SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - DECEMBER 18: Michael Kesselring #7 of the Utah Hockey Club attempts a backhand shot around Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of a game at Delta Center on December 18, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Hockey Club is nearing the home stretch of the NHL season and making a playoff push. Utah is currently on the outside looking in but is only four points out of a playoff spot.
The team currently possessing the second Wild Card spot in the standings is Vancouver, making tonight’s game all that much more important. If Utah is able to win, they will gain two points on Vancouver and inch closer to a shot at the Stanley Cup.
The first period between the Utah Hockey Club and Canucks was scoreless but had no shortage of action. The gravity of the matchup got the intensity that it deserved with an extremely physical first 20 minutes, in which Vancouver and Utah stacked up seven total penalties.
The second period started with 4-on-4 before the Canucks shortly went back on the advantage after Lawson Crouse was called for a hooking penalty.
The home team took advantage, with Quinn Hughes scoring the power play goal and putting Vancouver up 1-0.
Now, despite having four times as many shots on goal as the Canucks, Utah found themselves trailing, but with that amount of offensive chances created, it was only a matter of time before they broke through.
Utah’s first goal started to take shape when Michael Kesselring took the puck coast to coast from the Vancouver zone to the Utah offensive zone, blowing past Canucks defenders all the way to the boards before he dumped it off.
The puck bounced around, finding its way back to the blue line before Michael Carcone fired it back behind the net, where Nick Bjugstad wrapped from the right side of the net to the left side, then putting a perfect pass between the legs of a Vancouver player, leaving the puck on a silver platter for Kevin Stenlund to put away.
Stenlund scored with around eight minutes to go in the period, and the score would hold. The Utah Hockey Club and Vancouver Canucks are tied after two periods.
What a pass from Bjugstad and Stenlund stays hot with 3 points over the last 2 games.
4th line getting it done! https://t.co/daI4ujAyxp
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 17, 2025
While the game against Seattle was a missed opportunity to pick up a more attainable pair of points, Utah has to move on quickly as they face their biggest game of the season on Sunday night in Vancouver.
Was there much that went right for Utah against the Kraken?
No. But they can’t dwell on the immediate past given the nature of this stretch.
“I’m not happy about much to be honest. Our execution was not there. I don’t think we had our usual transition game, our usual offense,” head coach Andre Tourigny said.
“It’s one of those off nights where you put the tape right in the trash and move on.”
As players and coaches have repeatedly stated, the playoffs have already started for the Utah Hockey Club.
Similar to the nature of the postseason, there’s no time to dwell on the mistakes they made tonight as it simply won’t help them win the next game.
“At midnight, we’ll turn the page, and all focus will be on the next game. We have to move on,” Tourigny said.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup, this is the monstrous game for both teams.
For Utah, they’ll have a day’s rest while the Canucks will be on the second of a back-to-back.
If the Canucks happen to lose to Chicago on Saturday, Utah can force a three-way tie with Calgary and Vancouver for the final spot.
So, while things went poorly in Seattle, Utah needs to move on and completely shift their focus towards Sunday.
To them, this is a game-seven, Stanley Cup Final situation which could have major implications on who ends up in the playoffs.
