Utah Hockey Club is looking for answers. Can these changes help?

The Utah Hockey Club has not been satisfied with its recent stretch of games. The team has lost seven of its last 10 matchups — and while lessons were learned through the growing pains — it wants to win.

Following Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Nashville Predators, Utah had a rare three days until its next game; Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The group took one day to rest and had two days of full practice to prepare it for a competitive upcoming three-game homestand. Adjustments were made.

Here’s a look at how Utah is working to find solutions within its own lineup:

Carcone looks for a consistent spot

Michael Carcone played 74 games for the Arizona Coyotes last season in which he logged 29 points (21 goals, eight assists). In short, he was a bottom-six difference-maker. This year in Utah, though, Carcone has had a harder time cracking the nightly lineup.

Prior to the team sending Kailer Yamamoto to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, Utah had two extra forwards — and, in hand, healthy scratches — for each game. Even with Yamamoto off the 23-man roster, Carcone’s opportunities have been slim. The forward has skated in five games and has zero points while rotating in and out with Liam O’Brien.

“I feel that I deserve to be in this lineup every night and I’m good enough to be in this lineup,” Carcone said. “It’s about proving to myself what I can do and trying to benefit the team in the ways I know I can.”

Due to defensive load management and acclimating newly-acquired Olli Määttä on the backend, Utah rolled with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for a handful of games this month, sidelining Carcone once again.

However, Wednesday against the Hurricanes will mark Carcone’s third consecutive game in the lineup for the first time this season as Utah returns to 12 forwards and six defensemen. He will remain on the fourth line with Kevin Stenlund and Jack McBain.

“Carcone is playing well. He’s bringing speed,” head coach André Tourigny said. “Right now we need a spark offensively and I think his line with Stenlund and McBain played well. Generate good offense, but as well good forecheck. Gives energy.”

Utah, simply put, needs to score more. If Carcone can get his production going with consistent playing time, that could be an important depth boost for the team.

“Holding onto pucks, using my speed, using my shot when I have the opportunity,” Carcone said of what he’s focused on. “Not trying to do too much. Just trying to keep it simple and not try to overthink the game.”

Sergachev gets a new defensive partner

Utah wants Mikhail Sergachev to have the puck more. It makes sense seeing that he’s the team’s No. 1 defenseman who can orchestrate plays from the point, push the puck up ice and settle the pace with his possession.

To allow for this to happen, Tourigny has moved Määttä up to the first pair with Sergachev. Michael Kesselring was previously in that spot, and is now skating with Juuso Välimäki. Kesselring is another offensive defenseman who likes to have the puck whereas Määttä plays a more stay-at-home style.

“Olli has more experience, he will be a good partner for [Sergachev]…He’s been helping others, so I think he will be a good match,” Tourigny said.

Since getting traded to Utah in late October, Määttä has helped balance out the heavier minutes the defensemen have been playing due to injuries on the backend. Määttä has averaged 19:44 of ice time through five games with the team.

The 30-year-old veteran has played with many partners throughout his career. He says Sergachev is amongst the best.

“I honestly think he’s one of the top D men in this league. I think he’s strong, a very good skater, understands the game well,” Määttä said. “Obviously plays huge minutes for us…I don’t know if there’s many of those guys in this league. He’s a big part of this team.”

Määttä — who is naturally a left-shot defenseman — will have to play on his off side (the right side) while paired with Sergachev who plays on the left. Utah has five left-shot defensemen; due to different combinations, it will be usual for players to have to switch to their opposite side.

“Switching sides as a D-man — angles change, positioning changes,” Määttä said. “I feel pretty comfortable on the right side. It’s obviously different…It’s just the way it is…It’s still hockey. You make the same plays, you have the same things available.”

Nick Bjugstad moved to first line

Utah has been shut out twice in the last three games. Accordingly, Tourigny is trying to jolt his forward group into producing. With that comes line changes.

Nick Bjugstad was moved to the first line to center Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz during the last two practices, and it’s a change Tourigny said will stick for Wednesday’s game. Barrett Hayton — who previously centered the top line — was moved to Bjugstad’s previous spot on the third line between Alex Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse.

Of note, Kerfoot was placed on the first power-play unit in place of Hayton during Tuesday’s practice. That could stick for the game.

Bjugstad brings an edge to Utah’s top trio with both his size and physicality. The forward is 6-foot-6, 205 pounds and takes pride in fighting for net-front positioning and hounding loose pucks.

It will likely be a benefit for Keller and Schmaltz, the latter of which is still working for his first goal of the season despite having 12 assists.

“Those two kind of do their thing. They’re two of the highest-skilled guys on our team. When you’re playing with them, you recognize that,” Bjugstad said. “For me, it’s kind of using my size in the corners and trying to create space for them…Win my battles and get to the net.”

Bjugstad, Keller and Schmaltz played together at the end of last season in Arizona and had success. According to Natural Stat Trick, the three had 15 games together and scored a cumulative 10 goals in that span – second most of any line combination on the team that year.

While the first and third lines were tweaked at the center position, the second line of Matias Maccelli, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, and the fourth line of McBain, Stenlund and Carcone remain untouched.

Scouting Utah’s upcoming opponents

Utah has a three-game homestand at Delta Center over the next week. The team will face the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals – all groups which have been on somewhat of a hot streak as of late.

Carolina enters Wednesday’s matchup with four wins in its last five games, most recently beating the Golden Knights 5-2. The Hurricanes have averaged 4.21 goals scored per game, good for second most in the NHL. The Capitals – who Utah faces Monday – have also averaged 4.21 goals per game as Alex Ovechkin chases the league’s all-time scoring record.

“You look at our elite opponents this week. We need to look at it one game at a time,” Tourigny said. “[Wednesday] will be a good test because Carolina is probably the toughest team to play against in terms of possession and making plays.”

Utah played the Golden Knights earlier this month in Vegas and lost 4-3 in overtime. It’s a game the team will no doubt look back on as it prepares for its second meeting of the season.

“For us, we improved a lot lately defensively,” Tourigny said. “Our offense suffered from it. We need to have the right balance.”

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