Pittsburgh • Dylan Guenther got the puck on the left side while on the power play and wristed it home.
It was a sequence that should be familiar to Utah Hockey Club, even if it had not seen it in quite some time. It was also a play that sealed Utah’s 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Guenther’s goal at 15:59 of the third period marked his second of the night on the man advantage and his team’s third. Saturday was the first time this season that Utah has scored three power-play goals in a single game.
“It’s huge for us, just for a confidence booster,” Guenther, who finished the contest with three points, said. “Nice for us to get a few there.”
The 21-year-old got Utah’s offensive awakening going in the first period with a slick pass to his linemate, Jack McBain. Guenther carried the puck behind the net before reverse backhanding it to McBain who was stationed on the right doorstep where he knocked it past Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. McBain’s sixth goal of the season put Utah up 1-0 at 8:54 of the first period.
Head coach André Tourigny has preached earning the “greasier” goals in order to open things up. He got a few of those from his team against the Penguins.
“Tonight we got it done, I like the way we did it as well,” Tourigny said. “I think offensively we played the way we want to play.”
Utah widened the gap at 13:07 off the rush. Clayton Keller dropped the puck to a trailing Mikhail Sergachev to snipe in for the 2-0 lead and his fifth goal of the year. Nick Schmaltz picked up an assist — his 14th — on the play and nearly made it a 3-0 game a few shifts later, but his first tally of the season was overturned for goaltender interference.
“It’s a goal in our hearts,” Nick Bjugstad said.
Schmaltz and Maveric Lamoureux took matching slashing penalties at 1:21 of the second period, giving the Penguins a 5-on-3 power play. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby potted his 600th career goal on the man advantage for a 2-1 scoreline at 3:11.
Utah did not allow things to slide like it has often done, though. Instead, the team broke its power-play goal drought.
Utah Hockey Club's Jack McBain (22) returns to the bench after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Michael Kesselring’s blast from the point deflected off Bjugstad in front for the 3-1 lead at 10:37. Bjugstad was moved to the second power-play unit this week to bring size and commotion in front of the opponent’s net. He did just that and earned his fourth goal in the last five games.
“We’ve been struggling a bit on the power play, so it’s good to get some goals there and some movement,” Bjugstad said. “It just came down to compete. I think that’s kind of the theme of the night. Good things happen when we work hard.”
Guenther logged Utah’s second power-play goal of the night at 6:38 of the third period before Alex Kerfoot tipped in Lamoureux’s point shot — while at even strength — at 7:25 for the 5-1 boost. Guenther’s second of the game made it 6-1 shortly after.
“Really good effort top to bottom and through the full 60,” Guenther said.
Perhaps lost in all the scoring was another steady showing from goaltender Karel Vejmelka who played in his third consecutive game Saturday. Vejmelka, who has assumed the starting position with Connor Ingram hurt, made 27 saves and allowed just one goal against in a second straight game.
“He’s solid and he makes good plays outside of his net, good breakout passes,” Tourigny said. “He radiates confidence.”
Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (17) smiles on the ice during warmups prior to an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah has its first back-to-back of the season on Sunday as it takes on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. The team called goaltender Jaxson Stauber up from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners to help with load management, but Vejmelka is making it hard not to go back to him against a Toronto team that’s averaging just over three goals a night.
“We will surely talk about it,” Tourigny said. “I don’t know if it’s the right move because it’s four [games] in six [days]. Probably the answer will be no, but we’ll see.”
While the Penguins were not at their best, Saturday was an affirmation that when Utah utilizes its speed, gets to the net, simplifies its defense and has a few timely saves from its goaltender, good things can happen. The question remains if the team can do it consistently.
“I think we know what we can do,” Bjugstad said. “We can produce. It’s just a matter of having that focus.”
