Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk, among others, scored in the Ottawa Senators’ 4-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night.
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) tries to steal the puck away from Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven (43) during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Brogan Houston covers the Utah Mammoth and trending news for the Deseret News.
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Though members of the Utah Hockey Club would never admit it, their game against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night was over in the first period.
The Senators scored four goals on eight shots in the opening frame. Utah HC goaltender Connor Ingram would weather the storm until the end of the period, but Karel Vejmelka got the nod to start the second.
“Everybody has a bad day at the office sometimes,” said Utah HC head coach André Tourigny, referring to Ingram’s play. “When you’re a goaltender, you’re exposed more than anybody else.”
It was Utah HC’s second time getting shut out by a backup goalie this season. The first was on Oct. 14 against the New Jersey Devils — a game they lost 3-0.
André Tourigny on Utah's game today:
"I don't think we played bad. I think we gave up four goals and we lost the game because we couldn't score."
Says they had plenty of opportunities but couldn't capitalize on them. Also mentions that all four goals were preventable.#UtahHC
This is a three-part article geared toward three different audiences.
First, we’ll have “Utah Hockey for dummies” for all you new hockey fans. Welcome, by the way — we’re glad you’ve taken an interest in the greatest sport in the world.
Next, we’ll have a section titled “Utah Hockey for casual fans,” aimed at those who have a base understanding of the sport.
Finally, we’ll have “Utah Hockey for nerds.” That will be for those of you who, like me, think about nothing but hockey all day, every day.
Feedback is welcome, so let me know what you think in the comments of this article or the comments section on “X."
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Utah Hockey Club defenseman Juuso Valimaki (4) tries to keep control of the puck while he’s checked by Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (12) during the third period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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A fan reacts as the Utah Hockey Club’s shot on goal against the Ottawa Senators missed its target during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) tries to steal the puck away from Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven (43) during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club left wing Matias Maccelli (63) passes the puck out while guarded by Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (72) during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) and Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen (3) drive toward the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club head coach André Tourigny reacts to action against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) and Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (12) compete for possession of the puck in a face-off during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) makes a save on a shot on goal from the Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club defenseman Robert Bortuzzo (41) checks Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) drives the puck up the ice against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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The Utah Hockey Club and the Ottawa Senators play beneath an inaugural season logo during the third period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) drives the puck up the ice while guarded by Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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The ice crew cleans the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Ottawa Senators held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club fans cheer during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) takes a shot on goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club fans hold signs as they cheer against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) controls the puck while tightly guarded by Ottawa Senators left wing Noah Gregor (73) during the third period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) and Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven (43) compete for possession of the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) controls the puck against the Ottawa Senators during the third period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) drives the puck up the ice against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) drives the puck up the ice during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) passes the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Utah Hockey for dummies
When Tourigny and his team realized that Anton Forsberg was starting in net for the Senators, they must have jumped for joy. Forsberg, the Senators’ backup goalie, is statistically nowhere near the level of their starting goalie, Linus Ullmark, who is reportedly on the verge of a comeback from a minor injury.
Every NHL goalie has the skill to shut a team down. The good goalies are just the ones that do it the most consistently. Although he doesn’t play like this every night, Forsberg single-handedly shut Utah HC down.
Utah HC out-shot the Senators 31-23. In fact, the Senators didn’t even get their first shot until more than halfway through the first period. They breakaways, crossbars, solid one-timers and every other scoring chance you could imagine, but they just couldn’t beat Forsberg.
“It’s gonna happen,” said Utah HC captain Clayton Keller after the game. “It’s a long season. You can’t get frustrated. You’ve gotta stay patient and get better every day.”
As disappointing of a night as it must have been for Connor Ingram, Karel Vejmelka definitely rose to the challenge when called upon. He stopped all 14 shots he faced, fending off a Senators team that had been on pace for 12 goals.
“I just tried to enjoy the game,” Vejmelka said after the game. “It was my first one in front of the home crowd, so it was a great feeling. I’m just sad we didn’t get any points.”
Vejmelka has only started one game this season, but his performance on Tuesday might incline the coaching staff to turn to him again soon.
“He was good,” Tourigny said of Vejmelka after the game. “I don’t think we gave up a lot, but he made the saves he had to make.”
Through 5 periods of play, Karel Vejmelka has not been on the ice for a Utah goal this season.#UtahHC
The Calgary Flames expected Juuso Välimäki to be a high-scoring defenseman when they drafted him 16th overall in 2017. He hasn’t achieved that in the NHL yet, but he looked like he wanted to on Tuesday.
As he did a few times in the season opener, Välimäki got so involved in the offense that you may have mistaken him for a forward. He was constantly at the front of the Senators’ net looking for tips and rebounds, though he wasn’t able to capitalize.
He had perhaps Utah HC’s closest chance of the game midway through the third period when he hit the crossbar with a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle. But Tourigny wasn’t a fan — probably because Välimäki was on the ice for two of the Senators’ goals.
“He had moments offensively, but I think, as well, he had — a little bit like everybody — moments where he got ahead of himself,” Tourigny said.
What’s next?
Utah HC gets a day to rest before taking on the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
The Avalanche, which has been a powerhouse team for the better part of the last decade, has struggled to start the year. Several of their top forwards are on injured reserve, but because they’re all expected to return this season, they don’t want to use that cap space to acquire replacements.
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Their goaltending has also been atrocious. They picked up Kaapo Kähkönen off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets in hopes of solving that issue, but he has yet to play a game this season.
Utah HC closes out the week with a quick trip to California. They play the Los Angeles Kings in an afternoon matchup. It’s not the Kings’ home opener, but it’s close: They host the Sharks on Thursday in their first game at Crypto.com Arena.
Anze Kopitar, the ageless wonder, leads the Kings with eight points. Despite his sustained offensive success, Kopitar is best known for his defensive play, which has won him the Selke Trophy twice.
Thursday’s game starts at 7 p.m. MDT, while Saturday’s game is at 2. Both games will be available on Utah HC+ and Utah 16. At the time of writing, tickets to Thursday’s game are available on Ticketmaster, starting at $65.
