The Utah Hockey Club is the most pleasant surprise of this young season. A quick look at the standings reveals the Hockey Club in third place in the Central Division.
Of course, it’s no surprise to see the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars sitting atop the division. While no one expected Utah to do poorly, few believed Utah could play so well out of the gate.
The Hockey Club sits one point out of first place entering Tuesday night’s action. That sort of showing is fantastic considering the whirlwind that brought the team from Arizona to Utah last season.
In particular, Utah’s mix of speed and skill with grit and determination has led the young club to its current position. It’s worth mentioning that Utah’s place in the Central is no fluke.
The Hockey Club has beaten two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. First, the Hockey Club beat last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners in a 6-5 shootout. Then, Utah outlasted one of the nastiest teams in the Boston Bruins.
With that sort of performance, there’s no telling how far the Hockey Club can go this season. Of course, there are plenty of strong teams to beat in the NHL. But if the start of this season is any indication, the rest of the NHL will need to be on its heels as the Utah Hockey Club plows through the competition.
A closer look at the Utah Hockey Club’s numbers
So, the big question is: Why has the Utah Hockey Club been so successful thus far?
Well, let’s start with goals per game. Utah is currently 6th in the league in goals per game with 3.67. That total is above high-scoring clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and Edmonton Oilers.
Then, there’s the power play. Utah’s power play currently sits at 23.5%. That’s not bad, considering that most playoff clubs hover around 25%. In addition, the penalty kill is a respectable 85.2%. As you can see, the special teams’ numbers paint a clear picture of just how well Utah has played thus far.
But there is one area that Utah should look into. The Hockey Club shows a 3.33 goals-per-game ratio. While not terrible, it’s way too high for the average playoff team.
So, what does that mean?
It means that head coach Andre Tourigny and his team must find a way to continue scoring without giving up too many goals. After all, it’s unrealistic to expect the Hockey Club to win every night 6-5. Of course, this idea doesn’t mean that the Hockey Club should revert to a low-scoring, tight-checking team like the New York Islanders. It just means that Utah must strike a balance between its offensive output and defensive game plan.
Overall, the Utah Hockey Club seems to be in a good spot at the moment. If the team can keep this pace up over the full 82 games, fans could get to see their hometown team make the playoffs in its inaugural season.