By Martin Renzhofer

| The Salt Lake Tribune

West Valley City • A week’s rest was the best remedy for the Utah Grizzlies, which faced the Bakersfield Condors on Friday night in the Maverik Center.

With 11 players out of the lineup due to a various types of injury, the state of the Grizzlies overall health required the six-day Christmas break.

At a glance

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Grizzlies 6, Condors 5

Utah forward Bryan Cameron scores two goals in less than two minutes.

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However, with three of the four of its leading scorers still unavailable no one could have predicted the ensuing barrage, one that saw Utah better its season-high in goals during an exhausting 6-5 victory.

"We left everything out there," said Utah coach Kevin Colley. "We were playing five guys shot tonight. The effort we got from everyone in the locker room was outstanding. It was a group of guys who layed everything on the ice and played with passion."

Goals on both sides came in bunches as shots rained on both goalies, 76 in total.

Nick Tuzzolino scored the eventual game winner less than four minutes into the final period. From there, the Grizzlies (15-12-0-3) defense and goalie Shane Owen dug in.

"We had to keep our head down and keep pushing," Colley said. "We were a little bit more poised in there, we were running around. … I don’t think we had the energy to run around."

The game began well enough for Utah, which has been scratching for goals. Early in the first period, center Bryan Cameron scored twice in less than 90 seconds, including a long-range power-play effort from the top slot.

"Couple shots, couple goals," Cameron said. "I was definitely happy with that. "It was one of those kind of nights. Fortunately it went our way at end."

Utah’s two-goal advantage didn’t last long as the Condors (7-22-3-0) responded with three consecutive goals to close out the first period, including a short-handed effort. They added one more early in the second.

Seemingly out of it, the Grizzlies responded with a rapid string of three goals, that last two coming 19 seconds apart. Forward Paul McIlveen closed out the flurry with his 12th goal of the season, taken from what appeared to be an impossibly narrow angle between Bakersfield goalie Bryan Pitton and the left post.