Utah Hockey Club drastically improves playoff positioning with win over Vancouver Canucks

It wasn’t mathematically a must-win game for the Utah Hockey Club in its Sunday evening contest with the Vancouver Canucks at Delta Centere, but it sure felt like it was — and Utah showed up.

Right from the first power play, which occurred a minute and a half into the game, UHC was on a mission. Though they didn’t score at that point, they controlled the puck the entire time, and the possession never really stopped.

Utah wound up winning 2-1 on a goal from Dylan Guenther with less than six minutes to play.

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At the halfway point of the game, the shots were 19-7 in Utah’s favor. Per Natural Stat Trick, they dominated in terms of scoring chances and expected goals for.

“I feel like we have a lot of confident guys in this room, guys that want to be out there in big moments,” said Logan Cooley after the game. “I think that’s what gives us a chance to win each and every night.”

Utah Hockey for dummies

The best thing a rebuilding team can do is put its young stars in a position to succeed. Utah has done that all season, and it’s already paying off.

Utah’s two goals on Sunday were scored by the two youngest players on the roster: 20-year-old Cooley and 21-year-old Guenther.

It would be one thing if these two guys just happened to be the only two goal scorers in a game, but it’s more than that. They are the ones driving the team night in and night out (though they’ve both taken turns on the injured reserve recently).

“(Guenther’s) playing solid hockey,” said head coach André Tourigny after the game. “Five-on-five, defensively, offensively. ... That line’s playing really good hockey.”

And it’s not just Guenther and Cooley. Between them, 23-year-old Josh Doan, 24-year-old Barrett Hayton, 26-year-olds Clayton Keller, Mikhail Sergachev and Sean Durzi and a handful of others, the majority of Utah’s production is coming from guys who are just approaching their prime.

Utah has the pieces to build a winning team. The next step is to give those young guys valuable playoff experience.

Utah Hockey for casual fans

A regulation win against the Canucks was the number-one thing UHC needed, and they got it.

Because of their win, Utah is now four points behind Vancouver for the second wild card playoff spot. Had they lost in regulation, their deficit would have been eight points.

To make it even more urgent, the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks had both secured enough points on Sunday to pass Utah HC, and the Calgary Flames’ win helped them stay ahead.

Had Utah lost, the uphill battle for a playoff spot would have become exponentially steeper.

“Those are the fun games you want to play in,” Guenther said. “The close, divisional games where the season’s not on the line but they’re big games.”

Utah Hockey for nerds

For the first time this season, Utah had a fully healthy lineup (with the exception of Robert Bortuzzo, who would almost certainly be waived if he were healthy).

Was it UHC’s most complete game? Probably not, but they showed what they’re capable of when they’re using a full roster of true NHL-caliber players.

Tourigny mentioned Kevin Stenlund’s line as an example of the advantages that come with health. Stenlund played 13:20 on Sunday — a full minute less than his average this season.

Alexander Kerfoot averages 15:20, but he saw just 13:45 against the Canucks. Nick Bjugstad played nearly four minutes less than he normally does.

That does two things for Utah: It gives the stars more time to shine, and it conserves the fourth line’s energy so that those players can give it their all when their rare shifts come up.

If Utah can stay healthy the rest of the season, its playoff odds should improve drastically, and if UHC does make the playoffs, health will be paramount in making sure the postseason run lasts more than a week or two.

“Hopefully it stays that way and we can keep winning games,” Guenther said.

What’s next?

Utah is back in action on Tuesday against the 31st-placed Chicago Blackhawks. Fans will remember the last time the Blackhawks were in town: Utah’s inaugural game.

Chicago’s star is Connor Bedard. The 19-year-old came into the NHL last season with a world of expectations on his shoulders. He hasn’t quite turned into the superstar that everyone expected to be, but remember: most players don’t make the NHL until they’re two or three years older than he currently is.

Once Bedard and a few of his peers mature into the players they’re capable of being, the Blackhawks will be a Central Division powerhouse — which is exactly how UHC is trending. This could turn into a rivalry a few years down the road.

The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be televised on Utah 16 and Utah HC+.