Utah HC blows 4-1 lead, loses to Sharks. What does this mean for the future?

Utah Hockey Club head coach André Tourigny seemed to be holding back tears after his team’s 5-4 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.

Utah HC is on a four-game losing streak and has lost six of its last seven games. They still only have one regulation victory, which came in the season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“It just sucks,” said Utah HC forward Matias Maccelli after the game. “It’s frustrating.”

Most of the frustration came in the last four and a half minutes of the third period, during which time the Sharks scored three goals to claw back from a 4-1 deficit. If the players feel frustrated, they should put themselves in the shoes of us beat writers who had to scrap our entire stories. Just kidding.

Utah Hockey for dummies

Originally, I had planned to write about how the vibes were finally high in the Delta Center again. Now, they’re at an all-time low.

The Sharks hadn’t won a game yet this season, and no team wants to be the one to break another team’s losing streak. But no matter who you lose to, it stings a little extra to blow such a big lead.

“That can’t happen,” Maccelli said.

On the other hand, the vibes were at a season high for the Sharks, who, after the game, were blasting music from two of the greatest artists of my generation: Eminem and Crazy Frog.

It was the Sharks’ first win of the season and, more importantly, it was Ryan Warsofsky’s first win as an NHL head coach.

Utah Hockey for casual fans

During losing streaks, the leadership group is responsible for two things: getting things back on track and facing the media. They have yet to do either the last two games.

After Monday’s loss, Maccelli was the only player made available to the media. After Saturday’s loss, it was Nick Bjugstad. Fans have short memories and need to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sending a 24-year-old who speaks English as a second language doesn’t do that.

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“I think we need to lean on those guys,” Tourigny said of his leadership group after the game. “I think those guys have to own it. ... What happened there, it’s unacceptable. It’s embarrassing.”

Team captain Clayton Keller last spoke after the loss to the Ottawa Senators and associate captain Lawson Crouse did it after losing to the Colorado Avalanche, but those were both before the losing streak got bad.

They’re probably saying a lot more than that in the locker room, but it’s essential that the fans hear similar messages.

Utah Hockey for nerds

Utah HC social media has more than a few posts calling for Tourigny’s job. I’ve been emphatic that it’s too early for that, but I also realize that a team can quickly drop in the standings and coaching changes usually come with big momentum swings.

The team initially brought Tourigny in because of his track record with young players. He had spent most of his time between the OHL and the QMJHL — two junior leagues. He had also been chosen as a bench boss for Canada’s World Junior Championship teams on several occasions. But now that the kids are turning into full-fledged NHL players, Tourigny’s expertise might be less useful.

There aren’t a lot of coaches that make it to the end of a rebuild. This is his fourth season behind the bench for the Arizona Coyotes/Utah HC team, and he has done everything that has been asked of him. If his end comes soon, it should not be seen as a failure.

The team’s goal this season is to be good. They want to make the playoffs. They want to show the people of Utah how exciting the game of hockey is. They want a crowd that’s excited to watch them play every night. A losing streak makes that a lot harder.

What’s next?

Utah HC has a day to rest before hosting the Calgary Flames at the Delta Center on Wednesday.

The Flames have surprised a lot of people this season, as they were expected by most to be among the bottom few teams in the league. A hot start has landed them in third place in the Pacific Division at this point — though that could very well change by the time anyone sees this article, as five Pacific Division teams play on Monday.

Jonathan Huberdeau, whom the Flames acquired in 2022 as a solution the departures of several of their stars, has finally started to have sustained success in a Flames jersey. He struggled his first few seasons in Calgary, but he now has seven points in eight games to start the season.

Defenseman Rasmus Andersson leads the team in both goals and points. Andersson has been the subject of many Utah HC trade rumors in recent weeks as Utah HC could use another top-four defenseman and the Flames will take as many picks and prospects as they can get.

At the conclusion of that game, Utah HC will prepare for their trip to Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights will await them on Saturday.

The Golden Knights currently sit atop the Pacific Division standings with 13 points to their name. They’re second in the NHL in goals scored this season, which naturally means their top players have a lot of points. Mark Stone leads the league with 17 points, while Jack Eichel is tied for third in the league with 15 points.

Wednesday’s game starts at 7:30 p.m. MDT and Saturday’s game is at 8. Both games will be available on Utah HC+ and Utah16.