SALT LAKE CITY—Utah Hockey Club lost momentum after a stellar opening period, falling to the Montreal Canadiens in a 5-3 loss.
Utah HC (18-18-7, 43 points) continues its seven-game homestand on Tuesday, January 14, when the Canadiens (21-18-4, 46 points) visit. Both teams are in the fifth Wild Card spot in their respective conferences.
Montreal is 10-11-1 on the road, while Utah is 12-9-3 on its home ice.
Wake up, it’s game day!
📍: Delta Center
⏰: 7PM MT
📺: Utah HC+ and Utah 16
📻: KSL Sports Zone pic.twitter.com/WMlN20dyZP— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) January 14, 2025
Clayton Keller’s 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) lead Utah, with Logan Cooley’s 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) hot on his tail. Nick Schmaltz has 29 points, and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev has tallied 29 points while leading the team in ice time.
Schmaltz has goals in each of his past two games.
Two Canadiens, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, have topped the 40-point mark. Suzuki leads the squad with 13 goals and 30 assists. Caufield has a team-high 23 goals and 17 assists for 40 points. Defenseman Lane Hutson is a threat on the backline, contributing three goals and 29 assists.
Utah shows up.
The way this market is beginning to transform into a hockey town has been incredible.
Still a ways to go, but the NHL clearly belongs. https://t.co/KkAyjLYHoK
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 14, 2025
Bill Armstrong just mentioned on the air with @975hans and me that John Marino will be in the lineup tonight for the Utah Hockey Club.
— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) January 14, 2025
John Marino in a #UtahHC sweater for the very first time.
He will play tonight. pic.twitter.com/rYkGDpEhgA
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
….. 👀 pic.twitter.com/em25tLuDCs
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) January 15, 2025
LISTEN LIVE: @utahhockeyclub continues their home stand against the @CanadiensMTL on the @kslsports app, @KSLSportsZone and:https://t.co/98VlQcMvQz pic.twitter.com/jGWfDuI8YB
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
Montreal penalty for holding.#UtahHC with an early power play opportunity.
1P: 19:31 | 0-0
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
Keller is tripped.
5 on 3 for 1:25.
Can't ask for a better way to start a game. https://t.co/MVsJVYqCf2
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
JOSH DOAN SCORES!!!!!!!!!
Utah leads 1-0!
First goal for Josh since 10/10 against the Islanders.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
This is exactly what Utah wants Josh to do.
Crowd the crease, battle in front of the net, and clean up rebounds into the back of the net.
Great goal for Josh in just his 3rd game back from the AHL.pic.twitter.com/m0Zypy8fBr
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Matheson won the puck on his own blue line and beat essentially every Utah player on the ice to score.
Brutal breakdown. https://t.co/EQZ74tJAox
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Valimaki just baited Patrik Laine into a cross-checking penalty so well.
After the whistle blew, Valimaki nudged Matheson and then Laine decided to retaliate.
Well done, Valimaki.
Utah to the power play.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Montreal with another penalty as Josh Doan is tripped up.
Another opportunity for Utah.
1P: 2:55 | 1-1
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
When in doubt, just throw the puck on net.
Bjugstad gives Utah a 2-1 lead late in the first and scores his first since 11/23. https://t.co/3LhrdrKxmL
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Aside from a poor breakdown that Montreal capitalized on, Utah absolutely dominated that period.
14 SOG while only allowing 3 is some nasty work.
Still, a lot of hockey left to play. https://t.co/3iQenYPSQ1
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
McBain to the box for high-sticking.
Montreal to the power play.
2P: 19:39 | 2-1 Utah
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
Utah needs to cut down on these second period penalties.
Canadiens have had a few Grade A chances that have just barely gone wide or off the pipe.
Utah has killed both, but Montreal is banging on the door right now.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Barrett Hayton to the box for roughing.
Penalties continue to stack up in the second period for Utah.
2P: 12:25 | 2-1 Utah
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
Utah needs to stay out of the box.
However, with that being said, the PK has been superb.
3/3 in the second.
John Marino has also seen some minutes on the second unit.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Montreal has tied the game after some brilliance on the rush and a few tic-tac-toe passes.
Little more than halfway through the period and the Canadiens have outshot Utah 9-0.
Even when teams dont convert on the PP, sitting in the box for 6 minutes still hurts you.
2-2
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
4 on 4 hockey for the next 2 minutes.
2P: 4:08 | 2-2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
Montreal takes the lead.
3-2 Canadiens
2P: 1:26
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 15, 2025
Something about second periods with this club…
It was all Montreal during the middle period and Utah never really responded.
All those penalties really tilted the ice for the Canadiens. https://t.co/hNGtDYu2sU
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
LOGAN COOLEY SCORES AND THE GAME IS TIED!!!!
3-3 in SLC.
That goal was made possible due to an unreal effort from Keller to shield the puck and attack the net.
Then Cooley cleaned it up.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
That is just a relentless effort from Keller to protect the puck and put a shot on goal.
Nice clean up from Cooley. https://t.co/mLtSLlgYp2
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Bit of a rough night for Vejmelka.
4 goals on 18 shots.
Defense hasn't helped him out a ton though in those moments. https://t.co/l50Qg7yMjO
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Lane Hutson to Cole Caufield and the @CanadiensMTL take the lead! 💥
That's Cole's sixth goal in his last seven games!#NHLStats: https://t.co/NsxApOkB1N pic.twitter.com/bo9Nl8MgGm
— NHL (@NHL) January 15, 2025
Vejmelka with a huge save after Montreal was awarded a penalty shot.
Now, back to a Utah power play with 1:33 remaining on the man advantage.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
5-3 Canadiens.
That should do it.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
Final from Delta Center
Montreal 5
Utah 3SOG
Montreal 26
Utah 24— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
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 Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
