Following Friday night's loss to Colorado, the Utah Grizzlies ensured that Saturday night's contest wasn't going to be a repeat.
Playing with grit and determination, Utah responded furiously, defeating the Eagles 5-1 at the Maverik Center in ECHL action..
As the second period winded down, it appeared the Grizzlies were going to head into intermission with a 2-0 advantage. Forward Ryan Hayes changed that in 17 seconds.
At 17:57, Hayes charged down the ice and with an open teammate Barry Almeida waiting in the wings, Hayes kept the puck and lifted it stick side past Colorado goalie Kris Lazaruk for a 3-0 advantge. The arena announcer had barely finished announcing the goal when Hayes followed that up with a slap shot at 18:13 to transform the game into a 4-0 rout.
Starting goaltender Mark Owuya stopped 40 of the 41 shots he faced. In the third, he denied five consecutive shots in a row from point blank range, with a variety of glove, stick and toe saves.
Utah received a break in the first period as an apparent goal by Colorado forward Kyle Kraemer was waved off as the net was dislodged. Then, Utah responded with two goals in the session.
Charles Sarault rippled the back of the net with a blistering shot from the blue line to put the home team ahead 1-0. Then, Barry Almeida blazed down the ice and fed newly acquired Cody Ferriero, who found an open TJ Syner to make it 2-0.
Syner scored his second goal of the night in the third period.
Adrian Veideman scored Colorado's lone goal.
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