The Utah Hockey Club opened up their four-game homestand on Wednesday in a disappointing way. A goal in overtime handed the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over Utah, which extended their losing streak to three. Here are some takeaways from Wednesday night’s loss.
Simply Sidsational in Salt Lake City
There was no doubt that the biggest star of the game was Sidney Crosby in his first trip to Salt Lake City. The Penguins got in late on Tuesday so they didn’t spend much time around the city but Crosby had a great time in his first appearance at Delta Center.
“We got in pretty late last night, had meetings and stuff this morning,” Crosby said. “Basically, hotel to the rink, that was pretty much it. But the atmosphere was awesome. It’s fun to play in games like that.”
Related: Utah HC Name Choice Now Down to 3 Final Names
There was no doubt it was fun for Crosby. He first assisted on Marcus Pettersson’s goal from near the blue line which marked his 1,650th point in the NHL. Then, it was a nice feed in overtime from Cody Glass to spring Crosby. The Penguins captain skated up to Connor Ingram and put in the puck on his backhand, winning the game for the visitors.
It was a massive win for Crosby and the Penguins as they were coming off a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks who currently sit near the bottom of the league. Especially after a very long road trip, it’s good to head back home with a win for the Penguins.
“I think there were probably a couple of games that could’ve gone the other way,” Crosby said. “We could’ve gotten another win or two but we’re almost .500. Hopefully we can bring some momentum back home.”
Crosby was named the first star of the game and finished with two points and the overtime winner. He now has three points in two games against Utah in his career. He can mark off Delta Center now on his list of NHL buildings where he has scored.
“Carcs” Is Back
Michael Carcone is one of a couple of Utah players who have had a rough season this year. In 74 games last season, he had his first 20-plus goal season, producing 29 points in total. This season, he’s found himself at a mere four goals and being healthy scratched at different points throughout the year.
On Wednesday, Carcone found himself with another chance. With Matias Maccelli (who has also struggled tremendously this season) being healthy scratched, Carcone was placed back in the lineup and it paid off.
On a new line with Jack McBain and Lawson Crouse, Carcone had a couple of good chances but it all came together when John Marino managed to get the puck to him and send him on a breakaway. Carcone’s first attempt didn’t go in but he managed to chip his own rebound in and score his first goal since Dec. 14.
“I just hit the brakes and got a lucky bounce,” Carcone said. “I’ve been working on my pass-off pad, I guess. I don’t really know, but I’m just fortunate it went in.”
While Carcone admits his new line was still adjusting to each other and trying to figure out how to play together, they did a good job in their opponent’s zone. It allowed them to generate a decent amount of chances.
“I found we were just trying to feel each other out for most of the game, which led to us playing the D-zone,” Carcone said. “I thought when we were in the O-zone, we did a good job. So that was good.”
It was the smart decision to scratch Maccelli and bring in Carcone. Both have been struggling tremendously but Maccelli has the bigger expectations and has looked simply invisible at times this season. Tough decisions have to be made when a team is losing and Carcone’s return to the lineup is one that needed to happen at some point.
Same Outcome Despite Changes
Head coach André Tourigny made some big changes to the lines before Utah’s game against the Penguins. Maccelli and Juuso Välimäki were scratched. Meanwhile, Barrett Hayton was placed on a line with Alex Kerfoot and Josh Doan. Carcone, as mentioned above, got some new linemates, while Marino was paired with Mikhail Sergachev.
Out of all the changes, the new second line was the most noticeable with the combination of Kerfoot, Doan, and Hayton putting a lot of pressure on the Penguins. While they didn’t score, they were arguably the most effective line of the night for Utah.
“I think they were really good,” Tourigny said. “They created different ways from faceoff to the forecheck to the rush. I liked their game a lot.”
However, unfortunately for Utah, it was the same result despite some changes. It’s the team’s third straight loss after winning three straight. Consistency, once again, is not in Utah’s favor. It was a win against an easy opponent. Despite having some future Hall of Famers, the Penguins are under .500 and are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. It’s a loss that left the Utah locker room with nothing but raw and honest emotions.
“That one’s tough,” Carcone said. “We wanted that one. We needed that one. It sucked.”
Even Sergachev was bluntly honest about the loss, saying that the team is trying its best to turn it all around. However, with losses becoming a normal thing for Utah, the team needs to do a deep reflection on what issues lie beneath the surface.
“I think the leadership group and the coaches are doing everything we can to try to turn it around,” Sergachev said. “We can’t be too negative about it, but we can’t be just ‘whatever, next one.’ It can’t be like that.”
The four-game homestand continues on Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets are 24-19-7 amidst a surprising season as they continue to battle for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They most recently won 3-2 in overtime against the LA Kings but will play the Vegas Golden Knights before traveling north to play Utah.
