The losing streak is over for the Utah Hockey Club. After four games without a win, the team put it all together to beat the Calgary Flames 5-1 on Wednesday night. It was exciting for players, staff, and fans alike as the skid that felt like it was going on forever is finally over. Here are some takeaways from Utah’s win on Wednesday.
A Better Third Period
On Monday against the San Jose Sharks, Utah played a solid first two periods and with a 4-1 lead going into the third, it looked like they would end their losing streak. That is until the Sharks scored three goals in under two minutes to send the game into overtime where they eventually won it. Utah’s game against the Flames was exactly the opposite of how they played on Monday.
Utah was able to continue applying pressure to the Flames including Clayton Keller scoring a power-play goal to give his team an even comfier lead. They also outshot the Flames in the final period 12-8, which was another huge issue during Monday’s game.
Related: Nick Bjugstad’s Return Revitalizes Utah HC’s Third Line
Finally, and most importantly, Utah kept its foot on the gas and didn’t get lazy. They continued to play their game until the final buzzer, which is arguably why they won the game against the Flames and not the Sharks.
The offense didn’t dry up either. Multiple parts of the forward group showed up. Alex Kerfoot, Barrett Hayton, and Keller all scored goals. Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz both had two assists as well. It was a good performance that was reminiscent of the earlier games in the season.
To win a hockey game, you have to play the complete 60 minutes. It’s something Utah has struggled with lately. However, they finally did that on Wednesday and it ended their losing streak.
Lamoureux Gets His First Goal
After injuries to the blue line, Maveric Lamoureux was called up from the Tucson Roadrunners to play for the team. The Canadian defenseman didn’t score a point in his first three games in the NHL but he looked exceptional, making smart defensive plays. It was only a matter of time before Lamoureux would be rewarded with his first NHL goal and point.
Wednesday ended up being that special day for Lamoureux. Kevin Stenlund backhanded the puck to the former Roadrunner who used all of his strength to blast it right past Dustin Wolf. It was a big moment as it was also the first time a player scored their first NHL goal in a Utah jersey.
Lamoureux has impressed everyone in the organization so far this season. While the call-up was supposed to be temporary, he’s made a name for himself in the NHL. Paired alongside veteran Ian Cole, Lamoureux has formed a decent defensive pairing and has also made Cole a better player as well.
It’s unclear what will happen with Lamoureux when Sean Durzi and John Marino return to the lineup. The addition of Olli Määttä this week makes the blue line more crowded. Even if Lamoureux gets sent back down to Tucson towards the end of the season, he will play in Utah for the time being. With his remarkable play already, he has penciled himself in as one of the future faces of the defense for the team.
The Losing Streak is Over
The losing streak ends at four for Utah. All fans can breathe now as the pressure to end the skid is over. While it’s nowhere close to what the group experienced last season in Arizona, it was still a depressing losing streak filled with blown leads and no offense. Now, the team can take what they’ve learned over the past couple of games and use it towards the future.
Utah will need everything it has got for the upcoming road trip. They’ll go on a four-game trip across the Midwest that will feature three teams that made the playoffs last season. However, if they played the way they did against the Flames, they should be able to snag some wins.
The important thing for Utah is that they can’t let their offense dry up. It was the main issue at the beginning of the losing streak. While the offense did get healthier halfway through the skid with the return of Nick Bjugstad, it can’t be an issue, especially against teams like the Winnipeg Jets. They also cannot have bad third periods like they did in the latter half of the losing streak. Utah needs to play a complete 60 minutes like all playoff teams do.
Even with the tough road trip approaching, getting the win on Wednesday was very important. It sends the players and personnel into a good and competitive mood heading into the road trip and it doesn’t leave the fans in a sour mood either. Especially with the streak Utah was on, it was crucial they won against the Flames and they pulled it off.
Utah returns to .500 after their win. Their next game is against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. The Golden Knights have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season, currently sitting with a 7-3-1 record on top of the Pacific Division. They are coming off a 6-3 loss to the LA Kings.
