After winning four consecutive games in December, Utah Hockey Club has dropped the next four.
Such is life as a young team still learning to play consistent hockey and manage the ebbs and flows within a 60-minute game and 82-game season. That, and it seems Utah is battling expectations of success it has put on itself.
Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena exposed some of the struggles The Club has dealt with all season — namely, giving up odd-man rushes, not extending leads and keeping composure in the third period.
“I think all night long was a little bit of the same story; we forced the play too much. I think we gave up too much,” head coach André Tourigny said. “At the end of the day, we were capable of having possession and stuff like that, but we pressed. We are feeling the pressure right now of scoring goals instead of just playing the game and what’s in front of us.”
Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny stands behind his bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Utah won 6-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Utah’s seven-game winning streak on the road was snapped, too, against the Kraken.
Before Seattle ran away with the contest, Logan Cooley gave Utah a 1-0 lead while the team was on the man advantage. The Club’s first power play unit struck once again — for the fourth time in five games — as Clayton Keller found Cooley open in the right circle where he blasted it in at 8:41 for his ninth goal of the season. The 20-year-old center is now tied with Dylan Guenther for the second-most points on the team with 32.
The Kraken responded and potted two goals in 51 seconds at the end of the opening frame. Yanni Gourde was stationed by the right doorstep and knocked in the rebound of Ryker Evans’ shot which Karel Vejmelka initially made the save on. Andre Burkovsky followed it up with a deflection in front to make it 2-1 at 18:57.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club forward Alex Kerfoot (15) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Los Angeles Kings, NHL pre-season hockey in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
“It’s a bunch of guys that really want to do the right thing, guys who really want to win,” Tourigny said. “They want to get results, but right now they’re forcing it. We’re our worst enemy at times.”
Utah found the 2-2 equalizer just before the buzzer in the second period. Michael Carcone broke into the zone off the rush and unleashed a shot from the right side. Alex Kerfoot followed the play and one-timed the rebound past Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer at 19:01. The play marked Kerfoot’s sixth goal of the year and second from the fourth line in the last three games.
“I think the more you play together and get to understand each other. … I think that’s how you make that bond, that mold and have success together,” Carcone said of his line with Kerfoot and Kevin Stenlund. “I’m playing with some high-IQ guys and they want me to take the puck wide and get it to the net. They know it’s going to go there and I know they’re going to be there.”
The Kraken regained their lead in the final stanza off of a Utah turnover in the offensive zone. Nick Schmaltz’s behind-the-back pass landed on the stick of Kaapo Kakko who launched the puck up to Jaden Schwartz on the breakaway to bury for the 3-2 lift at 7:22.
Seattle, again, got behind Utah’s defense on entry for its fourth goal of the night. Matty Beniers dashed past three Club players, towards the net and banked the puck off Vejmelka’s right pad and in to make it 4-2 at 11:09. Seattle finished it off with an empty-net tally from Jared McCann at 18:12 for the final 5-2 scoreline.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club left wing Michael Carcone (53) moves the puck down the ice during the third period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
“I think they were just getting pucks behind us in the neutral zone there and getting odd-man rushes and breakaways. Eventually, they just capitalized on one and from there it was a bit of a gong show,” Carcone said. “I think they knew that we were going to be potentially forcing plays being behind the game at that point. Then they took advantage of it.”
Utah has a quick turnaround as it plays the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday at Rogers Arena in the second night of a back-to-back on the team’s four-game road trip.
“We need to just get a little bit more mature and more patient in our game,” Tourigny said. “I love the fight in our guys. I love their desire, I love the fact that they want to compete and make a difference. It’s just we need to get under control, get more mature. … We’ll get there.”
