The Utah Hockey Club got back into the win column on Wednesday night, ending a four-game skid. A loss to the worst team in the NHL punctuated the losing streak.
But after the 5-1 blowout win of the Calgary Flames, one thing stands out for the Hockey Club: Keeping things simple.
There is no question that Utah is loaded with talent. Any NHL club would be jealous of the amount of young, highly-skilled players on the Utah roster. However, there are times when young teams get in the way of their own success.
How so?
Think about the fast, up-tempo style the Utah Hockey Club play. They beat opponents into submission by outskating and outgunning them.
That style worked wonders for the first half-dozen games or so. Then, opponents caught on to the fact that the key to stopping the Hockey Club’s attack was to clog up the neutral zone, stopping high-danger chances.
But against the Flames, the Hockey Club took a step back. The Club kept things simple. They applied one key rule: Shoot the puck on net.
That approach led to five goals. Each goal started with shots on net. A good example comes from Maveric Lamoureux’s first NHL goal. The puck came back to the point and all he did was rifle a shot on net. The puck went through traffic and hit found the back of the net.
Getting back to basics is an essential part of breaking a losing streak. In fact, it’s true in any sport. When things are not going right, the first thing coaches harp on is the need to get the fundamentals right. It seems that Andre Tourigny has managed to deliver that message. It worked well against the Flames and hopefully, it will work well against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.
Connor Ingram was huge for the Utah Hockey Club
As well as the Hockey Club played, we cannot overlook the brilliant performance from Connor Ingram. He did what all top-tier goaltenders do: Bail out their teammates.
A fantastic example is the turnover created by Martin Pospisil late in the first period. With the Hockey Club up 1-0, Pospisil broke up a pass at the Calgary blue line and then sped off with a breakaway. Ingram, reading the play very well, was cool as a cucumber in making a terrific save on a high-danger chance.
That play showed that Ingram could be relied upon to clean up a mess by defenders. Of course, it’s impossible to play a “perfect” game. That’s why goaltenders such as Andrei Vasilevsky or Sergei Bobrovsky are so valuable. They take care of mistakes before they turn into goals.
Ultimately, the Utah Hockey Club cannot underestimate the role of Connor Ingram this season. As I’ve mentioned before, his stats may not leap off the page. But his play has been significant to a point where Utah would not be in the position it is without him.