Utah Hockey Club brought itself within a goal from the Florida Panthers with just under seven minutes left to play Wednesday night.
However, as has been the case often recently, the team could not find a way to push itself over the edge against a tough opponent. And so, the Panthers ultimately won 4-1 at Delta Center, handing Utah its seventh loss in the last eight games.
“We were in it all night. I think we were managing the puck the right way. Obviously, they’re a team that has won in the past, they don’t give you much,” said Logan Cooley who scored Utah’s lone goal. “I think we’re in it with these teams like Dallas, Florida. The goals are going to start to come. I think we’ve just got to stay positive and take the positives out of it.”
To start December, Utah won six of seven games and scored four or more goals in five of those matchups, three in another and was held to one goal only once. Ahead of Wednesday’s contest, Utah scored two or fewer goals in six of its last eight games; it also allowed its opponents to score three or more goals in seven of those games.
Against the Panthers, Utah scored once.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club defenseman Olli Maatta (2) and defenseman Ian Cole (28) work to move 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.
“Offensively, we need to be more connected,” head coach André Tourigny said. “I feel we were pretty good defensively. Offensively, we did not have the same speed, rhythm, puck movement coming from our breakout to the offensive zone.”
The Club ranks 24th out of 32 in the league for goals scored a night with a cumulative 114 through 40 games and 20th in the league for goals against with 118.
Where has Utah Hockey Club’s scoring gone? And what can it do to get the production back?
“It’s a long season. I think you’re going to go through ups and downs individually and as a team,” Jack McBain said. “There’s going to be games where you score and you probably shouldn’t have and games where it’s the opposite.”
That sentiment held true for stretches of Wednesday’s game, specifically a second period in which it unleashed 17 shots on goal to the Panthers’ 13. Utah was pesky around the net and jumped on rebound opportunities, but nothing would give.
“You look at who we played against as well. The teams who kept us low, they’re elite in the league,” Tourigny said. “I’m not unhappy about the offense we’re generating. Maybe we don’t score as much, but we’re generating chances.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) looks to pass as Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov (63) defends during the third period of the game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.
The problem is, Utah’s opponents are also generating consistent chances.
After a physical but tempered first period from Utah, the team quickly got behind to start the middle frame. Barrett Hayton took a high-sticking penalty 16 seconds into the period and put the Panthers’ top-10 power play on the ice.
Sam Reinhart capitalized on the man advantage with a shot from the slot dished to him by Matthew Tkachuk who was on the goalline. Reinhart’s tally made it 1-0 at 1:05.
Florida extended its lead to open the final stanza. Jesper Boqvist got the puck by the inside hash marks and snapped it past Karel Vejmelka for the 2-0 advantage at 1:48.
Utah gave up two goals within the first two minutes of both the second and third periods.
“I thought we hung in there for a long time. It was a good game, a lot of good stuff. But unfortunate,” McBain said. “The result is frustrating, but I think there’s a lot of good things to take out of each game. Learn from it.”
Cooley pulled his team within one while Utah skated on its fourth power play of the night. Clayton Keller, who was stationed above the right circle, dropped the puck to Cooley in front of the net where he wired the puck in at a sharp angle for his 11th goal of the season.
The play also marked Cooley’s 35th point of the year, passing Dylan Guenther for the second-most points on the team and just five behind Keller. Cooley is now 10 points away from setting a new career high.
“I think you learn a little bit each year. Last year was a lot of ups and downs. This year I feel a lot more steady,” Cooley said. “Confidence is a big thing and I’m kind of having that right now.”
Utah could not close the gap, though. Boqvist and Eetu Luostarinen each potted an empty-net goal in the final minutes of the game as Vejmelka was pulled for the extra skater and sealed the 4-1 victory.
Utah was a goal away. And then it wasn’t.
“For us, it’s just continue to simplify. Get pucks to the net and make sure there’s traffic,” Cooley said. “It’s obviously frustrating when it’s a one-goal game and you can’t find the next shot.”
