Utah Hockey Club News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Sean Durzi, Utah Hockey Club (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

3 Takeaways From Utah’s 5-3 Loss to Kings

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Chase Beardsley | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 9:50 AM ET

The Utah Hockey Club is entering the final stretch of the season in a fight for the final wild card in the Western Conference. The team needed wins coming out of the 4 Nations break. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t find any in Los Angeles as they fell to the LA Kings 5-3 on Saturday. While Utah played well, they are heading back to Salt Lake City even more desperate for wins. Here are some takeaways from Saturday night’s loss.

Barrett Hayton Scores Utah’s First Hat Trick

You can mark off another achievement for Utah, as Barrett Hayton scored the franchise’s first-ever hat trick. It took until late February for it to happen, but better late than never. It was fitting that it belonged to the best player who played on Saturday, and perhaps one of the best players from the past couple of weeks.

Hayton’s three goals all came from being in front of the net, which is where you need players to be in order to score. His first goal came off the power play thanks to a shot from Nick Schmaltz. Hayton’s second goal was similar, as he cashed in on another Schmaltz shot on the power play. It was actually one of Utah’s best outings on the man advantage, as they went 2-for-2.

Hayton’s third goal came from a Michael Carcone shot that he cleaned up, earning his first career hat trick and placing himself in the Utah record books. However, as his team lost, the hat trick was one of the things furthest from his mind.

“Right now, it just kind of stings from the game,” Hayton said. “I’ll look back and say it was cool to do, just not right now.”

However, you can’t help but feel happy for Hayton, who has gone through a couple of rough seasons recently, including his last. He only appeared in 33 games due to injury. In the past couple of weeks, Hayton has played some of the best hockey in his NHL career. He has 14 points in the past 14 games, seven of which are goals. He was also named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week a couple of weeks ago.

Head coach André Tourigny knows Hayton is often an overlooked player but knows the competitive level is always there. Even though Hayton wasn’t overjoyed by his own hat trick, his coach was proud.

“I often talk about how much Haytes plays the right way,” Tourigny said. “He does everything right. He has the right attitude. He competes so hard. You can’t not cheer for him. Really happy for him.”

Many expected Clayton Keller or Dylan Guenther to get Utah’s first-ever hat trick, especially because both of those players have had a couple of multi-goal games this season. However, it was Hayton’s hard work and net-front presence that earned him that spot in the history books. While it wasn’t expected, many will agree it was well deserved.

Sean Durzi Returns

After signing a four-year extension with Utah in the offseason, Sean Durzi was expected to play a big role on Utah’s blue line. General manager Bill Armstrong went out and acquired John Marino, Mikhail Sergachev, and Ian Cole in the offseason, as well. With Michael Kesselring expected to take another step in his development, it seemed like Utah was set to have a blue line that could rival some of the best in the Central Division.

However, everything that could go wrong went wrong. Marino was injured before even stepping foot on the ice for Utah, Juuso Välimäki struggled, and even Robert Bortuzzo was injured a couple of weeks into the season. Worst of all, Durzi was injured four games into the season, sidelined with an injury that would keep him out for the majority of the season.

While he sat at home or in the press box throughout the past couple of months, Durzi remained committed to getting better. He trained hard and started skating right when he could. Often, Tourigny would joke about how the team needs to attach an anchor to Durzi to slow him down and not rush him back from injury. However, he didn’t slow down, and he continued to work his way back while becoming a staple in the Salt Lake City area through community events, becoming an instant fan favorite.

Saturday’s game marked the return of Durzi. Funny enough, it was against his former team, as well. Sometimes, after being out for multiple months, it takes time for a player to work his way back to his normal self. Durzi ignored the normal standard and played a fantastic game. Besides Hayton, he was arguably Utah’s best player. He was third among Utah defensemen in time on ice with 21:37. He also had an assist, bringing his season point total up to three in five games.

It’s not just the stats that Durzi provided for Utah on Saturday. He is a massive presence in the locker room and on the bench. He provided physicality, including standing up for his teammates in a couple of scrums throughout the game. Durzi is a teammate that everyone loves playing with and respects. For the team, seeing him back in the lineup was a big morale booster.

“Durz is a huge piece,” Hayton said. “He worked really hard on his rehab. To come back now and step in full force…I think he did a heck of a job coming in full steam. The leadership, he just brings a lot of confidence to our D.”

Tourigny had similar thoughts as Hayton. Especially after having the third-most ice time on the blue line, he had nothing but great things to say about Durzi’s return.

“He was really good,” Tourigny said. “It’s another guy who brings a presence of leadership and competitiveness, his presence on the bench. He’s so competitive. It was good to have him.”

With Durzi’s return, Utah’s defense is healthy for the first time this season. With the addition of Olli Määttä, who, with Sergachev, were the only two defensemen that had higher ice times than Durzi, Utah’s blue line looks like the team’s strength. Considering that Nick DeSimone and Välimäki were healthy scratches, it’s a unit that can definitely compete with the best in the Western Conference.

Big Loss, Bigger Game Ahead

If you’re a fan of the team, you really wanted and needed Utah to start the final part of the season with a bang, especially against the Kings, who were only two points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. If Utah had won, it would’ve thrown the Kings back in a potential four-way battle for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, Utah lost, which now gives the Kings some breathing room, now four points ahead of the Canucks. It also means that Utah doesn’t gain any ground on them or even the Calgary Flames, who have 60 points with two games in hand. Fortunately, the Canucks lost on Saturday as well, keeping the point difference between the two teams the same.

There are now less than 25 games left in the season for Utah. Time is running out to catch up and claim a playoff spot. They did play a good game against the Kings despite the score.

“We’re desperate to win, but at the same time, you need to have your eyes open and see what happened on the ice today and how we played,” Tourigny said. “I cannot put the blame on them.”

However, at this time of the year, good isn’t good enough. Utah has to play excellently every night, and they have to get some wins, especially against Western Conference opponents. Everyone needs to be playing above 100%. These next couple of games could decide Utah’s playoff fate as they play three Western Conference opponents in five days.

Utah’s very next game could be one of the most important games of the season. They’ll welcome the Canucks to Salt Lake City. If the Canucks win, they’ll gain even more ground in the wild card hunt, which could be a game that helps seal Utah’s fate.

However, if Utah wins, not only do they get a big two points, but they also prevent the Canucks from gaining points, which could make the wild card battle even more crazy. Especially considering that Utah will have a couple of “easy” games coming up against the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks, it could be a massive win for their playoff hopes.

For their first game since Feb. 9, Utah certainly didn’t look bad against the Kings. It’s a big loss, but the bigger games are coming up and Utah will need to find a way to perform even better.

Utah will host the Canucks on Sunday. The Canucks are 26-19-11 this season and are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The two met back in December, where Utah won 3-2 in overtime.