Utah Hockey Club defenseman Ian Cole (28) blocks the Winnipeg Jets from scoring during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025 (Tess Crowley, Deseret News).
(Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – With their backs continuously against the wall, the Utah Hockey Club offered one of their most complete performances of the season as they defeated the NHL’s best Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Saturday night. Following another masterclass performance from Karel Vejmelka in net and the revival of their power play, Utah grounded the Jets to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Here are the key takeaways from Utah’s impressive victory over Winnipeg.
After nearly two weeks without a power play goal from the top unit (March 24 against Detroit) and only one from the second group during that same stretch (April 3 against Los Angeles), Utah’s special teams experienced a rebirth against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
Connecting twice on the man advantage against Winnipeg, Utah suddenly had unmatchable energy as they moved the puck effectively, found open shooters and scored two well-constructed goals.
Great battling behind the net and then elite positioning by Keller to put himself in a dangerous spot completely unmarked.
Too fast for Hellebuyck. https://t.co/64mbmq8rwv
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) April 5, 2025
HAYTES STAYS HOT 🔥
2-0 Utah. pic.twitter.com/Z9fz6VnqIo
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) April 6, 2025
The difference for Utah’s power play was remarkably simple yet effective.
Rather playing disconnected as they had previously, Utah pinched higher in the offensive-zone, circulated the puck, won battles behind the net and generated traffic.
Once they were able to play their style of offense, there was suddenly a lot more space to work with which generated openings for shooters in dangerous areas.
The result?
Two goals and a rejuvenated power play unit with new confidence during a critical final stretch of the season.
“When you struggle, you learn from it, you watch the video, you break it down a little bit more, and you simplify,” Clayton Keller said.
“We just had an attack mindset tonight. We finished when we had the opportunities, and we worked away from the puck. That’s a key for us.”
It was just another day at the office for goaltender Karel Vejmelka who managed to stop 32 of Winnipeg’s 33 shots on goal on Saturday night.
Despite making his 20th start in a row for the Utah Hockey Club and admitting he was a little bit tired, Vejmelka offered an unforgettable performance to beat the best team in the NHL.
“A little bit tired obviously but it’s a great feeling after that big win. It’s always perfect for us to know we can beat those kids of teams,” Vejmelka said.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s really special.”
Karel Vejmelka on how he’s feeling:
“A little bit tired obviously but it’s a great feeling after that big win. It’s always perfect for us to know we can beat those kids of teams.”
“It’s a great feeling. It’s really special.”#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/HzyAU2aVaT
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) April 6, 2025
With a league best 108 points in the standings and the top goal differential in the NHL (+81), allowing just a single puck past him is no small feat.
All night long, Vejmelka was reactive, quick, composed, and flashed his glove on a handful of occasions to rob the Jets shot attempts.
VEJ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/APUZahyk79
— Cap’n Cook🦣 (@JazzePinkman) April 5, 2025
Look, it’s been written countless times during this stretch but what Vejmelka is doing right now cannot be overlooked or overstated.
To mentally and physically start 20 games in a row at the end of the season with the entire team relying on you is an enormous amount of pressure.
But nearly every single night, Vejmelka has answered the call and demonstrated his ability to take it a game at a time which is absolutely crucial for a goaltender in that kind of situation.
“I’m really proud of him,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said. “It’s fantastic for him to go through that kind of a stretch.”
“What Veggie is going through right now, it’s great. He got a stretch where he got tired, he got over it, and he bounced back after a tough game…he will always have that to fall back on from now on. That’s huge.”
While Utah’s playoff hopes continue to hang by a thread with zero margin for error, the team refuses to quit until it becomes mathematically impossible for them to cross the finish line.
Following their impressive victory over the Jets, Utah was able to gain some ground in the standings as they now trail the Minnesota Wild in the second wild card spot by seven points.
“They don’t want to hear anything. They just want to play and play good. They are locked in. They’re straight on in what we have to do and play and win games. That’s it,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said.
“They’re the easiest team to coach in the league right now. They’re tuned in, they’re locked in. We just need to lead a plan, and they’re tuned in. They’re great.”
So, how do their chances look after beating Winnipeg?
As of right now, Utah can still reach 92 points if they win each of their final 5 games.
As long as that number is not reached or surpassed by Minnesota (89), Calgary (84) or Vancouver (83), Utah still has a fighting chance.
It’s also important to note that Utah cannot currently lose more than two games without effectively eliminating themselves as that would make it impossible to surpass the Wild.
Blues win again which means the only way Utah can make the playoff is if they claim the second wild card spot.
If Utah wins out, they can still attain 92 points. As long as that number is not reached or surpassed by the teams ahead, they’re still alive. https://t.co/OuDuJjG2ZE
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) April 6, 2025
Difficult? Yes.
Highly unlikely? Probably.
Impossible? No.
Crazier things have certainly happened, but it will require perfection from Utah over the last few games with significant help along the way.
The Utah Hockey Club will now host the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
