The Utah Hockey Club defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Tuesday night. The win marked the Hockey Club’s first NHL win. However, the game itself was much closer than the final score suggests.
The game was close down to the final minute before Utah eventually pulled away. While the game was certainly entertaining, there may be some underlying cause for concern.
So, let’s take a look at the three points regarding the Utah Hockey Club's big Opening Night win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
3 points on the Utah Hockey Club's big Opening Night win
The Hockey Club let the Blackhawks get back into the game
The first period was all Utah. At one point, the Hockey Club had scored two goals on five shots. At that point, Utah had Chicago on the ropes. If anything, it looked like the game was going to be a blowout.
Then, the Blackhawks came flying out of the gate in the second period, pushing Utah until the Hockey Club poured cold water on the Hawks making it 3-0 midway through the second. However, the Blackhawks clawed back, making the game 3-2 early in the third.
Now, kudos to the Utah Hockey Club for not collapsing at that point. The club settled down and held on to the lead. Eventually, the Hockey Club added an empty netter before a strange deflection made the game 5-2 with about half a minute to go.
The outcome was highly positive. But it’s worth pointing out that the Hockey Club cannot afford to let teams get back into games like that. Had this situation happened with a much better team like the Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche, the outcome could have been radically different.
Ingram saved the day when needed
Connor Ingram wasn’t very busy in the first period. He was tested in the second but faced a strong push in the third. Admittedly, both Chicago goals were a little suspicious. The Blackhawks’ first goal started on a play where Mikhail Sergachev allowed Connor Bedard to waltz into the zone and set up the goal.
Ingram tried to slide across to make the save, but it was no good. The second goal came on a point shot that was deflected and through Ingram. It’s hard to blame Ingram for both goals. Nevertheless, the Hockey Club has to avoid situations like the traffic in front of Ingram. The front of the net needs to be clear to give netminders a chance to see the puck clearly.
Of course, Ingram was huge when needed. He stopped Taylor Hall on a breakaway with just under eight minutes to go in the third. That kept the game at 3-2, allowing Utah to eventually ice the game.
The big stars came to play
The Utah Hockey Club got the scoring it needed from the big guns. Dylan Guenther had two goals, and Barrett Hayton, Clayton Keller, and Lawson Crouse added tallies. Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz added two assists apiece.
In short, the big stars came to play for the Hockey Club. That’s the type of performance fans expect to see. Yet, the biggest question will be the Hockey Club’s depth. It’s worth noting there will be games in which opponents will be able to shut down the big guns. So, it will be up to the depth players to get on the scoresheet.
In the meantime, the Hockey Club got the scoring it needed from the most important sources. That production sets the tone for what will hopefully be a strong season for Utah’s top players.