Columbus Completes Comeback In OT, Downs Utah Hockey Club

Jan 31, 2025 , 9:44 PM | Updated: Feb 1, 2025, 5:01 pm

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SALT LAKE CITY—Utah Hockey Club couldn’t hang on to a two-goal lead, falling 3-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime. A two-on-nothing breakaway in the extra period sent Utah home with a disappointing loss.

Utah HC (21-21-9, 51 points) is hosting the Blue Jackets (26-19-7, 59 points) at Delta Center on Friday, January 31. Columbus enters the night with the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Utah is fourth in the Western Conference wild-card race, seven points behind the Calgary Flames.

Utah suffered a blow earlier in the day when it was announced that center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. His 15 goals are second behind captain Clayton Keller, and his 28 assists are third. Cooley’s 43 points are second behind Keller.

Cooley has been settling in during his second full season. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native was developing into one of the franchise’s most exciting offensive players.

Cooley’s absence puts more scoring pressure on Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Dylan Guenther.

utah hockey club winnipeg jets

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 18: Clayton Keller #9 jumps on Mikhail Sergachev #98 of the Utah Hockey Club after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in overtime at Delta Center on December 18, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Utah had a chance to move up the standings with 14 games in January, including eight on home ice. Instead of making a dent in the standings, the club has lost eight of 13 before tonight. Utah has the fewest wins in the league at home with an 8-11-5 record.

Defenseman John Marino enters the night riding a three-game assist streak.

Columbus faces Utah HC for the first time

Defenseman Zach Werenski’s (16 goals, 38 assists) 54 points lead the No. 7 team in the East. Rightwinger Kirill Marchenko has tallied 20 goals and 33 assists, leaving him one point behind Werenski. Marchenko has a goal in two consecutive games.

Five Blue Jackets enter the night riding points streaks, led by five points from Kent Johnson in the past four games.

Kirill Marchenko #86

ELMONT, NEW YORK – JANUARY 20: Kirill Marchenko #86 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on January 20, 2025, in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Columbus is 3-3 in their last six after a six-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets have back-to-back one-goal wins, including a 2-1 OT win at Las Vegas on January 30. They are 7-14-4 on the road.

Pregame

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Utah-Columbus Gameday Reading

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Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. Listen to Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X and Instagram at @bpreece24. 

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