It was close, but not close enough for Utah Hockey Club on Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings.
The team fell 3-2 at Crypto.com Arena, extending its losing streak to three games. While the Hockey Club got semblances of its scoring touch back with goals from Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley, the Kings capitalized at opportune times of the game — including a tally from Joel Edmundson a minute into the third period — to take the two points from Utah.
“I like the way the guys fought. Obviously it’s not the result we want, but it’s a good league, good team,” head coach André Tourigny said. “I think we played hard on both sides of the puck. I think it was a one-shot game.”
The Kings' Brandt Clarke opened the scoring. His blast from the point beat Utah goaltender Connor Ingram while the Kings were on the power play. A Michael Kesselring holding penalty put LA up a man and Clarke’s goal made it 1-0 at 7:51 of the second period.
The Kings doubled their advantage at 13:10. An attempt to clear the puck out of the zone by Robert Bortuzzo was blocked and LA charged the net. Adrian Kempe’s initial shot jumped around in the crease before hitting Edmundson on the left doorstep for a rebound goal and a 2-0 lead.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club players celebrate the goal by Clayton Keller (9), in the inaugural game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Delta Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Keller got Utah on the board with just under five minutes remaining in the middle frame. Mikhail Sergachev dished Keller the puck from the point and the captain one-timed it home from the right circle while Barrett Hayton screened LA’s goaltender Darcy Kuemper. The play made it 2-1 at 15:55 and marked Kellers’ fifth goal and team-leading ninth point of the season.
Keller has tied Dylan Guenther for most goals with five. Guenther has not scored since Oct. 12 in the overtime win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Nick Bjugstad made his season debut with Utah Hockey Club after being sidelined with an upper-body injury since training camp. The center was reunited with linemates Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli — the trio played nearly 50 games together last season in Arizona. Crouse finished the game with three shots and Bjugstad kept pace well and pushed play in his first game action since April.
Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad is congratulated for his goal against the St. Louis Blues during the first period during an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
“I thought we had some good spurts. It’s a one-goal game. Have to find ways to win that,” Bjugstad said. “The good teams find ways to win in certain situations like that.”
Edmundson potted his second goal of the night a minute into the third period and snatched the momentum back for LA. The defenseman released a slapshot from the blue line after Utah lost a defensive zone faceoff and padded the Kings’ lead, 3-1, at 1:09.
Cooley brought Utah within one, 3-2, at 9:47 of the third with his first tally of the season. The 20-year-old forward stationed himself in front of the net and tipped in Kesselring’s back-handed pass from just above the goal line. Utah ultimately could not find the equalizer before the final buzzer.
“I think it’s great for him. He’s working hard,” Tourigny said of Cooley. “He played his best game in a couple games. Really liked his game on both sides of the puck, his compete level.”
Cooley had been hunting for his first of the year after posting six assists in eight games. He said he’s been working on simplifying his game to produce offense.
“Second year in the league, you still kind of dwell on some things a little bit. For me, it’s all about trying to stay positive,” Cooley said. “I was thinking too much and it kind of got me off my game. I’m looking to get back to playing like the player I am. Obviously the goals will come, I’m not too worried about that.”
Despite the loss, Utah continued to dominate from the face-off circle, going 60% against the Kings. Kevin Stenlund — who centers the fourth line — had a 73.3 face-off percentage (11-for-15) on Saturday after going 13-for-20 from the dot on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. Forward Barrett Hayton also showed face-off consistency, going 63% (10-for-16).
Stenlund now leads Utah in faceoff wins this season with a cumulative 76-for-120 (63%) through nine games.
“With faceoffs, I’m going to win faceoffs,” Stenlund said. “We are just trying to play hard, play our game and points and stuff will come.”
Utah will return to Delta Center on Monday for a matchup against the San Jose Sharks and try to get back in the win column.
“Not ideal going three [losses] in a row here, but can’t hit the panic button,” Bjugstad said. “And when you win, you can’t feel too high of yourself. We’ve got the tools, we’ve got the guys in there. It’s just going to come down to having that killer instinct.”
