Utah Hockey Club loses 3-2 to Los Angeles Kings – Deseret News

If three is the number that constitutes a streak, the Utah Hockey Club is on a losing streak.

That said, Saturday’s 3-2 road loss to the Los Angeles Kings had many more positives than the previous two. Forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley stepped up offensively for Utah HC, while all three of the Kings’ goals came from defenders: one from Brandt Clarke and two from Joel Edmundson.

It was the 537th game of Edmundson’s career, but it was his first multi-goal game.

Here’s a breakdown of the good and the bad from Utah HC’s perspective. If you weren’t able to catch the game with the early kickoff time, watch the replay at 7 p.m. MDT on Utah 16.

Utah Hockey for Dummies

Utah HC couldn’t buy a goal in the last few games, but Saturday seemed like a different story.

“That was an unbelievable hockey game,” Utah HC head coach André Tourigny said. “I think we played hard (on) both sides of the puck. “I think it was a one-time game.”

A one-shot game alludes to the saying that if you’re losing by one goal, you’re really only losing by one good shot. Utah HC had many high-quality scoring opportunities that they would likely take advantage of on other occasions.

Hockey involves a lot of luck with the puck, and that wasn’t there for them on Saturday. When Keller scored Utah HC’s first goal of the game, he seemed relieved. When Cooley scored the second, the team seemed full of energy.

If they can take that momentum home on Monday, they should have no problem scoring against the San Jose Sharks.

“They’ve got some high-level skills up there, five or six of their guys, which made it pretty tough to get inside,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said after the game.

Utah Hockey for Casual Fans

Veteran forward Nick Bjugstad returned to the lineup in Los Angeles after missing the start of the season with a back injury. He immediately reunited on the third line with Lawson Crouse and Matías Maccelli.

The group played together most of the last two seasons in Arizona and had immense success doing so, and they didn’t miss a beat on Saturday.

Just minutes into the game, Maccelli threw a cross-field pass to Crouse on the run, setting him up for a glorious scoring opportunity. It was too hot for Crouse to handle, but it was a fantastic look.

Near the end of the first period, Maccelli carried the puck across the blue line, slowed down to create space and then dropped a pass to a linemate for a nice shot. He was blocked and was out of play.

Bjugstad, who is 6-foot-6, showed his strength in the second period, cutting to the front of the net and finding Crouse on the backdoor.

“He’s a big guy,” Tourigny said of Bjugstad. “He protects the puck well. You can own the puck in those types of games. “He was an asset for us today.”

The line didn’t score this time, but there are two extremely positive aspects to its game. The first is obvious: if they continue to create so many scoring opportunities in each game, some of them will go in.

The second positive is more subtle, but equally true: the more time they spend in the offensive zone, the less likely the opponent is to score. Third lines are generally relied upon for their defensive skills and when playing in the opponent’s zone, they do so very effectively.

They allowed a goal, but it was more due to their matchup than anything else. When Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe are on the ice, who wouldn’t allow a goal?

Utah Hockey for Nerds

Questions about Utah HC’s defensive corps have been raised for as long as the team has existed. With all the injuries to Utah’s backcourt right now, fans would be happy if they could just scrape by on defense. But they are doing more than that.

“We’re trying to maximize our group, try to create an offensive spark,” Tourigny said.

Ian Cole had a great game, especially in the first half. He had good looks offensively and gave Alex Turcotte the success of the season. He also appears to have taken Maveric Lamoureux under his wing, helping him to play well too.

Lamoureux seemed confident. He squandered a scoring opportunity in the first period, cutting off the hands of Warren Foegele on a breakaway. For this reason he took a penalty, but that is much preferable when the alternative is allowing a goal against.

Michael Kesselring deserves a lot of credit for the way he has improved this season, especially since Sean Durzi suffered a shoulder injury last week.

His defensive game has been good, but offensively he has shone a lot. He recorded his fifth point of the season on Saturday, setting up Logan Cooley with a pass into the box.

Juuso Välimäki was a healthy scratch against the Kings. It will surprise some, given that the alternative is Robert Bortuzzo, 35, but Tourigny mentioned after loss He told the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday that he was not happy with Välimäki’s play.

“He had offensive moments, but I think he also had, a little like everyone else, moments where he got ahead of himself,” Tourigny said.

What’s next?

Utah HC has a two-game homestand next week. They host the Sharks on Monday, followed by the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

Neither team made the playoffs last season, but neither should be underestimated. There is no such thing as an easy win in the NHL, no matter who you play.

The Sharks have yet to win a game this year, so they will be hungry. Against all odds, the Flames currently sit atop the Pacific Division standings with a 5-1-1 record.

Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 first overall pick, I’m not expected to play. due to the injury he suffered in the Sharks’ season opener. He had a goal and an assist in that game, so the Sharks will love to have him back eventually.

Will Smith, the fourth overall pick in 2023, has yet to record a point in his six games this season.

Jonathan Huberdeau is finally firing on all cylinders for the Flames. He came under a lot of criticism over the past two seasons, as he cut his point total almost in half when he was traded to the Flames from the Florida Panthers in 2022.

Most people expect the flames to cool over time, but if Huberdeau stays hot, his success could continue.

Monday’s game begins at 7 pm MDT, while Wednesday’s contest is at 7:30. Both will be televised on Utah HC+ and Utah 16.