SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 14: Logan Cooley #92 of the Utah Hockey Club celebrates a goal during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at Delta Center on January 14, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- Utah Hockey Club took advantage of an inexperienced goaltender, downing the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4 at home. Utah has now won seven of its last nine games at home.
Utah HC (32-27-11, 75 points) hosts Tampa Bay (40-24-5, 85 points) at Delta Center on Saturday, March 22. The Lightning are fifth in the Eastern Conference, eight points clear of the wild card spots. Utah begins the weekend fifth in the Western Conference Wild Card race. St. Louis holds the final spot with 77 points, followed by Vancouver (76 points) and Calgary (75 points).
Utah is 15-13-7 at home in its inaugural season. The Lightning are 16-16-3 on the road.
Pressure is a privilege 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vwn39g9cqA
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) March 22, 2025
Mikhail Sergachev, a Stanley Cup-winning defender with Tampa Bay, leads Utah defensemen with 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points after being acquired in an offseason trade. Since day one, Sergachev has been a steadying force on Utah’s back line, offering experience and veteran leadership for the young group.
Captain Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther continue battling for the team’s goals lead. Guenther holds a one-goal advantage with 25, while Keller paces Utah with 76 points (24 goals, 52 assists). Keller is the league’s 11th-leading scoring. Nick Schmaltz is Utah’s second-leading point scorer with 54 (16 goals, 38 assists)
After a two-period respite in a loss to Edmonton, Karel Vejmelka returned to the ice, leading Utah HC to a 5-2 home win against the Buffalo Sabres. Vejmelka is 33-18-3 this year, and his 2.49 goals against are tenth in the NHL.
Mikhail Sergachev on the trade from Tampa to Utah:
“It’s been easy. I’m not sour about the trade. I’m not pissed off or anything. My mentality right away…was to come in, learn, & have a chance to be what I want to be.”
“Off ice stuff, it’s very easy. It’s very nice here.” pic.twitter.com/W8ssweIEdm
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 21, 2025
Nikita Kucherov heads a potent Lightning attack with 96 points (29 goals, 67 assists), third in the league. Brandon Hagel (32 goals, 43 assists), Brayden Point (32 goals, 34 assists), and Jake Guentzel (33 goals, 31 assists) have more than 60 points each.
The Lightning’s 179 goals are third in the league, with their 3.49 goal-scoring average second.
Big game today eh?#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/DhK0KyOBCI
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
The Lightning are in town.
🏒: @utahhockeyclub vs. @TBLightning
⏰: 3:00 PM
📻: @KSLSportsZone and the @kslsports app pic.twitter.com/8LbWegHCAy— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
LISTEN LIVE: @utahhockeyclub is at home to battle the @TBLightning on the @kslsports app, @KSLSportsZone and:https://t.co/KAw6S0iGsw pic.twitter.com/IENWF2jiyG
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
JOSH DOAN SCORES AND UTAH LEADS 1-0!!!!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
The third line is playing SO good as of late.
Ever since Doan and McBain joined Crouse, I don't know that they've been outworked many shifts.
Great work from McBain to dig in deep and perfect positioning from Doan. https://t.co/hEbtKNg0r4
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Goal No. 5️⃣for Josh Doan gives @utahhockeyclub an early leadhttps://t.co/Nha6frvmef
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
Utah is simply dominating the offensive zone right now.
The energy is palpable and heavy.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
LOGAN COOLEY SCORES ON A REBOUND AND UTAH LEADS 2-0!!!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Perfect example of why you always crash the net.
Cooley was ready for that one. https://t.co/WjMJCpxCVn
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Lightning score.
2-1 Utah. https://t.co/QEsjKeNTLF
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
End of the 1st period in SLC.
Utah 2
Tampa 1SOG
Utah 9
Tampa 4pic.twitter.com/sUOC38LT76— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
Brandon Hagel is lightning fast with the puck on his stick.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
The goal is being challenged by Tampa. https://t.co/12p2Fifh2n
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
The goal is overturned for a missed stoppage based on where the puck hit the glass.
Never seen that before.
2-1 Utah. https://t.co/htcdO1iQUa
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Lightning tie the game.
2-2.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
ALEXANDER KERFOOT SCORES AND UTAH RETAKES THE LEAD 3-2!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
.@utahhockeyclub leads @TBLightning after Kerfoot's ninthhttps://t.co/LJu5jBO3jn
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
Girgensons to the box for interference.#UtahHC with their first PP of the afternoon.
2P: 13:48 | 3-2 Utah
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
McBain challenged Girgensons for the hit and dominated the fight.
That's what you do for your teammates. https://t.co/UVcoOGfHe0
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Unnecessary and dirty from Girgensons.
Good on McBain for challenging him. https://t.co/mcLKOcfVUZ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Durzi is CHIRPING Paul after a group scrap in front of Utah's net.
This is only the first ever meeting between Utah and Tampa. Safe to say these teams do not like each other.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Tampa scores.
3-3.
This is a good hockey team folks. They're not going to roll over.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
COOLEY SCORES AGAIN AND UTAH RETAKES THE LEAD 4-3!!!!!!!
92 IS ON FIRE!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Scoreless for 6 games then scores 4 goals in 4 games.
Budding superstar? https://t.co/HSHcQTZPPT
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Cooley's second gives the young forward a new career-high with @utahhockeyclub https://t.co/4J7UrExwjf
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
End of the 2nd period in SLC.
Utah 4
Tampa 3SOG
Utah 16
Tampa 18Cooley’s on a Hatty watch 🎩🎩👀pic.twitter.com/OTWh8MooWL
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2025
KEEP THIS ENERGY, UTAH FANS! pic.twitter.com/a5iE5HnOsj
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) March 22, 2025
NICK SCHMALTZ SCORES ON A REBOUND AND UTAH LEADS 5-3!!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Cirelli scores for the Lightning.
5-4 Utah.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
The goal is being challenged for goaltender interference.
They might have something here against McBain. https://t.co/cR32XtIXyj
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Confirmed. No goal.
Score remains 5-4. Tampa's video team is 2/2 tonight. https://t.co/IzGtfgptLJ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Utah is also called for too many men on the ice.
Power play for Tampa.
2:09 to go. https://t.co/AkEiEfYIOO
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Massive stop by Vejmelka on the doorstep.
Lightning should've scored there.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
EMPTY NET GOAL AND DELTA CENTER IS GOING WILD!!!!
6-4 UTAH!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2025
Utah wins the hockey game 6-4.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 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 the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X and Instagram and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
