Brian Sipotz picked a fine time to end a five-year scoring drought.
Sipotz, a rookie defenseman, beat David LeNeveu with 50 seconds left in regulation to break a tie and lift Chicago to a 4-2 win over Utah on Tuesday night.
A fourth-round draft choice by Atlanta in 2001, Sipotz played 119 games over four seasons at Miami (Ohio) University without scoring a goal. He had been scoreless in 13 games with the Wolves and two ECHL games with Gwinnett so far in 2004-05.
Sipotz’s last goal came in 1999-2000 when he played prep-school hockey at Culver Academy in his native Indiana.
Utah held a 2-1 lead until Cory Larose started the Chicago comeback with 4:45 remaining in the third period. Karl Stewart added an empty-netter, his second goal of the night, in the final seconds.
Kari Lehtonen allowed goals to Keith Ballard and Matt Spiller in the first period, but settled down and finished with 37 saves. Peter White added two assists for the Grizzlies.
Elsewhere on Tuesday:
Brent Krahn made 29 saves for his third shutout in four starts, and Mike Zigomanis scored twice as Lowell blanked Worcester, 4-0… Jesse Schultz and Brandon Nolan recorded a goal and an assist apiece and Alexandre Burrows recorded three assists as Manitoba defeated Cincinnati, 4-2.
