3 Takeaways From Utah’s 3-2 Win Over Ducks

With Utah on the power play in the third period, it was critical for them to win the game. With the Canucks and the Calgary Flames going to a shootout earlier that evening, they needed both points in order to stay a couple of points behind the two teams. Mikhail Sergachev slid a pass from the blue line to Guenther, who was at his usual spot on top of the faceoff circle. Guenther ripped home his powerful shot to give Utah a 3-2 win. It would eventually become the game-winning goal, which was his eighth of the season, tied for third most in the NHL.

Head coach André Tourigny loved the goal but loved Guenther’s willingness to put his body on the line to block a shot when the game was tied. It says a lot about Guenther’s maturity to do that, especially when the team is in a tight playoff race. 

“A lot of confidence (in Guenther),” Tourigny said. “I’m more happy about the shot he blocked when the game was on the line than his goal–in the sense that that’s a choice you make. Scoring a goal is a pretty easy choice when you have the opportunity. But when you decide to put your body on the line and sacrifice yourself for the team and do that for your brothers, I think that’s huge.”

The power play continues to improve as they’re now ranked 11th in the whole league. You can tell Guenther is growing chemistry with players like Sergachev as they continue to find him in his usual spot.

“When I saw [Anaheim] was low, I wanted [Keller] to go up to [Sergachev], and then he gave it over to me,” Guenther said. “So, it was just good recognition. I feel like we’ve gotten pretty good chemistry as we’ve continued to play together.”

You have to give massive credit to Sergachev for the win on Wednesday. Not only did he get an assist off of Guenther’s goal, which was the 300th of his career, but he also made an incredible save to keep the Ducks from scoring. Yes, you heard that correctly. With Vejmelka out of position, it seemed like the Ducks were going to score into an open net, but Sergachev somehow was able to keep the puck out by swiping the toe part of his skate to deflect the puck away. It was an impressive save, one that impressed even Guenther.

“Really nice save by him there in the second,” Guenther said. “I think he’s a big leader for us off the ice. When he talks, everybody’s listening. He’s the backbone of our team, and it’s great to have him.”

Guenther and Sergachev have been two of Utah’s most important players this season and will continue to be faces of the franchise moving forward, as they’re both on long-term deals. This season has also proved that Guenther is a future superstar in this league and that Sergachev can thrive in a situation away from Victor Hedman and other Tampa Bay Lightning stars. Both were things that some doubted in the offseason. 65 games later, and no one is doubting either anymore.

Josh Doan Continues His Growth

Josh Doan has been impressive ever since being recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners. While his stats on paper haven’t been over-the-moon crazy with 14 points in 34 games, he’s been generating a lot of chances. His speed and passing have been noticeable, and his defensive play has improved. He credits his improvement to Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin and the team down in the American Hockey League (AHL).

“They were extremely helpful with that and telling me what I needed to work on,” Doan said. “Staying in conflict with the puck and coming up to the neutral zone with speed, making sure I’m making plays with the puck and not just throwing it away all the time. It’s a pressure league up here and you got to be ready at all times. I think something that you need to work on is skating, and it’s a fast league now. So going down there and working on my confidence. I think it is the most important and then skating after that.”

Doan’s family was in Delta Center for the second game in a row. We all know that he performs well whenever they’re in the building watching him. In his first NHL game, he tallied two goals, which went viral for his dad Shane’s reaction. Once again, Doan performed in front of them with assists in back-to-back games. He now has three points in the past four games.

Shane has been an important part of his son’s development. He’s taught him a lot, and even to this day, he continues to be a big part of Josh’s improvement each day despite being a part of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. 

“When I’m playing well, he’s a little bit harder on me,” Doan said. “When things aren’t going my way, he’s more of a motivator and a tire pumper. If I’ve ever played well, he’s pretty hard on me and making sure I do the little things at all times. I think tonight is a night where he could just sit back and watch with the family, which is pretty cool.”

While Doan might not ever reach the star status his dad reached in Arizona, he is a highly effective player that will be a great bottom-six forward on a great Utah team. His hardworking attitude is one that will help shape Utah’s culture for years to come. He is exactly like his dad, one that many will look up to in the future.

The Hunt Continues for Utah

65 games into the season, and Utah is still fighting for a playoff spot. The hunt continues for the team as they are now two points back of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for them, the Canucks and Flames went to a shootout meaning both teams received a point, giving them a little bit of ground above Utah.

However, with the win, Utah has pretty much eliminated the Ducks from the playoff race. The Ducks are now at 61 points and would need a miracle to leapfrog the four teams in front of them. That’s good news for Utah as that’s one less team they need to worry about in the fight. 

The two-game homestand ends just like their previous two-game road trip ended. Utah gets three of the four available points and continues playing some good hockey. While they certainly would love to get every point available, they played well against the Maple Leafs and had another solid game against the Ducks on Wednesday.

“Definitely a huge win, huge homestand,” Barrett Hayton said. “It would have been really nice to get all four points, but the way we were able to fight back in that Toronto game and get a point, it’s huge for us. Same thing tonight, it was a grind. They were playing tight, they’re a dangerous team, and it was obviously a fight to the end there…Great three points.”

In the past couple of years, this team has been through a lot with each other and has grown as a collective group. Players like Vejmelka have gone on record to say that this group feels like a family. It’s special for this team as they’ve battled as one through things no other team has gone through. Wednesday’s win, putting them within two points of a playoff spot, is a strong representation of that. 

“I think it’s a strength of our organization,” Tourigny said. “For a few years now, the togetherness and brotherhood we have, it’s special. I think the guys care so much about each other. Sometimes when you care about someone, you try to do too much. In general, our team is really close. They love each other, they fight for each other, they’re together and everything.”

Utah will head up to the Pacific Northwest to play three games on the road. The Seattle Kraken will be the team’s first opponent. They are 28-34-4 this season and are coming off of a 5-4 overtime win to the Montreal Canadiens. The two teams last met in December, where the Kraken won 5-2.