COLUMBUS, Ohio – Utah Hockey Club couldn’t capitalize on the power play to open the second period. Still, Lawson Crouse scored seconds after the PP ended to even the game at one.

Utah HC (22-22-9, 53 points) is in the Buckeye State to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (26-21-7, 59 points) at Nationwide Arena on Thursday, February 6. Columbus sits one point out of an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot. Utah is fourth in the Western Conference Wild Card chase, six points behind Calgary.

Utah seeks revenge after the Blue Jackets stormed back from two goals down to force overtime before stealing the win in overtime.

RELATED: Utah HC Vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Live Blog

🚨 CROUSER! What a pass from Doan on that one!

Tied 1-1. pic.twitter.com/Y0lM3fiT5o

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) February 7, 2025

Six seconds after the man advantage ended, Josh Doan danced near the net, drawing the eyes of the Blue Jackets defense. After opening up a passing lane, Doan laid the puck off to Crouse in the slot.

Crouse ripped a one-time top shelf to tie the game 1-1. Michael Kesselring also assisted on the goal.

The Blue Jackets goal with 5:51 left in the first period courtesy of Justin Danforth’s fourth of the year. n

Utah has outshot Columbus 14-6 through 26 minutes.

Utah Hockey Club needs strong finish to make playoffs

As of right now, the Utah Hockey Club is currently six points out of the final wild-card spot behind the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

So, while Utah is not out of the race by any means, they would have to play near-perfect hockey over the next 29 games and win at least 19 to have a legitimate shot.

It’s not impossible, but it’s challenging, especially considering the fact that Sean Durzi and Logan Cooley won’t be reevaluated until after Four Nations.

How we’re lining up tonight ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nfMyMXeZRS

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) February 6, 2025

“(Tonight’s win) was absolutely huge,” Utah head coach Andre Tourigny said after the win over Philadelphia. “We still very much believe. We don’t look at scores elsewhere, but we know Calgary lost. We know Vancouver is up by one after two.”

“The point is…we know at this point we’ll need a bit of help (to make the playoffs). We didn’t take the straight line. But we can make it and we’ll fight for it. Now we’ll need to go on the road and have a helluva road trip.”

Utah-Columbus Gameday Reading

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• Center Logan Cooley Out Indefinitely With A Lower Body Injury

• Yeti Out As Potential Nickname

• The Hat Trick: Crosby Stuns Utah HC With Overtime Goal

• Barrett Hayton’s Six Points Earns NHL Honor

• Maveric Lamoureux Reflects on NHL Experience

• Utah HC Midseason Report Cards: Above Average Performers

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• Utah HC Partners With Local Businesses For Budget-Friendly Tickets

Follow Utah Hockey Club With KSL Sports

Utah Hockey Club games can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on the KSL Sports app or 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule. 

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.

Find KSLSports.com coverage of the Utah Hockey Club here.

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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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