Coming off a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers the night before, it was expected that the Utah Hockey Club would go into Las Vegas on Saturday and be a bit tired in their game against the Vegas Golden Knights. However, it didn’t look like Utah had even played a game the night before as they dominated the Knights, winning 6-0. Here are some takeaways from Saturday night’s game.
Nick Schmaltz and Michael Carcone End Their Scoring Droughts
Heading into Saturday’s game, there were only two forwards who had routinely been in the lineup and hadn’t scored a goal for Utah. Nick Schmaltz and Michael Carcone both were in a scoring drought that had started to get uncomfortably noticeable—Schmaltz especially after coming off of three straight 20-goal seasons.
Saturday’s game (Nov. 30) signaled the end of the droughts for the two players. Schmaltz scored first after Clayton Keller slid a pass across the crease to the Wisconsin native. You could tell just by watching Schmaltz and the bench that the goal was a massive weight off the forward’s back a big one for the team.
“It feels great…kind of a little sigh of relief,” Schmaltz said. “Feel a little lighter after you see one go in. Hopefully, that can bring more confidence to my game and more goals.”
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Next up was Carcone who broke out on a 2-on-1 and ended up putting the puck behind Ilya Samsonov. Just like with Schmaltz, you could feel the pressure leave Carcone as he celebrated his first goal with Utah.
Schmaltz even scored another goal on the power play just for good measure, bringing his goal total up to two in the season. It was a remarkable night for the two as both had 20-plus goals last season with the Arizona Coyotes.
“That was a good game with great goaltending,” head coach André Tourigny said. “It was good to have Schmaltzy get the monkey off his back, Carcs get the monkey off his back. I think those two guys are important point producers for us. So, it was good for them.”
Schmaltz and Carcone ending their scoring droughts is huge for Utah. If this game will get the two forwards scoring routinely again, then Utah’s offense could wake up and become a strong part of their game rather than relying on the second line to carry them to a win.
Liam O’Brien is now the only current Utah forward to not have a goal with the team this season. However, he hasn’t appeared in a game since Oct. 28.
Jaxson Stauber Makes History in Utah Debut
Ever since being called up before Utah’s 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins due to an injury to Connor Ingram, Jaxson Stauber has been patiently waiting for his time to come. While he had to wait five games to finally get his first start with Utah, it was worth it in the end as he stopped 29 shots to lead his team to a shutout win.
Before joining Utah, Stauber excelled as the starting goaltender for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 2022-23, he got called up to play his first couple of games in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. Stauber played well, posting a record of 5-1-0, a goals-against average of 2.81, and a .911 save percentage.
In the 2024 offseason, Utah signed Stauber to a one-year, two-way deal. Despite proving himself as someone who could thrive in an NHL job, Utah elected to send him down to their AHL team, the Tucson Roadrunners, to help them remain competitive. However, it became obvious that Stauber would be the first one up in Utah if any injuries arose with Ingram and Karel Vejmelka, especially after compiling a 5-2-0 record with the Roadrunners.
Not only did Stauber win against one of the best teams in the league but he played excellent as well, saving all 29 shots and recording the franchise’s first shutout in history. It was a historic night not just for Utah but Stauber especially.
“It feels unreal,” Stauber said. “It’s something you dream about as a kid so I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates tonight.”
Just like what we saw in his appearances with the Blackhawks, Stauber shut the door on some of the best players in the league. Depending on how long Ingram is out for, Stauber might’ve just won himself more starts from Tourigny.
Complete Domination by Utah
Saturday’s game might have been the best game Utah has ever played. On every shift, they made an impact. They were fantastic in front of the net, defensively, on the power play, you name it.
An area where Utah hasn’t played their best is the penalty kill. Just on Friday (Nov. 29) against the Oilers, two of the three goals in regulation that they gave up were when the Oilers had the man advantage. However, during their game against the Knights, not only did Utah kill off four of their penalties but Alex Kerfoot also scored the first shorthanded goal in franchise history.
Every line performed well. Forwards who hadn’t been playing their best scored, including Keller who scored his first goal since Oct. 30. A goaltender who hadn’t started a game for Utah this season was a brick wall in the net and made franchise history. The special teams were fantastic with the power play recording a goal as well. It was a great night for Utah and their fans.
With November ended, Utah hopes to continue its newfound momentum in December. Their first game in the new month is against the Dallas Stars at the Delta Center. The Stars are currently 14-8-0 this season and are coming off a 5-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche. They’ll play the Winnipeg Jets at home on Sunday (Dec. 1) before traveling to Salt Lake City on Monday (Dec. 2).
