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Utah Hockey Club Continues Surging Towards Wild Card Spot

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Following a statement win against a division rival, the Colorado Avalanche, the Utah Hockey Club has made noise around the league. After a difficult run where losses prevailed, it now seems the season could be trending in Utah’s favor. They’re scoring goals, playing sound defence and the goaltending has been superb despite the continued absence of their starter, Connor Ingram. Utah could be in for a season where they exceed expectations. However, only time will tell if they keep up their solid play. A Utah wild card spot is not out of reach. 

Offence is Clicking

For a while, Utah’s offence was cold and they found it troublesome to score goals. Now, the team has broken out of the funk and is scoring in bunches. Utah is 5-1-2 in their last eight games and have scored three or more goals in seven out of the eight. Since Nov. 23, the team is second in goals scored with 38 and a +17 goal differential. They’re also second in power-play percentage with 37.5%. Those are remarkable numbers for a team that struggled mightily the previous month. 

As for the players, the best line for Utah hasn’t been the one with Clayton Keller on it. That title has fallen onto the second line of Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley and Jack McBain. Each player has a specific role on the line with Guenther as the scorer, Cooley as the playmaker and McBain as the all-around player. The line forged instant chemistry and their recent play has shown it. 

In 29 games this season, they have a plus/minus rating of 11, which is the best among all of Utah’s forwards. Guenther leads Utah in goals with 12, Cooley is tied for second with 17 assists, and McBain is first with 87 hits. The other lines need to produce as well, but it’s a good sign to have one working well together. 

Defence Dominating

On the defensive side of things, Utah has been doing everything the right way. Also since Nov. 23, Utah has a penalty-kill percentage of 84.9 %. Most recently, they didn’t allow a goal to one of the best power-plays in the league. Utah had their best defensive performance in Colorado. During the 4-1 win, the Avalanche had a four-minute power-play because of a double-minor and Utah killed it off perfectly. Despite all the chances, the Utah defencemen used their sticks to break up passing lanes, blocked shots and lifted opposing sticks. 

In addition, they made it difficult for the Avalanche to enter the zone by stacking four players on their own blue line. Utah defencemen have chipped in offensively too. The team has scored five goals from the blue line in the last four games, including five in the last seven road games. These have been some of the biggest reasons for Utah’s recent string of victories. 

Goaltending Stealing the Show

After Ingram’s injury, questions were raised about Utah’s goaltending situation. However, backup goalie Karel Vejmelka answered the call and has kept his team in every game since taking over. The 28-year-old boasts a .917 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average. However, that doesn’t show how well Vejmelka’s actually performed. He was a stalwart in the game against the Avalanche and has been since taking over for Ingram. If Vejmelka keeps playing like this, he could potentially become the permanent starter for Utah. 

Jaxson Stauber deserves credit as well since being called up from the minors. The 25-year-old only played in six games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, but posted a 5-1-0 record. He’s only made two appearances this season, but Stauber won both and recorded a shutout against the fourth-placed Vegas Golden Knights. He has a .962 save percentage and a 1.00 goals against average this season. A career record of 7-1-0 is impressive for an undrafted goaltender and it could earn him a closer look in the future.

Main Photo: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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