The Utah Hockey Club lost 3-2 in overtime to the Dallas Stars on Saturday, but despite the loss, this one was as close as they come before Stars defenseman Thomas Harley was the OT hero.
Dallas started the game on the right foot, sustaining offensive zone pressure the majority of the first five minutes. Utah HC survived until the first TV timeout, after which they answered with some pressure of their own.
Stars captain Jamie Benn broke the ice 16 seconds into the second period, scoring for the third time in as many games against Utah HC, but it only took Matias Maccelli a little more than a minute to answer with a goal of his own.
Oskar Bäck would put the Stars up again halfway through the period, but Maccelli answered that one as well before a goal-less third period necessitated the overtime frame.
Utah Hockey for dummies
The NHL schedules its games in a way that facilitates rivalries. It’s no coincidence that Utah and Dallas have met three times in just over a month. The intention is for them to develop enough distaste for each other that it makes for must-watch hockey whenever they meet.
That’s what has happened between these two teams, in the best way possible. They’ve played competitive but clean hockey, with just 11 penalties between them in the three games.
It’s been fast-paced, and every game has been decided by just one goal.
“They’re one of the toughest teams to play against in the league,” said Utah head coach André Tourigny after the game. “This year, every time we played them, we got closer and closer.”
Of course, Utah HC would like to have been on the winning side of the rivalry. Although every game was close, the Stars captured the “W” all three times.
Utah and Dallas meet once more this season, though it won’t come until the penultimate week of the season. But all signs point to it being a highly competitive and highly viewed matchup.
Utah Hockey for casual fans
After going 12 games without scoring a single point, Maccelli needed to change something up. His 57 points last year made him the Arizona Coyotes’ third-highest scorer — but it would be an understatement to say he’s struggled since moving to Utah.
That change came in an unfavorable circumstance, though he certainly won’t mind it now.
Maccelli missed the last game with an illness that has made its way through the Utah locker room. He’s not someone who misses a lot of games — It was his first game off since January 2023.
He said during the second intermission that he used his time off to look through videos of his previous goals to see what he needed to do differently.
When he returned to the lineup on Saturday, he found himself on the fourth line, rather than the third. He had lost his spot to Liam O’Brien, who had injected life into the group during his time with them, helping Lawson Crouse score twice on Thursday against the Calgary Flames.
Though playing lower in the lineup was probably not what Maccelli would’ve wanted if he’d been given the choice, it worked.
He scored twice in the second period, matching the Stars’ output of two goals in the same span. He played with renewed confidence — the type that he had last year but has lacked since arriving in the new city.
“It felt good. Obviously would have much been better if we got the win there too, but we still got one point,” Maccelli said after the game. “I think we played a solid road game tonight.”
This is the type of production Utah needs from Maccelli. If he can continue playing at or near this level, the team will have a real shot at closing the three-point gap between them and the playoffs.
Utah Hockey for nerds
Maccelli gets a lot of deserved credit for his offensive role on Saturday, but it would not have meant anything without the outstanding defensive efforts of Olli Määttä.
The Stars constantly tried to sneak wingers behind the Utah HC defensemen to get in position for stretch passes. They connected on a few of them, but Määttä quickly recognized it it as an easy way to regain possession. When he saw the play formulating, he’d step up and intercept the pass, giving his team an easy transition to get up the ice with numbers.
Määttä also had a pair of assists against the Stars. He had struggled to stay in the Detroit Red Wings’ lineup earlier this season, but his trade to Utah really seems to have revived his career.
Utah HC is equally appreciative, as he’s been one of their best defensemen from the moment he arrived.
It’s also important to mention Mikhail Sergachev’s role in the game. Seemingly every time the Stars attempted a centering pass, he was there to break it up.
In overtime, he found himself too deep in the offensive zone when Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger threw a surprise pass to spring his teammates on a 2-on-0.
Even though Sergachev only had a slim chance of getting there in time, he put his head down and gave the backcheck everything he had. The puck evaded the Stars forward and, against all odds, Sergachev got there in time to help out.
Unfortunately for Utah though, the Stars scored before the now tired Sergachev could get to the bench.
What’s next?
Utah HC returns to Salt Lake City for a seven-game home stand. First up: The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
The Panthers sit two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Atlantic Division lead. Sam Reinhart, who nearly doubled his previous career high with 57 goals last season, is currently the seventh-highest scorer in the NHL.
Panthers captain Alex Barkov is heralded as one of the best defensive forwards in the world, and their goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, is bound for the Hockey Hall of Fame when he retires.
Matthew Tkachuk, son of Coyotes legend Keith Tkachuk, is one of those players who gets under his opponents’ skin and then puts salt in the wound by scoring at an elite rate.
Needless to say, Florida is a tough team to play against.
It’ll be a nationally televised game, meaning it will only be available on TNT and its affiliates, truTV and MAX. It’s a late one, starting at 8 p.m. MST.