Salt Lake City, UT – Jarrod Skalde notched a goal and two assists, as the Utah Grizzlies beat the Houston Aeros 6-1 at the ‘E’ Center. Jason Bacashihua finished with 38 saves and Andrew Berenzweig, David Gove, Jeff MacMillan, Justin Cox and Eric Schneider each had goals for Utah, which scored three times in the first period – more goals than the Grizzlies had scored in any game this season.

Mark Cavosie scored and Kyle Kettles made 25 saves in his first AHL start for the Aeros, who have dropped three straight, scoring only three goals in that span. Houston has been outscored 14-3 over the last two nights.

The Grizzlies took control with a three-score first period – including two power-play tallies – despite being outshot 17-12.

Utah struck first with Berenzweig’s goal, which came 30 seconds after an interference call to Jason Beckett. Skalde picked up the first of his two power-play assists on the score, which came at the 3:34 mark.

Houston’s Derek Boogaard and Utah’s Mike Sgroi had their first of two heavyweight bouts just more than a minute later.

MacMillan put Utah up 2-0 on the power play at 8:42, less than a minute after a cross-checking call to Jason Marshall.

The Grizzlies had just one power play goal on 63 chances entering the game. The 1.6 clip was by far the worst in the AHL.

Schneider made it 3-0 with 4:21 remaining in the stanza.

The rest of the period was physical, as Boogaard and Sgroi again went at it. Marshall and Utah’s Steve Gainey also fought.

The Aeros regrouped at the intermission, and lit the lamp just 2:56 into the second. Cavosie scored on an assist from Kyle Wanvig, as Houston got off the first five shots of the period.

Gove restored the Utah lead to three goals, though, midway through the second. Just more than two minutes later, Skalde’s third point of the night – a goal – made it 5-1 Utah.

Cox finished the scoring with 4:33 gone by in the third.

Houston finished 0-for-5 on the power play, and is one for its last 27 with the man advantage. Utah went 2-for-2.

Notes:
Utah had scored two goals on six occasions this season, including in a 2-1 win at Toyota Center on October 26.

Houston had killed off all but one of 38 shorthanded chances this season entering the game.

The Grizzlies’ 1.6 goals per game average was 28th out of 28 AHL teams coming into the contest.