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

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

That said, Saturday’s 3-2 loss away to the Los Angeles Kings had a lot 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 defensemen: one from Brandt Clarke and two from Joel Edmundson.

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

Here’s a look at the good and the bad from Utah HC’s perspective. If you weren’t able to catch the game at the early start time, catch the replay at 7:00 PM MDT on Utah 16.

Utah hockey for dummies

Utah HC could not buy a goal in recent games, but on Saturday it seemed to be a different story.

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

A one-shot game refers to the adage that if you’re down by a goal, you’re actually only one good shot behind. Utah HC had many high-quality scoring chances that would likely be taken on other occasions.

Hockey involves a lot of puck luck, and that wasn’t possible on Saturday. When Keller scored the first goal of the game for Utah HC, he seemed relieved. When Cooley scored the second, the team looked energized.

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

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

Utah hockey for casual fans

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

The group played together in Arizona for most of the past two seasons with tremendous success, and they didn’t miss a beat on Saturday.

Just minutes into the match, Maccelli threw a cross-slot pass to Crouse in a hurry, setting up a glorious scoring opportunity. It was just a little too hot for Crouse, but it looked great.

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 clear shot. It was blocked and went out of play.

Bjugstad, who stands 6-foot-4, showed his strength in the second period by 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. He 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 extreme positives to their play. The first is obvious: if they keep creating so many scoring chances every game, some of them will go in.

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

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

Utah hockey for nerds

Questions have been asked about Utah HC’s defensive corps for as long as the team has existed. With all the injuries on Utah’s back end right now, fans would be happy if they could just survive defensively. But they do more than that.

“We tried to maximize our group and create a spark offensively,” Tourigny said.

Ian Cole had a great game, especially in the first period. He looked good offensively and scored the goal of the season on Alex Turcotte. He also seems to have taken it Maveric Lamoureux under his care, which also allowed him to play well.

Lamoureux looked confident. He broke up a scoring opportunity in the first period by slicing Warren Foegele’s hands on a breakaway. He received a penalty for it, but that is preferable if the alternative is a goal against.

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

His defensive play was good, but he really shined offensively. He recorded his fifth point of the season on Saturday, setting up Logan Cooley with a pass.

Juuso Välimäki was a healthy scratch against the Kings. Some may be surprised by that, as the alternative is 35-year-old Robert Bortuzzo, but Tourigny mentioned after the loss told the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday that he was unhappy with Välimäki’s play.

“He had moments in attack, but I think he also – a bit like everyone – had moments where he was ahead of himself,” Tourigny said.

What’s next?

Utah HC has a two-game homestand in the coming 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 haven’t won a game yet this year, so they’ll 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, he is not expected to play due to an injury he suffered in the Sharks’ season opener. He had a goal and an assist in that game, so the Sharks will ultimately want him back.

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 has been the subject of much criticism over the past two seasons, nearly cutting his point total in half when he was traded from the Florida Panthers to the Flames in 2022.

Most people expect the Flames to eventually cool off, but if Huberdeau stays hot, their success can continue.

Monday’s contest begins at 7:00 PM MDT, while Wednesday’s competition begins at 7:30 PM. Both will air on Utah HC+ and Utah 16.