Although the Utah Hockey Club was 1,064 miles from Salt Lake City on Sunday evening, it didn’t stop them from making franchise history. The team beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 in Des Moines, Iowa to earn their first-ever preseason win in franchise history. The game gave fans their first chance to watch their team play live and stars like Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley didn’t disappoint. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s game.
Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley Are Back
After the All-Star Break last season, Guenther and Cooley quickly found chemistry on a line together. Guenther’s wicked wrist shot and Cooley’s excellent passing on top of the duo’s combined speed made for a lethal line. The two racked up points combining for 79 in the season.
Now, after an offseason topped off with a move to Salt Lake City, the two picked up right where they left off. Guenther scored the game-tying goal while Cooley assisted and scored the game-winner off a penalty shot. Both players found each other all over the ice numerous times with excellent passing and looked in regular-season form.
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Jack McBain was also on the line with the two young forwards. He provided an excellent physical presence when needed and even recorded the primary assist off of Guenther’s goal. After staying on the third line for most of last season, McBain could replace Lawson Crouse on the Cooley-Guenther line if he keeps playing like he did on Sunday.
The first line showed why they were the first line against the Blues. They made an impact on the ice every shift, which is what you want to see from some of the best players on the team, even during the preseason.
Michael Carcone Makes History
Down 2-0 in the second thanks to his team putting the puck in their own net during a delayed penalty, Michael Carcone decided to take matters into his own hands. On a breakaway with Ben McCartney, he put the puck behind Blues’ goaltender Vadim Zherenko to score Utah’s first goal in preseason history.
Carcone would score once more into the empty net to give Utah their first preseason win in franchise history. The forward had his best season in the NHL in 2023-24, scoring 21 goals with the Arizona Coyotes. Now Utah is looking for him to become one of their consistent producers in the bottom six.
If Carcone plays anything like he did in the preseason game, he’ll be a fan favorite in Salt Lake City. He helped elevate the games of Cole Beaudoin and Kailer Yamamoto who appeared on his line. Yamamoto had an eye-catching game, getting multiple shots on net including one that rang off the pipe. Beaudoin didn’t look too shabby either but it was Carcone who was named first star of the game.
Ben McCartney Battling for a Roster Spot
In four seasons at the pro level, Ben McCartney has only played two NHL games. He’s been a mainstay with the Tucson Roadrunners, putting up around 20-30 points each season. He’s also racked up a ton of penalty minutes in each of those seasons. Now, McCartney is doing his best to try to beat the odds and make Utah’s roster.
McCartney played well, helping set up Carcone’s first goal. Then, his determination and presence in front of the net helped Kevin Connauton score Utah’s second goal. His physicality was noticeable throughout the night, helping him earn the third star of the game.
While McCartney most likely won’t make Utah’s roster due to the amount of depth they have, he could push himself into the conversation of being the next man up. If he keeps up his hard work, McCartney could find himself in his first NHL game since the 2021-22 season.
With the 5-3 win, Utah has won their first preseason game in franchise history. Karel Vejmelka and Jaxson Stauber helped backstop the team to the win. With the loss, the Blues fall to 0-2-0 in the preseason. Meanwhile, Yamamoto, Cooley, and Noel Nordh scored in the shootout to give Utah fans in Des Moines another thing to celebrate. It’s a great start for the new franchise and their fans to begin the preseason 1-0-0. It’s even better to see that the team’s regulars are already looking their best ahead of the regular season.
Utah will play their first-ever game at the Delta Center on Monday against the LA Kings. The Kings have yet to play a preseason game this year. However, the two teams did meet in the rookie tournament a couple of weeks ago where Utah won 4-3 thanks to an Owen Allard overtime winner.
