Bulls Win Third Straight, Beat The Grizzlies in Shootout
San Francisco Bulls v Utah Grizzlies, March 16, 2013 – photo courtesy of Mike Tkacheff via the San Francisco Bulls web page – SFBulls.com
The Bulls win their third straight as they sneak by the Grizzlies in the shoot out six to five. It was back and forth game that saw the two teams combine for 10 goals in regulation. Peter Sivak led the Bulls with two goals on the night. Dean Ouellet had the decisive goal in the shoot out, while Taylor Nelson stopped four of five shots in the extra period. The Bulls are now 2-4 against Utah on the year.
First Period:
The first period saw plenty of action that would set the tone for the rest of the game. The Bulls would get an early power play chance to start the game. It would be the Grizzlies to strike first with the special teams. Adam Estoclet would convert a Bulls turnover into a short handed goal for his sixth goal of the year giving the Grizzlies the early advantage. Scott Langdon would get the Bulls to wake up when he dropped the gloves with T.J. Battani a little under two minutes after the goal. The Bulls would get a late goal to tie the game up before the end of the first. Peter Sivak would turn a two on one opportunity into his 32nd goal of the season to knot the game up at one. The Grizzlies out shot the Bulls nine to eight in the first.
Second Period:
Both teams would look to build on the momentum from the first. Both teams would pile on the shots as they offenses began to find their footing. Bryan Cameron would give the Bulls their first lead of the game at the 6:42 make of the second. Cameron would convert a textbook two on one with Tristan King for his 20th of season as the Bulls took a two to one lead. The Grizzlies would tie the game up with a goal late in the period. Berkley Scott would be the one to tie the game with his eight of the year with just 2:24 remaining in the period. The Bulls would quickly answer back to regain the lead just 18 seconds later. Peter Sivak would blast a one timer past Meisner for his 33rd goal of the year. The Grizzlies out shot the Bulls 18 to 17 in the period.
Third Period:
The third period was a flurry of activity as the two teams combined for five goals in the frame as they battled for the winner. Utah opened the scoring to the period at the 8:28 mark. Colin Vrock tied the game with his 24th of the season. The Bulls regained the lead in a little over a minute later as Jordan Morrison beat Meisner from the right circle for his 16th of the year. The Grizzlies did not wait long to strike back as Adam Estoclet scored his second of the game and his seventh on the year. The Bulls would regain the lead just two and half minutes later as Christian Ouellet would score his second short handed goal of the season and his 15th overall. A late power play would doom the Bulls as the Grizzlies would tie the game at the 18:14 mark of the third. A beautiful set up pass would set up Ryan Howse all alone in front of the net and he would bury it for his second on the year. The teams would head to overtime all knotted up at five. The Bulls out shot the Grizzlies 10 to seven in the period and 35 to 34 in regulation.
Overtime:
Neither team was able to find a winner in the overtime period. Both teams managed to get two shots off. Unable to find the game winning the teams headed to the shoot out.
Shoot Out:
*Utah Shoots First
- Ryan Howse – No Goal; Bryan Cameron – Goal
- Adam Estoclet – Goal; Tristan King – No Goal
- Johnathan Lessard – No Goal; Dean Ouellet – Goal
- David Eddy – No Goal; Peter Sivak – No Goal
- Colin Vrock – No Goal; SF – Not Needed
The Bulls had a strong offensive game as they challenged the rookie goalie all night. Peter Sivak was the Bulls leading goal scorer with two goals on the evening. The Bulls also added goals from Bryan Cameron, Jordan Morrison, and Christian Ouellet. Bryan Cameron and Dean Ouellet had the two goals in the shoot out period. The Grizzlies had the best player on the ice in Adam Estoclet, who had a four point night with two goals and two assists. Estoclet also had the only Grizzlies’ goal in the shoot out. Goalie Taylor Nelson had a rough night he allowed five goals on 36 shots on the night, but he stepped up when needed by stopping four of five shots faced in the shoot out. The Bulls pick up a point on Utah as they improve to 24-34-7, while the Grizzlies fall to 25-29-12. These teams will meet for the final time this season at 2:15 pm today.
Three Stars:
- Peter Sivak – San Francisco
- Adam Estoclet – Utah
- Dean Ouellet – San Francisco