For the primary time since Nov. 13, the Utah Hockey Membership has gained a recreation in regulation at dwelling. On Friday, the group took down the San Jose Sharks 2-1 to ship a long-awaited win in regulation to their followers at Delta Middle. It was an enormous recreation with some modifications to the lineup and a clutch purpose late within the third. Listed here are some takeaways from Friday night time’s recreation.
Nick DeSimone Debuts, Josh Doan and Connor Ingram Return
Friday’s recreation introduced some massive modifications to the lineup. Three names hit the ice in Salt Lake Metropolis that haven’t been across the locker room for some time (or in any respect).
Connor Ingram was recalled by Utah from the Tucson Roadrunners on Thursday because the group despatched down Jaxson Stauber. It’s been a troublesome couple of months for Ingram. The goaltender revealed that he misplaced his mom in December as a consequence of an sickness. He took a while away from the group and hockey so he might grieve his loss.
After Ingram determined to return, Utah assigned him to the Roadrunners for a conditioning stint the place he recorded a win in his lone recreation within the American Hockey League (AHL). Whereas Ingram didn’t play on Friday, there was some louder cheering than regular when he was proven on the jumbotron throughout warmups. It’s very doable we see him play his first recreation with Utah since Nov. 18 on Saturday, because the group will play its second recreation of a back-to-back.
Josh Doan was recalled rapidly on Friday morning because the group introduced that Dylan Guenther could be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future with a lower-body harm. Doan performed on a line with Barrett Hayton and Matias Maccelli and appeared fairly respectable in his first recreation again within the NHL since Oct. 26.
“It’s nice to return again,” Doan mentioned. “We now have a enjoyable group right here. To come back again and see all the blokes is all the time superior. To get an opportunity to play within the NHL is each child’s dream. Each time you get an opportunity, you may’t take it without any consideration.”
Associated: Utah HC: Streaky Play Will Hinder Staff’s Success Come Playoff Time
Doan’s pace was apparent, particularly within the first interval the place he made some nice performs to retrieve the puck within the Sharks’ zone and generate probabilities. He was additionally positioned on the primary unit of Utah’s energy play, exhibiting the belief head coach André Tourigny has within the 22-year-old.
“I favored Doaner…it’s his first recreation again,” Tourigny mentioned. “I believe he saved his recreation easy. He had good tempo, had a very good forecheck, performed the sport the immediately. He did great things for us.”
Nick DeSimone was claimed off of waivers final Sunday. The defenseman attended follow all through the week however lastly made his Utah debut on Friday, paired alongside Juuso Välimäki. DeSimone made a fast impression, recording his first Utah level off of Nick Schmaltz’s second-period purpose. Tourigny thought DeSimone had a very good night time, particularly contemplating it was his first impression of the previous New Jersey Satan.
“Fairly good, actually good,” Tourigny mentioned. “Truthfully, I believe he moved nicely. He didn’t complicate his recreation. Made good passes. He skated nicely. Comfortable in regards to the first impression.”
Utah’s traces will proceed to be jumbled and adjusted as a consequence of gamers recovering, which is able to probably power Tourigny and common supervisor Invoice Armstrong to make some powerful choices when gamers like John Marino and Maveric Lamoureux return within the close to future. Utah’s lineup has by no means been totally wholesome with Marino nonetheless by no means showing in a recreation and Sean Durzi sustaining a significant harm at first of the season. Nonetheless, Utah has been resilient in the best way they’ve tailored on the fly. With the Guenther harm, they’ll need to play even higher nevertheless it’s one thing that they’ve been used to.
Barrett Hayton Scores within the Knick of Time
At occasions, Hayton has been essentially the most irritating Utah participant to observe. Generally, he’s on the precipice of changing into the 43-point scorer he as soon as was with the Arizona Coyotes. Different occasions, like lately, he’s ice chilly. For the previous six video games, Hayton has solely recorded one help. Nonetheless, he scored his first purpose prior to now couple of video games on the excellent time for Utah.
After retrieving a free puck in entrance of the web, Hayton circled again and skated to the highest of the faceoff circle the place he let a shot fly. It beat Alexandar Georgiev on the high of the web and with 1:32 remaining within the recreation, Utah had the lead.
It was a really essential purpose for Utah as a consequence of their lack of wins at dwelling. For Hayton, it was about Utah lastly with the ability to get that subsequent purpose. The group has misplaced plenty of video games by a purpose. It was lastly time for them to be those profitable by a purpose.
“It’s large…I believe we’ve been in plenty of one-goal video games the place we simply haven’t been in a position to get that final one or capitalize or simply execute on a few scoring performs,” Hayton mentioned. “That’s an enormous one. It is a massive homestand for us. We obtained to make the most of them.”
Even with Kevin Stenlund taking a significant penalty on the finish of the sport, the Sharks couldn’t generate any probabilities, and Utah held on to win 2-1. It was an enormous purpose for Hayton and it might in the end be his greatest of the season.
Utah Will get Their First Regulation Win at House Since Nov. 13
The largest story of Utah’s 2-1 win is that it’s the group’s first regulation win at dwelling since they beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Nov. 13. Outdoors of these two wins, Utah has solely managed to win two different video games at dwelling in regulation, which incorporates their first-ever recreation in franchise historical past in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The scene in Delta Middle as Utah wins their first dwelling recreation in regulation since November 13. #UtahHC pic.twitter.com/nE8npIjYs9
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) January 11, 2025
It’s no secret that Utah hasn’t been good at dwelling. Earlier than Friday’s recreation, they have been 5-8-4 at Delta Middle. Even at six wins now at dwelling, they’ve the least quantity of dwelling wins out of any group within the NHL.
Nonetheless, that is Utah’s alternative to alter that. They nonetheless have 5 straight video games left on this present homestand and after their subsequent three-game street journey, they’ll play 4 straight video games at Delta Middle. The time is now to play their greatest hockey in entrance of their followers.
“You bought to construct momentum on the finish of the day, and this can be a huge homestand to do this,” Hayton mentioned. “It begins with one and (then you definitely) construct on it. (It’s) an enormous match once more tomorrow. We gotta prepare for it.”
Because the homestand progresses, now we have formally reached the midway level of the season at recreation 41. Utah at the moment holds an 18-16-7 report. With 43 factors, they occupy the sixth spot within the Central Division. They’re three factors again of the Vancouver Canucks for the second wildcard spot within the Western Convention.
Utah is clearly within the thick of issues however Tourigny desires to maintain constructing. He desires to essentially be within the race, which comes with strain throughout the group. Utah skilled that with their lack of regulation wins at dwelling however Tourigny calls it a very good studying alternative because the group continues to attempt to win.
“We wish to win,” Tourigny mentioned. “We wish to get within the within the race. We wish to get climbing within the standings and all these issues. That comes with a ton of strain internally and externally, and for all these causes, I believe that’s a very good studying expertise.”
The win over the Sharks will certainly assist them do precisely that. Though it wasn’t Utah’s greatest recreation, a win is a win and now they’ll need to stay up for the following recreation as they enter the second half of the season.
Utah will subsequent play the New York Islanders, who’re at the moment 16-18-7. The Islanders are coming off a 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. These two groups met again in October at first of the season; Utah gained 5-4 in extra time.
