3 Takeaways From Utah’s 5-4 Shootout Win Over Capitals

The Utah Hockey Club is going into the 4 Nations Face-Off break on a high note after winning against the Washington Capitals by a score of 5-4 in a shootout on Sunday afternoon. With the win, Utah stays in the playoff hunt and additionally, wins their first-ever shootout in franchise history. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s game.

Josh Doan Is Getting Better

Josh Doan has had an interesting season. He earned a spot on Utah’s roster after a good preseason but struggled throughout his first couple of games. It prompted Utah to send him down to the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Tucson Roadrunners. 

The demotion was warranted. Doan only had three points during his first stint with Utah. On top of that, he was playing third-line minutes when he could be in the AHL with the Roadrunners playing top-line minutes. With that, Doan was sent down to the AHL where he thrived just like the last time he played with the Roadrunners. The young forward had 21 points in 25 games in the minors, which also earned him an AHL All-Star selection.

Thanks to an injury to Dylan Guenther, Doan got called back up to Utah. With increased minutes, he now has a total of nine points this season and points in his past three games, including Sunday’s game against the Capitals where he played a major role in the win.

Only 1:10 into the game, Doan let a wrist shot fly from near the blue line, which managed to sneak past Logan Thompson. It helped Utah quickly jump out to a 2-0 lead within two minutes of the game beginning. He also assisted on Jack McBain’s goal giving him his second multi-point game of the season.

Related: Utah’s Cameron Hebig’s AHL All-Star Selection Was Earned

Head coach André Tourigny was impressed with the way Doan played. He also pointed out that this is another game where it’s not just the top players producing, which is what Utah desperately needs.

“He was really good tonight,” Tourigny said. “I think he was probably our best player. I really liked the way he played. That line was really good. It’s good when it starts to come a little bit from everybody. Everybody chips in.”

Doan was sent back down to the AHL following Sunday’s game. However, fans shouldn’t be concerned as this is most likely due to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off break. It’s better to have Doan playing and developing than having him just sit around.

Doan knew for a while he would probably be heading back down to Arizona for the upcoming two-week break. In between games with the Roadrunners, Doan will be visiting his family who are also in Arizona. When he most likely gets called back up to Utah after the break is over, he’ll be bringing some company back up north with him. 

“I’ll probably go home, see my family for a bit,” Doan said. “It’s just a quick flight down to Arizona. I’m bringing my dog back up who hasn’t been with me. That’s the plan.”

We’ll see how Doan does in his third stint in the AHL as he joins a Tucson Roadrunners team that is desperate for wins. However, it’s clear that he’s only gotten better and better after every stint with the Roadrunners, and his stats with Utah have proven that.

Utah Wins Their First-Ever Shootout

In 56 games this season, Utah has done a lot. A regulation win, an overtime win, a shutout, you name it, Utah has probably achieved it. However, before Sunday’s game, the team had never won in a shootout. They had gotten there twice but had never won. The third time was a charm as the franchise won its first shootout against the Capitals.

Nick Schmaltz scored in the first round for Utah but that was it for the scoring as Karel Vejmelka stopped every single Capitals shooter to win the game. It’s another milestone for the franchise as it treks toward the end of their inaugural season.

Vejmelka played incredible for being in his second straight game in the past 24 hours. He made 30 saves on 32 shots and posted a .938 save percentage. He never looked tired or shaken up for being yanked into the game. Instead, he was one of Utah’s best players.

“He was assertive,” Tourigny said. “I never felt he was shaky or whatever. He was assertive. He wanted to play, he was confident.”

However, the reason why Vejmelka even played isn’t a good one. Connor Ingram left the game in the first period with an injury. There wasn’t much of an update after the game other than Tourigny confirming that Ingram was indeed hurt.

Utah did lose another player during the game as Vladislav Kolyachonok was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. It does lose Utah some valuable defensive depth. While he didn’t play a lot this season, in every game he appeared in, he looked pretty good as a depth defenseman. He also was a hard worker as he was almost always the first one to get on the ice, sometimes skating way before practices were scheduled. However, for the young defenseman, it’s a great opportunity for him as he will get a lot more ice time with the Penguins.

Focusing back on the win, it’s a big one for Utah. They took down one of the best teams in the league and ended the three-game road trip with a 2-1-0 record. It’s a massive positive note heading into a two-week break. Even better? With a 24-23-9 record, Utah is just a couple of points outside the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, which is currently held by the Vancouver Canucks. There have been some low points recently for the team, but this is definitely a high point as momentum shifts in their favor heading into the final couple of weeks of the season.

The Two Week Break Begins

Now, the team gets a much-deserved two-week break. Olli Määttä and Juuso Välimäki will be the lone Utah representatives at the 4 Nations Face-Off as they play for Team Finland. The rest of the team will get some time to rest, reset, and heal, which is what Doan says will be the primary focus for Utah.

“It’s nice to kind of get a reset,” Doan said. “For folks in the back half the year, it’s one of those things that are important for guys is to get a little bit of a break and refocus and reset the body, heal from minor things that are nagging.”

It also provides a great chance for the players and staff to spend some time with family. As mentioned, Doan will be doing that during his AHL stint back down in Arizona. Tourigny also said the break for him is meant to spend time with his own family as well.

In two weeks, Utah will be back playing for their lives, but they could have some reinforcements. Sean Durzi and Robert Bortuzzo are set to return from injury at the end of the break and depending on Ingram’s injury, he could return as well. If this Utah team can get fully healthy, it could be a deadly push and a fun competition between them, the Canucks, and the Calgary Flames to see who can claim the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The next time we’ll see Utah is Feb. 22 as they travel to California to play the LA Kings. The Kings are 29-17-7 this season and are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. These two teams last met in October where Utah lost 3-2.