The Utah Hockey Club’s Mikhail Sergachev is thrilled to score the winning overtime goal against the Vancouver Canucks at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wed Dec 18, 2024 (AP News photo)
By Tom Walker
SALT LAKE CITY–Utah snaps a 5-game home losing skid with a thrilling 3rd period comeback and overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks 3-2.
The last time Utah Hockey Club won at home was five weeks ago, November 13, against the Carolina Hurricanes. Coming into Wednesday night’s matchup with the Vancouver Canucks, Utah had lost five consecutive home games while winning six in a row on the road including the most recent two against Colorado and San Jose. Utah had scored four or more goals in each of their last five games.
The first period ended as a scoreless draw, with Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka turning away all four of Vancouver’s shots, and Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko turning away nine from Utah. The two squads split the period’s faceoffs with each team winning 11 of 22.
At 8:41 of the second period, Vancouver defenseman Erik Brännström committed a holding penalty against center Logan Cooley, but Utah was unable to capitalize. Just three seconds following the penalty kill, Utah defenseman Michael Kesselring went to the sin bin for interference against Canuck winger Conor Garland, and with just five seconds remaining in Vancouver’s power play Danton Heinen found the back of the net to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead, assisted by Quinn Hughes.
Dakota Joshua put Vancouver up 2-0 early in the third period going the length of the ice on a breakaway, assisted by Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes. Utah appeared to be pressing to overcome their home arena blues, resulting in some sloppy moments in the offensive zone.
Nearly halfway into the period, Captain Clayton Keller gave Utah life with his 11th goal of the season, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton. With less than five minutes remaining in the game, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers cross-checked Keller to give Utah a critical power play opportunity which was cashed in just 22 seconds later by Dylan Guenther, assisted by Keller and Logan Cooley, keeping hope alive for a potential end the home losing streak.
As the crowd roared in overtime, the two squads exchanged numerous potential game-ending scoring chances with multiple rushes. In the end, however, it was Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev who came through in the clutch with his 8th goal of the season, assisted by Cooley, to secure the victory. Utah has now won 5 of its last 6 games.
Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev spoke with media in the locker room afterward. “Yeah, it feels good. Finally we got two at home. It feels great. I don’t think we have won at home in a month or so, you know, obviously a big one.”’ Responding to a question about transitioning road success to home success, Sergachev added, “Yeah, it’s just overall play. It’s not like at home we’re not trying. We’re trying a little more, and gripping the sticks sometimes, trying to get a win. But I’m just proud of the group coming from behind. We were down two nothing. Big goals, obviously a big power-play goal, kind of lucky, but we take those, and obviously big in overtime. … We’re growing as a group. You know, we’re a young group, but we can make the playoffs. We can play in the playoffs. We can play against playoff teams. We show it on a nightly basis, so we just have to put 60 minutes together and play like that every night.”
Captain Clayton Keller weighed in on getting the home win. “Yeah, it feels good. I think we had a good start, and in the second, we were a little sloppy. We gave them a lot of chances just from our mistakes and maybe forcing a little bit. But, similar to that Minnesota game, I think we regrouped after the second and wanted to have a good start. And I think it’s good, power play gets a goal, and we get a five on five, and great playing in overtime. A lot of players stepped up and made big plays at key times.” What was the turning point? “I don’t know, maybe after we got the first one, and then we killed off a penalty there. Sergey (Sergachev) makes an unbelievable block on the one timer there that maybe saves a goal for us, and it’s great to see him get the winner as well.”
Earlier in the day, team owner Ryan Smith posted to X, “My treat…we’re opening up single goal view seats which we typically don’t open. Use the link to get 2 free tix for tonight. First come, first served. Let’s pack the barn!” About 2,000 tickets were given away in less than an hour.
Head coach André Tourigny commented on Smith making tickets free and the atmosphere. “That means a lot for the player. You want to be supported, you want to feel like you belong. It means a lot for the coach. It means a lot to everybody. The reaction tonight from the fans, from the first period, from the moment Keller scored, the overtime, don’t tell me you don’t have goosebumps. That was cool, that’s what you love.”
This game marked the conclusion of four straight one-game homestands for Utah. Following this coming Friday night’s game in Minnesota, Utah will return for three consecutive home games beginning on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks at 3:00pm MST.
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