3 Takeaways From Utah’s 4-3 Shootout Loss to Predators

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Game 79 was the final game at Delta Center for the Utah Hockey Club this season. While the actual game against the Nashville Predators ended up disappointing the hometown crowd as Utah lost 4-3 in a shootout, it was forgotten as the game was more of a celebration of the team’s inaugural season and the fans who supported them the whole way through. Here are some takeaways from Thursday’s game.

Let’s Go Over the Loss

Before getting into the team awards and the fact that Game 79 was Utah’s final game at home, let’s get into the game. At first, it seemed like Utah was going to dominate this game. Early in the first period, they had the upper hand and didn’t let the Predators really get any chances. Most of the time, they were in the Predators’ zone creating offensive chances.

It took until almost halfway through the game for any offense to be generated despite Utah outshooting the Predators 11-5 after the first period. Nick Bjugstad scored his seventh goal of the season from a near-impossible angle. It was one he desperately needed, especially after only scoring two goals since the beginning of January.

Josh Doan scored the second goal of the game off a rebound opportunity, and Utah was in the driver’s seat. That was until Nick Blakenburg potted the Predators’ first goal from a shot from the blue line on the power play.

Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly scored in the third period to all of a sudden give the Predators a 3-2 lead. Dylan Guenther was able to score shortly after to tie the game up again, but Forsberg couldn’t be held off the scoresheet again and scored the game-winning goal in the shootout.

Related: Which Players Should Get a Chance in the NHL with Utah HC Next?

Did Karel Vejmelka once again bail Utah out quite a bit? Yes, that’s become the norm, and with each save, he’s gotten even more fans to chant “Veggie” during games. Did Utah choke the lead? Absolutely, thanks to a horrible penalty kill. Does Utah still struggle tremendously in the shootout? Yes. However, in the end, it doesn’t even matter.

Utah is out of the playoffs. There’s no scenario anymore where the team somehow makes it into the postseason thanks to the Minnesota Wild beating the San Jose Sharks 8-7 on Wednesday. Yes, a win would be nice, especially because it’s the final game at Delta Center until preseason rolls around in September, but the game on Thursday wasn’t about improving the record. It was about the fans and celebrating the people who have made Utah’s inaugural season possible and a big success.

So yes, Utah did lose. They blew a lead and lost another shootout. However, they honored their fans. Besides, they have three more games on the road where they can try to improve and head into the offseason on a good note.

Team Award Winners

After the game, Utah announced its team awards. There were five that Utah gave out on Thursday night.

The first was the “All-In” award, which is given to the Utah player who leaves it all on the ice. It is the lone award that is voted on by the fans. This season, it was given to Barrett Hayton. Last season, Hayton sustained an injury that would keep him out for most of the season. Going into this season, he wanted to improve and overcome the injury that kept him out. He impressed by scoring 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points, which ties his career high in each category. 

Hayton said the injury actually helped him improve. While he hated sitting on the sidelines just like any athlete would, he took a step forward in his development and overcame the injury that had kept him out for all but 33 games last season.

“Last year was tough for me, missing games, not being able to compete with your teammates,” Hayton said. “At the same time, you’ve got to take a silver lining and reflect on your game and see where you can grow. I think that was something that has really helped me. I thought I was able to bring a lot of things into this year. I still got so much to get better at, so much to work on, and so much more growth. But this season has been a step for me, and I’m proud of the work I’ve put in.”

The “Three Stars” award is given to the Utah player with the most postgame stars honors throughout the season. Guenther was the recipient of the award. He has exceeded expectations this season with 57 points in 67 games. He scored the first and last goal at the Delta Center this season and has quickly become a fan favorite. Guenther will be in Utah for at least the next eight seasons thanks to the contract he signed before the season began.

The “Leading Scorer” award is given to the Utah player who finishes the season as the team’s leading scorer. With 85 points, Clayton Keller earned the award. He has been a consistent offensive threat ever since starting his career with the Arizona Coyotes. When the team moved to Utah, he finally earned the captaincy and has continued scoring at a wicked pace.

After living in Arizona for almost a decade, many hockey fans were interested to see how the new Utah players would like it in Salt Lake City. After 79 games, Keller feels like it’s his home. While he still owns his house in Arizona and will most likely return there for the summer, he loves everything about his new home in Utah.

“It definitely feels like home,” Keller said. “I love living here. I love everything about it. The fans, the owner, I could go down the list. I have nothing but great things to say.”

