West Valley City • After back-to-back shootout wins, the Utah Grizzlies had Ontario right where they wanted them Friday night.
The Reign, however, failed to read the script.
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Highlights
Ontario snaps Utah’s two-game winning streak with a 3-2 shootout victory at the Maverik Center.» Logan MacMillan and Mitch Wahl score for the Grizzlies, who rally from a 2-0 deficit.
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Tristan King and Geoff Irwin beat goalie Andrew Engelage in Utah’s third straight shootout and Ontario escaped with a 3-2 ECHL victory at the Maverik Center.
Logan MacMillan and Mitch Wahl scored in regulation, but Reign goaltender Jean-Francois Berube stopped four of the Grizzlies’ five shots in the shootout.
In search of its first three-game winning streak since October, Utah rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime and earn one point.
"It was definitely a step in the right direction," said coach Kevin Colley. "… I thought, all in all, there were a lot of positive signs, for sure. We just have to keep growing as a group — together — every day."
Utah started well and outshot the Reign, 8-0, in the opening four minutes.
The Grizzlies couldn’t break through, however, and Ontario took the lead when Bill Bagron and Kyle Kraemer scored during a seven-minute stretch of the second period.
Bagron’s goal was initially disallowed by referee Don Jablonski because of a high stick, but, after consulting with the linesman, he reversed the call.
After MacMillan made it 2-1 going into the third period, Wahl tied the game with 16:31 remaining with a goal as picturesque as any scored this side of the NHL.
After dropped a pass to Colin Vock, Wahl angled toward the goal. Vock hit him with a perfectly-timed drop pass and Wahl fired a wrist shot past Berube.
"... A play that developed higher in the offensive zone," Wahl said. "I cut across the middle and dropped it to Vock. He’s a really good, heads-up player and he was able to find me. So nice play from him."
In the shootout, Wahl scored first, but Berube then stopped Paul McIlveen, Kory Falite and Armstrong.
"The last few games," Colley said, "we’ve been able to battle back. Obviously, there’s no quit in that [locker] room."
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