With less than two minutes remaining in the third period, Barrett Hayton corralled the puck along the boards, looped up to the top of the right circle and wired it in, sending the home crowd to its feet.
The forward’s eighth goal of the season secured a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks Friday night and marked Utah Hockey Club’s first regulation victory at Delta Center since Nov. 13.
“It’s huge. That next goal — I think we’ve been in a lot of one-goal games where we haven’t been able to get that last one, capitalize or just execute on a couple scoring plays,” Hayton said. “This is a big homestand that we have to take advantage of. That’s a good start.”
While Hayton’s tally earned Utah a late lead, the work was not done. Kevin Stenlund was dealt a double-minor penalty for high-sticking with 56 seconds remaining in regulation which put Utah on a four-minute kill to close out the game.
The team — boosted by Alex Kerfoot’s gritty play — did not allow the Sharks to score on the last-second advantage, avoided overtime and banked the much-needed full two points.
It also helped relieve some of the pressure Utah has felt with its recent losing record in Salt Lake City.
“We put a tremendous amount of pressure on ourselves and that showed a lot. We were gripping. Wanting to be too good,” head coach André Tourigny said. “We want to win, we want to get in the race, we want to climb in the standings and all those things. That comes with a ton of pressure — internally and externally.”
Giving up an early goal did not help those mental matters, but Utah was able to refocus and shut it down defensively after that.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club celebrates their goal in the final minutes of the game, in NHL action between the Utah Hockey Club and the San Jose Sharks, at the Delta Center, on Friday, Jan 10, 2025.
The Sharks wasted no time in the first period and got on the board 58 seconds into the game. Utah lost a defensive-zone faceoff which led to Fabian Zetterlund’s rebound shot from the slot to make it 1-0.
Nick Schmaltz knotted things 1-1 for Utah in the middle frame. The forward circled the puck around the zone before choosing his spot and sniping it from the right circle past Sharks’ goaltender Alexander Georgiev at 5:57. It was Schmaltz’s seventh goal and 30th point of the season.
Nick DeSimone logged his first point with Utah Hockey Club after getting claimed off waivers by the team last week. The defenseman had the secondary assist on Schmaltz’s goal while skating on the third pair with Juuso Välimäki.
“Really good,” Tourigny said of DeSimone’s debut. “Honestly I think he moved well. Didn’t complicate his game, made good passes, he skated well. Happy about the first impression.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) San Jose Sharks goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) and Utah Hockey Club defenseman Nick DeSimone (57), in NHL action between the Utah Hockey Club and the San Jose Sharks, at the Delta Center, on Friday, Jan 10, 2025.
Utah held San Jose to three shots on goal through the entire second period and continued to limit high-quality chances from its opponent until the final buzzer.
It looked like Clayton Keller gave his team a 2-1 lead with a wrister from the point at 3:22 of the third period, but the tally was overturned for goaltender interference after the Sharks used their coach’s challenge on the play.
That is the seventh time this season a Utah goal has been overturned — the team has only had two goals upheld after a challenge.
“It’s hard when you’re battling with guys — it’s such a fine line where you want to be around the net, around the goalie and stuff,” Hayton said. “I think you see in that one, it’s so close. Schmaltz is just trying to get around and bumps him. At the end of the day, that’s what the call is.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The referee's break up a scuffle, in NHL action between the Utah Hockey Club and the San Jose Sharks, at the Delta Center, on Friday, Jan 10, 2025.
Hayton’s goal that came 15 minutes later counted, though, and sealed the win for Utah.
Josh Doan also played his first game with The Club since Oct. 26 following his call-up from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners in the wake of Dylan Guenther being sidelined ‘indefinitely’ with a lower-body injury.
The 22-year-old forward skated on the second line with Hayton and Matias Maccelli and had three shots on goal through 14:18 of total ice time.
“Every time you get a chance you can’t take it for granted,” Doan said. “I think early on it’s a little bit of an adjustment period. …I think right away I got a chance to get in on the forecheck and get back to the part of my game that I’m comfortable in. I think that let me settle in a bit.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) in NHL action between the Utah Hockey Club and the San Jose Sharks, at the Delta Center, on Friday, Jan 10, 2025.
Utah now has a quick turnaround. The team takes on the New York Islanders Saturday night at Delta Center in the second game of a back-to-back as it tries to extend its winning ways on home ice.
“It wasn’t our best hockey tonight. We know that, we have to be better,” Hayton said. “At the end of the day it’s a big win, though.”