Then there’s the “Community Obsessed” award, which is given to the Utah player who is most active in the Utah community. It was quite obvious who the winner was, and that was Alex Kerfoot.

Kerfoot is Utah’s nominee for the King Clancy Award, which is a similar award. He has greatly benefited the community by donating his personal game tickets to female hockey players. He’s also been active and vocal in the community about growing women’s hockey.

Ever since acquiring the team, both Ryan and Ashley Smith have emphasized how important it is for Utah to be active in the community. The Smith Entertainment Group has donated thousands of dollars, hosted many events, and built hockey programs that some NHL teams only dream of. It’s something that Kerfoot has loved being a part of.

Alex Kerfoot Utah Hockey Club
Alex Kerfoot, Utah Hockey Club (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

“There’s lots of guys on this team who do a great job of growing the game in this community and trying to do our part to give back,” Kerfoot said. “You’ve seen how amazing they’ve been to us all year long…That was something that Ryan and Ashley Smith placed an emphasis on when they first met with us, which was that they wanted this to be something the community can rally around. It was up to us to do our part, to give back, and we’re going to continue to get better and push it forward and be better with that aspect as well.”

The final award was the “Team MVP” award, which is given to the Utah player for his contributions on and off the ice. It is the only one that is voted on by the actual team. It was no surprise when it was announced that Vejmelka won the award.

Vejmelka has by far and away been the best player for Utah this season. With Connor Ingram leaving the team due to personal matters and no reliable backup, Vejmelka has been in charge of the net, starting the past 22 games. He has played in 56 games, which is the most he’s ever played in his career.

His phenomenal play has gotten the fans excited every time he’s made a big save. It prompts the crowd to start chanting “Veggie.” It’s gotten to the point where they are now wearing broccoli hats and throwing vegetables on the ice. Vejmelka loves the new tradition and now has set an important task for himself.

“It’s kind of cool,” Vejmelka said. “I have to start eating more broccoli for the lunches.”

Vejmelka’s streak of 22 consecutive games will most likely come to an end when Utah plays the Predators and the St. Louis Blues on back-to-back nights to conclude the season, but when it ends, it will be nothing short of impressive to reflect on. He has consistently kept Utah in games they shouldn’t be in and has helped them win some of the biggest games of the season. There’s no doubt that he is the team’s MVP.

The Final Home Game

Game 79 was the final time Utah fans saw their team play at home this season. Interestingly enough, it was also the final time fans saw the Utah Hockey Club play, as they will most likely get their new and permanent name over the summer.

It was a sad yet happy farewell, which is a stark contrast to what the team witnessed last season in Arizona. They saluted the sold-out crowd and even took a team photo at center ice. Sticks were given out, and the fans were cheering as the sun set on their inaugural season.

All season long, the fans have been energetic and passionate. It started at the very first game where Utah made an immediate impact on the newest fanbase in the league, to the multiple Guenther overtime winners, to the final game of the season. All year long, fans have purchased bags full of merchandise, chanted “let’s go Utah,” and have supported this team with their full heart and soul. 

Utah will play their final three games on the road as they head through Dallas, Nashville, and St. Louis. However, it will be hard for them not to play in front of their home crowd again until October. The electric energy and passion that fans have had all year round have left the players and the coaches wanting more.

“It was the first year, there was a lot of emotion,” head coach André Tourigny said. “There was a lot of connection with the crowd. We wanted to play for them and play in front of them. It’s tough to comprehend there’s no more this year. It’s like we’re addicted now.”

Fans were left with a little teaser after the game. Ryan Smith was handed a microphone after the conclusion of the awards presentation and made sure to get fans excited for next season.

“This was a test year,” Smith said. “It’s about to get fun.”

All in all, it’s been a crazy past year. From the move from Arizona to the point where we are now, the city of Utah has changed for the better. As the captain of the team, Keller has seen it all. With the fans supporting Utah the whole way through despite the team barely missing the playoffs this season, he is excited to see what lies next.

“It’s been a whirlwind since the end of last season,” Keller said. “From top to bottom, Ryan and Ashley, Chris Armstrong, all the sacrifices that you know they made to make this transition easy…The fans as well. Since day one, you could tell the excitement. We’re super hungry for next year, and this is just the beginning. There’s lots to look forward to.”

Utah will head to Texas to play the Dallas Stars on Saturday. The Stars are 50-23-6 this season and are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The two last met in January, where Utah lost 3-2.

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