Utah’s impressive preseason has continued with their fourth win this year. With more and more roster cuts happening over the past couple of days, time is running out for players to prove themselves to the organization. Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks however saw a player finally break out and prove that he belongs with the team this season. Here are my takeaways from Utah’s 3-1 win on Tuesday evening.
Kailer Yamamoto Has Arrived
It seemed like Kailer Yamamoto had been doing almost everything right. The Spokane native had played well on all of his lines and had gotten quality shots off in most of his games. However, he couldn’t get anything in the net. It was Tuesday’s game that proved to be the end of his scoring drought.
Yamamoto’s first goal came off a nice pass from Barrett Hayton which was then put into the net by the forward. It also ended up being the game-winning goal. However, his second was more impressive. Clayton Keller got the puck from a beautiful spin pass by Hayton. Keller then sent it to the net for Yamamoto to collect the loose change and score. It was his second of the game and the final goal of the game as well.
Yamamoto is with Utah on a professional tryout contract (PTO). After spending most of his career with the Edmonton Oilers, the forward was bought out last offseason and signed with his hometown team: the Seattle Kraken. However, it wasn’t the homecoming Yamamoto was hoping to have as he only scored 16 points in 59 games.
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A fantastic season from Yamamoto hasn’t been unheard of. He had 41 points in the 2021-22 season. He’s also no stranger to playing with talented players. The forward played with Connor McDavid during his time with the Oilers. The experience he’s had makes him a valuable player to put on a line with a guy like Keller who is a star in his own right.
The Hayton, Keller, and Yamamoto line played pretty well in Tuesday’s game. With two preseason games left, head coach Andre Tourigny has time to potentially test the trio out again. Of course, Nick Schmaltz usually is the third man on the line but it’s up to Tourigny to see who fits the line better.
Arguably, Yamamoto has done enough to warrant a contract somewhere in the league. The game against the Sharks has pretty much proved that. The question is if it’ll be with Utah. Yamamoto is better than guys like Liam O’Brien and with Nick Bjugstad being out of the lineup for the home opener, the Washington-born forward might just earn himself a spot on the team in a week.
Battle of the 2024 First Rounders
A storyline going into the game on Tuesday was that both Tij Iginla and Macklin Celebrini would be playing for their respective teams. Both players were drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft this summer. Celebrini was taken first overall while Iginla became Utah’s first-ever draft pick, going sixth overall.
Both players had decent chances early, getting multiple shots on goal. Iginla actually assisted on Sean Durzi’s power-play goal in the second period that helped Utah tie the game. It was his first-ever preseason point in his career.
However, both players faced issues during the game. Iginla turned over the puck that eventually was put behind Connor Ingram by Matt Benning for the Sharks’ only goal of the game. Meanwhile, Celebrini managed to get on a breakaway and after almost tucking it into the net, slammed hard into the boards at a decent speed. While Celebrini got up and finished the rest of the shift, he eventually left the game and did not return due to a lower-body injury.
It’s a disappointing end to that storyline for now as both players are exciting to watch. We’ll probably have to wait another season to see the matchup again as Iginla will most likely be sent back to juniors. However, the speed and offensive capabilities that were seen between the two before Celebrini was injured were a lot of fun to watch.
Connor Ingram Ready For the Season
Besides Benning’s goal from the top of the zone, Ingram was dialed into the game. He bailed Utah out a couple of times including on a Celebrini breakaway. He looked fantastic, especially in the first two periods where Utah really didn’t.
Ingram ended his night with a .950 save percentage. He was named the first star of the game and stopped 19 of the Sharks’ 20 shots.
There’s no doubt that Ingram will most likely start the first game of the season after taking control of the starter’s role towards the end of last season. While both Karel Vejmelka and Ingram have played well in their preseason appearances, the latter goaltender has been better and has the full trust of his team to be Utah’s first starting netminder.
Another preseason win puts Utah at a 4-1-0 record with only two more games remaining before the regular season begins. There’s no rest for the team however as their next game will be in Anaheim against the Ducks on Wednesday. The Ducks are 1-2-1 in the preseason so far after dropping back-to-back games to the LA Kings.
