The Utah Hockey Club pulled off a great game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday to begin their three-game road trip, beating them 4-0 to get closer to the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Two players silently had great nights as Utah took down another contender in the Central Division. Here are some takeaways from Thursday night’s game.
Karel Vejmelka Gets the Shutout
For just the second time this season, a Utah goaltender recorded a shutout. Karel Vejmelka finally earned his first shutout this season and the second-ever shutout in Utah history. Vejmelka has had a very strong season and arguably deserves to be in the Vezina Trophy conversation.
In 29 games, Vejmelka has posted a .913 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.45 goals-against average (GAA). He has been near the top in every notable goaltending category. He has been an anchor in net, which is also an achievement considering the team was rocking with Connor Ingram as their starter to begin the season.
“We had key saves at key moments,” head coach André Tourigny said. “He (Vejmelka) looked in control all night long.”
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Vejmelka has struggled to remain consistent in his career in the NHL. In his first couple of seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, he played decently and produced good stats on some very terrible Coyotes teams. Last season in the desert, he struggled and Ingram stole the starting job. This season with Utah, he has played some good hockey for most of the 29 games he has started. He has been Utah’s MVP especially when they needed him when Ingram stepped away from the team in November.
“The boys played really well in front of me and they helped me a lot,” Vejmelka said. “It’s a big team win tonight.”
The shutout was Vejmelka’s first in more than a year, last recording one on Dec. 23, 2023. It was definitely a big win as he redeems himself from some disappointing starts against the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. Vejmelka has been one of Utah’s best players and arguably their MVP. They’ll need him to keep his swagger as they attempt a push for the playoffs.
Two Point Night for Nick DeSimone
Claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils earlier in January, Nick DeSimone quietly had his best night as a member of Utah on Thursday. He had two points, both coming off shots that were redirected in front of the net by Barrett Hayton. For Hayton, it was his sixth and seventh point in the past four games.
Similar to Vejmelka, DeSimone broke a drought as he recorded his first multi-point night since Nov. 7, 2023. While the return of John Marino has overshadowed DeSimone’s first couple of games with Utah, he’s been a valuable asset for the team. He averaged just a little more than 17 minutes of ice time on Thursday which was the sixth most on the whole team.
“He contributes really well,” Tourigny said. “He gives us quality ice time, moves the puck well. He plays hard, he competes. Really happy about what he’s given us since he arrived.”
While Tourigny has never had a completely healthy team, when Utah does get back Sean Durzi, it’s hard to imagine where everyone fits in on the blue line. Some players will have to go down to the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Tucson Roadrunners. Some might have to be traded. DeSimone has been proving in his short stint with Utah that he belongs on someone’s blue line in the NHL.
Utah Takes Down Another Western Jugarnaut
Utah took down the best team in the Western Conference on Monday, bringing down the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. On Thursday, it was the Wild’s turn to fall to their Central Division opponents. As the second seed in the division, it was no easy task for Utah to beat the Wild especially considering the team got Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon back from injury.
Utah’s playoff picture gets better and better as they compile win after win. The win against the Wild was a massive one as the two teams ahead of them: the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues both lost on Thursday. Now, Utah is only one point back of the two teams that at one point in time had some good ground on their opponent. They are now only four points back of the Calgary Flames who won against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
However, things don’t get easy until a team plays all 82 games. After that, it either gets even tougher or you’re hitting the golf links. Utah is hoping it can sneak into the Stanley Cup playoffs and they’ll need every win possible to get them there. This includes against teams like the Wild and also the Jets who Utah will face yet again on Friday.
“We’ve been well aware of these games and they’re important games,” Lawson Crouse said. “Another one tomorrow night and it’s not gonna be easy. This one feels good but have to reset and get ready for tomorrow.”
While the team will get ready for another big game on Friday, Thursday’s against the Wild was a great one for Utah as they extended their win streak to three games. They’ve proven in the past couple of days they can hang around with the best teams in the NHL and beat them pretty convincingly as well.
As mentioned, it will be a quick turnaround for Utah. They’ll head north to Winnipeg to play the Jets on Friday. The Jets are 32-14-3 and as previously mentioned, lost to Utah 5-2 on Monday. They did play a game against the Colorado Avalanche after losing, beating the Avalanche 3-2 in overtime.
