It was a third period that showed Utah Hockey Club’s growth in maturity this season.
The team was tied 2-2 with the Detroit Red Wings entering the final frame Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena. It killed off 1:06 of a carried-over Red Wing power play from the second period, then another three minutes later. Kevin Stenlund and Lawson Crouse scored. The Club dictated how it wanted to play instead of waiting for Detroit’s push.
Despite being out-skated — and out-scored — in the first period, Utah stuck with the process until things clicked. It resulted in a 4-2 win.
“We weren’t happy with our first two periods. We gave up a lot defensively and we knew that,” Crouse said. “We had one period to go out there and win an important hockey game and that’s what we did. It shows a lot of courage from our team. There’s definitely things we need to improve on, but getting a win like that feels good.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club forward Lawson Crouse (67) celebrates a goal as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Los Angeles Kings, NHL pre-season hockey in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
It helped, too, that Karel Vejmelka was locked in from puck drop and allowed his team to take some time before shifting the momentum. The goaltender made a cumulative 38 saves on 40 shots less than 24 hours after signing his five-year contract extension with Utah.
“It’s great news for me. I desired to stay in Utah. It’s a great group of guys. That was the first thing on my mind to stay here and be part of this great group,” Vejmelka said. “The first year here is something special for everybody. I’m trying to enjoy every moment. It’s a big family for me. It’s like a second family.”
Vejmelka was sharp and sturdy with good rebound control all game and proved, once again, that he is the guy to turn to in must-win matchups as he closed out his fifth consecutive start.
“We got an elite performance from Veggie,” head coach André Tourigny said. “I think he was really, really good. Tuned in, made key saves at key moments.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Minnesota Wild, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Dylan Guenther gave Utah an early 1-0 lead with his 23rd goal of the season, a team-high stat. The 21-year-old forward one-timed Alex Kerfoot’s back-handed pass in from below the left circle at 2:08 of the first.
Detroit responded with goals from Dylan Larkin — a wrist shot from the slot at 3:17 — and Jonatan Berggren — a knock-in rebound around the crease at 8:49 — to make it 2-1 by the end of 20 minutes.
The Club found the equalizer while on the man advantage in the second. Barrett Hayton lured the Red Wings to the right side before dishing it to Nick Schmaltz on the left doorstep to blast by Detroit netminder Alex Lyon for the 2-2 scoreline. It was Schmaltz’s sixth power-play goal of the season. Clayton Keller’s secondary assist on the play marked his 300th career helper.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Minnesota Wild, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
“We bend but we didn’t break,” Tourigny said. “I like the way the guys were resilient and they stayed together. That’s a big, gutsy win.”
Stenlund regained Utah’s lead just 2:55 into the third period. The forward picked up a loose puck down low and lasered it top-shelf for the 3-2 boost and his eighth goal of the year. Michael Kesselring picked up his second assist of the night, too, with his fourth multi-point performance this season.
“You always want to chip in offensively. I like to chip in offensively,” Kesselring said. “Fortunate those went in and it feels nice.”
Utah went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill following Stenlund’s tally against a Detroit power play that ranks second in the NHL at 29.1%. The three other players who inked contract extensions this week — Kerfoot, Ian Cole and Olli Määttä — were a big part of the penalty kill’s success.
“We have a plan against the strengths of each team but I will say I think that the focus and the resilience of those guys on the PK — I think they take a lot of pride in their craft,” Tourigny said. “We knew the size of the challenge tonight. … I think the boys did a great job.”
Crouse earned the Club extra insurance as he padded the gap, 4-2, with his second goal in four games. The associate captain kept the puck in the offensive zone with a strong, physical forecheck before picking up a pass from linemate Jack McBain. Crouse confidently drove to the net and flipped it high and in at 7:51.
“These are the games we want to be in and we talked about that after the second period. As much as we didn’t like the first two periods, we pulled together and we came out strong,” Crouse said. “Obviously a quick turnaround and go try to get another one tomorrow night.”
Utah will play the second game of its back-to-back Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
