The Utah Hockey Club lost a game but gained a rivalry Friday

A 4-1 loss seems soul-crushing, but two empty-net goals from the Colorado Avalanche threw an 2-1 game out of proportion on Friday night.

Either way, it was the Utah Hockey Club’s first multi-goal loss since Nov. 18.

Colorado forward Artturi Lehkonen scored a hat trick and his teammate Nathan MacKinnon matched it with three assists.

Nick Schmaltz was the lone goal scorer for Utah.

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“We just gave up that unnecessary goal in the third period,” said Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev after the game when asked what went wrong for his team. “I thought we had the game under control.”

Sergachev was on the ice for said goal, but having forechecked on the play preceding that one, he and Dylan Guenther had switched spots when the rush came the other way. Seeing a forward in a defenseman’s position is Christmas all over again for players like Lehkonen, who took full advantage of the situation.

Utah HC’s dreams of grabbing a playoff spot are halted once again. They’ll have the chance to resume bridging the gap against the Seattle Kraken on Monday.

Utah Hockey for dummies

It doesn’t always take a high-scoring games to get the fans on their feet.

Despite it being a low-scoring game (plus some empty-netters) on Friday, the scoring chances both ways were off the charts and the Delta Center was rocking. Oh, and a fight between two first-liners didn’t hurt the atmosphere.

Utah’s first-line center, Barrett Hayton, threw down with MacKinnon, the NHL’s leading scorer. MacKinnon definitely got the better of Hayton, landing a few solid punches before pulling him off balance and to the ice.

“It was good,” Schmaltz said of the fight. “I mean, that’s obviously their best player. ... They were frustrated, so great fight. Good job by (Hayton).

Moments like these tend to stand out in the memories of both fans and players. If you string enough of them together, you get bitter rivalries. Being the third game between the two teams this season, that’s what it started to feel like.

“I can see it growing as a rivalry, no question, just because of the vicinity that we’re in,” said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar after the game. “But more importantly for us, it just seems like they play us hard and we have to keep digging in order to win these games.”

Utah head coach André Tourigny shared a similar sentiment.

“With those guys, year after year, we’re going toe-to-toe pretty good,” he said. “It’s a good matchup. There’s intensity, there’s emotion on both sides.”

Utah Hockey for casual fans

Having a player like MacKinnon is a luxury that most coaches can only dream of. As mentioned, he leads the league in scoring with 60 points in 37 games.

MacKinnon increased his totals on Monday, setting up Lehkonen for both of Colorado’s non-empty-net goals and adding an assist on Rantanen’s tally.

“He’s really tough to cover,” Tourigny said after the game. “We did it by committee tonight. A lot of guys who played against him tried to be aware and on the D side of (the play) all the time.”

It’s also worth noting that Lehkonen scored on the empty net to complete his hat trick.

When the Avalanche acquired him ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, I distinctly remember thinking that then-general manager Joe Sakic had finally lost a trade. As the three-year anniversary of that deal approaches, all I can do is eat my words. He was a key piece of the Avs’ Stanley Cup championship that year. and he continues to dominate now.

Utah Hockey for nerds

After playing four games with his new team, Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood signed a five-year contract extension worth $26.25 million Friday morning — just hours before the game.

He justified that new deal, at least in part, with a near-perfect performance against Utah HC.

“He was good,” Schmaltz said after the game. “We had some good looks. I think we could have done a better job getting to the net.”

The lone goal Blackwood allowed, which came courtesy of Schmaltz, was from a deflection on the power play — something that’s nearly impossible to track.

It’s a small sample size — especially for a goalie who has a history of inconsistency — but if he can keep this type of play going long-term, the Avalanche could re-emerge as perennial Stanley Cup contenders.

Blackwood’s high-danger save percentage came in at .889, per natural stat trick. That’s higher than many goalies’ save percentages at any danger level. He was perfect in medium- and low-danger situations, totaling 34 saves on the night.

What’s next?

As mentioned, Utah HC gets back to action on Monday with a visit to Seattle.

The Kraken are currently nine points back of a playoff spot. While it seems like a large gap, things can change quickly. In addition to helping their own placement in the standings, both teams will want to hand the other a loss.

December has not been as kind to the Kraken as it has been to Utah HC: They’re 4-6-1 thus far.

Utah has had a great month as a whole, though their last few games have been duds. The team will look to get things back on track to close out the calendar year.

Monday’s game starts at 6 p.m. MST and will be televised via Utah HC+ and Utah 16.