who started the season with the ECHL's best record and the team now playing at the Maverik Center is purely coincidental.

That fact was reinforced Monday night, when Idaho scored a 2-1 shootout victory over Utah, which suffered its seventh straight defeat.

The Grizzlies' biggest problem?

They battled the Steelheads without 10 injured players, five who have been called up to the American Hockey League and one who is on bereavement leave. To make it worse, Utah lost high-scoring Jeff LoVecchio in the second period, when he was driven into the boards by Idaho's Andrei Plekhanov and did not return.

Asked about his manpower shortage, coach Kevin Colley said, "I haven't seen anything like this. Have we played short? Absolutely. But it definitely hasn't been this large. ... It's frustrating, but we brought in some guys and got some 'compete' out of them. And we'll take a point right now."

The game was tied, 1-1, after overtime. But Idaho got the shootout victory when goalie Jerry Kuhn stopped four straight Utah shots.

"I'm proud of every guy in that locker room," Colley said. "We battled. We left everything out there, and that's all we ever ask. Hopefully, we get healthy sooner or later." —

Grizzlies lose seventh straight

R Idaho scores a 2-1 shootout win over Utah on Monday night at the Maverik Center.

• The Grizzlies, shorthanded after injuries and call-ups, lose their seventh straight.