Second periods have been a problem for Utah Hockey Club this season.
That changed on Saturday.
The team used the middle frame to score three goals against the Buffalo Sabres in the eventual 5-2 win at KeyBank Center.
What’s more, Utah allowed just five shots on goal, zero goals against and was never shorthanded in the second.
In the six games before Saturday’s matchup in Buffalo, Utah had been outscored 10-4 in the second. Utah often comes out strong in the first period and falls off by the 40-minute mark, letting its opponents steal the momentum heading into the final stanza.
Things were different against the Sabres.
“When we play with that kind of pace, we play as well with the puck, we make a lot of good plays, we use the weight of the ice and we went at the net,” said head coach André Tourigny who won his 100th NHL game. “I like the way we played offensively and defensively.”
After Tyson Kozak gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead in the first period, Utah took control of the matinee matchup.
Michael Kesselring, who skated in his 100th NHL game, tied things 1-1 at 3:18 of the second. A strong forecheck from Utah kept the puck in the zone before Kesselring got it at the point, carried it toward the high slot and blasted it in.
“I think we just stayed on them, managed the puck pretty well, took advantage of our chances. Kind of got the momentum and kept it,” Kesselring said.
Utah took a 2-1 advantage 24 seconds later thanks to Mikhail Sergachev. Michael Carcone — followed by three Buffalo players — drove to the net and opened space for Sergachev to wire the puck home from the left side after Alex Kerfoot pushed it up to him.
Sergachev now has seven goals and 17 points in his first season with Utah — six short of Clayton Keller who leads the team with 23.
Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) makes a save on Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Nick Schmaltz — who had a goal overturned for goaltender interference in the first period — cashed in with 51.5 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Kesselring controlled the puck through the zone before finding Schmaltz on the doorstep who knocked it in for the 3-1 scoreline. Schmaltz, after going 23 games goalless, has four in the last three contests.
With the assists on the play, Kesselring logged a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist and fight in one game); the 24-year-old fought Beck Malenstyn before Schmaltz’s last-minute tally.
The play also marked the defenseman’s 14th point of the season and second of the afternoon. Kesselring is now seven points away from matching his total last year (21 through 65 games) and is on pace for a career showing in Utah.
“Great job. Scored a big goal, he skated well,” Tourigny said of Kesselring. “Skated the puck out of trouble a few times. I like the fact that he did not try to complicate his game a lot on the other side of the red line.”
Despite winning only one of its last three games ahead of Saturday, Utah played some of its best hockey of the season last week. Those building blocks — finding consistency between periods, limiting opposing chances and fighting for offense — all came to fruition in Buffalo. Utah earned a two-goal lead as a result which lightened the to-do list in the final 20 minutes.
The offensive burst carried into the third in which Jack McBain and Kevin Stenlund joined the fun.
Logan Cooley — who has been skating with a heightened sense of confidence in his sophomore season — swerved his way to the front and swung the puck over to McBain who was stationed near the crease where he flipped the puck in. McBain’s ninth goal of the season made it 4-1.
Stenlund’s snipe from the low, right circle put Utah up 5-1 at 12:07 and was his first goal since Oct. 12. Buffalo got on the board once more at 17:40 of the third with a wrist shot from Jiri Kulich to bring the game to its final 5-2 score.
“It was a nice feeling,” Stenlund said.
Utah’s depth is starting to show on a more regular basis. The team got goals from three of its four lines and two defensemen on Saturday while 12 players logged at least a point. When everyone is contributing, Utah has proven it can separate itself from its opponent and put together dominant wins.
The team will look to do exactly that in back-to-back games as it faces the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night at Wells Fargo Center.
“It’s huge. Obviously we want to get away with four points here,” Stenlund said of the two-game road trip. “Big game tomorrow. Focus on that and move on.”
