Minutes before puck drop, Utah Hockey Club made a lineup change.
Despite taking warmups, captain Clayton Keller missed his first game of the season due to illness.
Accordingly, for the first time in two months, it was time for Liam O’Brien to suit up Tuesday night against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in the eventual 4-1 loss.
“I’m really proud of him. I texted him at 5, 5:05 to make sure he was showing up because Keller did not look good. He showed up and he was ready to go. He played a solid game and brought emotion and physicality like he always does,” head coach André Tourigny said. “Those are the kind of guys that sometimes need a break to prove their value.”
O’Brien slotted in his first game since Oct. 28 to fill in as The Club’s 12th forward. He logged two shots and a team-high six hits through 9:13 of total ice time while skating on the third line with Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse. Matias Maccelli was moved up to the left wing on the first line in Keller’s spot. The second and fourth lines remained the same.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) brings the puck down the ice during the game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.
“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t tough. It was tough the first little bit just to get the timing down and just the feel,” O’Brien said. “Then after that, once I got into the flow of the game, I felt pretty good. I just found myself getting more and more comfortable.”
While O’Brien became somewhat of an NHL regular with the team last season — he played in 75 games — he has been on the outside looking in in Utah. The 30-year-old has played in four games this year but has not let it deject him. Instead, O’Brien has embraced his role.
“My job is to always be ready. These are the types of situations that you stay ready for. I was ready to play. Even got a nap in this afternoon,” O’Brien said. “I knew we had some guys that were sick and stuff. Obviously, you definitely don’t want Clayton Keller not in your lineup but I was happy to fill in.”
O’Brien’s fiery entrance proved not enough to spark a Utah win, though, as it extended its loss streak to five games.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Liam O'Brien arrives at the Delta Center for UHC's first game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Mattias Ekholm put Edmonton ahead early after Utah was unable to clear the puck in front of its own net. Vasily Podkolzin gathered the loose puck and popped it out to Ekholm who wristed it from the left circle and past Jaxson Stauber who made his fourth start of the season. The play made it 1-0 at 4:26 of the first period.
The Club responded less than two minutes later with Jack McBain’s 10th goal of the year. Edmonton native Dylan Guenther dished on his backhand to McBain who drove the net and tucked the puck in for the 1-1 scoreline at 6:00. McBain is now three goals away from a new career high — the forward scored 12 in the 2022-23 season.
The Oilers pulled away in the middle frame, scoring twice in 20 seconds to take a 3-1 lead. The first was from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who benefited from a strong forecheck from his team in the offensive zone. The forward knocked in Connor McDavid’s cross-crease pass at 4:53. Troy Stecher followed it up with a snapshot from the high slot off the rush to pad Edmonton’s advantage.
“I didn’t like the quick goals. You play against a good team, those are the types of things they will do to you,” Tourigny said.
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)
Utah could not find any resolve – nor goals – in the third period. Leon Draisaitl potted an empty-net goal with 1:02 on the clock to bring the game to its final 4-1 standing.
“I still think we have a lot more in that room. I think we all would say and feel the same way about tonight’s game,” O’Brien said. “We have to find ways to win games.”
After scoring a cumulative 21 goals through six games to start December, Utah closed the month scoring just 12 goals in the last six games and has been held to two or fewer goals in the last four. That production, evidently, will not cut it on a nightly basis in the NHL.
“Obviously I don’t think we had the energy and the will and the wheels to generate a lot of offense, but I love the fight in our guys a lot,” Tourigny said.
Utah has two games remaining on its road trip. It will next face the Calgary Flames on Thursday and close it out with the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
