The Utah Hockey Club got a big 4-1 over division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at Ball Arena. Dylan Guenther continued his torrid pace, scoring two goals in the win. Guenther finished the game with three points, with Logan Cooley notching a pair of helpers.
Overall, Utah played a solid game against one of the strongest teams in the league. Thursday night’s win was a huge contrast to the 5-1 pounding Colorado delivered the Hockey Club on October 24.
Karel Vejmelka was the big story of the night, making several big saves to keep the game under control. By the second intermission, the Utah Hockey Club had built up a 3-0 lead.
But in the third, the Avalanche poured the pressure on with Nathan MacKinnon breaking the shutout. The Colorado Avalanche continued to pile on, but the Hockey Club held on. With the game 3-1, Kevin Stenlund added an empty-netter to seal the win.
The win moved the Hockey Club into fifth place in the Central with 31 points. As such, the Hockey Club made up ground on Colorado. The gap between the two teams is now three points, with Utah holding two games in hand.
The Hockey Club is now 6-2-2- in their last 10 and look to be making a push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Colorado currently holds the second wildcard spot with the Vancouver Canucks one point ahead in the first wildcard slot.
There’s plenty of hockey to be played. So, there’s no sense of urgency as we speak. However, the clock is ticking. So, the Hockey Club needs to make up as much ground now instead of gasping for breath in March.
Utah Hockey Club heading into a tough stretch in schedule
The Utah Hockey Club is heading into one of the toughest parts of its schedule. On Saturday, the Hockey Club will face the San Jose Sharks. While the Sharks may seem like one of the easiest opponents, the games against the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild next week will be crucial tests.
Then, the Hockey Club will face the Anaheim Ducks on December 22, before facing the Dallas Stars the following night. With the Christmas Break putting a pause on the action, the Hockey Club will get another shot at the Colorado Avalanche on December 27.
The Hockey Club will close out the year against the Seattle Kraken and Edmonton Oilers on back-to-back nights.
The next two weeks will be crucial in determining the Hockey Club’s future. If the team cannot pull out as many points as possible, there’s a good chance they’ll sink in the standings. The gaps may be too large to overcome, leaving the team on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoff race.