3 Takeaways From Utah’s 7-1 Win Over Kraken

It all started during Utah’s Saturday afternoon game against the Winnipeg Jets. Yamamoto didn’t register a point, but like most of the games he’s appeared in since being recalled a couple of weeks ago, he looked fine. So it certainly confused most people when he was sent down immediately after the game to the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners.

Yamamoto found out minutes after undressing from the game against the Jets. So, he headed to the airport and flew down to Tucson. Quickly at that, too. The Roadrunners were in the middle of a crucial series against the Bakersfield Condors. The Condors were one point behind them for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division before the series began. The Roadrunners were able to snag a win in game one, but some reinforcements were always appreciated.

Yamamoto made it down to Tucson in time for game two. He recorded two assists against the Condors in a 5-2 win for the Roadrunners. That win puts them five points ahead of the Condors as the AHL season starts wrapping up.

However, Yamamoto was called back up to Utah just a day later. Management had sent him down to help the Roadrunners sweep their series against the Condors. With the series done and the Roadrunners not playing again until Friday in Rockford, there was no sense in leaving him down in Tucson. 

So, Yamamoto flew back up to Utah and played in their game against the Kraken. In the first period, Jamie Oleksiak high-sticked Yamamoto hard. On the bench, his lip and mouth were bleeding pretty badly, which prompted the refs to call a double minor on Oleksiak.

Yamamoto skipped a shift or two on the power play for the second unit and then, with his mouth still bleeding, took the ice. Some great passing from Logan Cooley and Josh Doan got the puck to Yamamoto, who shot it into the back of the net for his second-ever goal with Utah.

It wasn’t the end of Yamamoto’s night. He also laid a big hit on a Kraken player towards the end of the game that really got the crowd in the Delta Center going.

As mentioned before, Yamamoto has said in the past that something he’s worked on during his time with the Roadrunners this season is his ability to make plays. Now, with some NHL games under his belt this season, he’s been proving that his hard work in the AHL has paid off. He attributes his recent success to his linemates and says that his work ethic is complemented by their skill.

“My linemates are phenomenal players, so fitting in with them has been very easy,” Yamamoto said. “I’m just trying to work hard and make some plays.”

Yamamoto has been in the NHL for a while. He’s bounced around the league in the past couple of years, but he’s not a rookie anymore. However, his speed makes it look like he’s a young 18-year-old out there, while his hockey IQ makes him look like he’s the most experienced player in the league. Head coach André Tourigny says those factors make him a great player who is reliable in both the NHL and the AHL.

“He’s a really good player,” Tourigny said. “His hockey IQ, his give-and-go game, and his experience as well, you can see the NHL is not new for him. It’s not like he’s a guy who is trying to break into the NHL, he’s already been here. His playmaking defensively and under pressure are really good.”

This game was notably special for Yamamoto as he was playing his former team. With the Kraken last season, he struggled, only recording 16 points. The separation between the two wasn’t the prettiest, and he was left as a free agent last summer. Scoring against them was a fantastic feeling for the Spokane native.

“I owe them one,” Yamamoto said. “They didn’t want me, so I came in with a little bit of a vengeance, but it’s a good one for us, for sure.”

Yamamoto is trying to play his absolute best within the Utah organization. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he would like an extension with the team or, at the very least, an NHL contract somewhere. With his recent play and his lack of complaints about going up and down through the NHL and the AHL, he’s bound to get one.

All in all, Yamamoto had four very busy days. If you think about it, he essentially got a nice little trip to Tucson. With the nice cool weather down there and three points in two different games, he’s probably not complaining.

Utah’s Offense Capitalizes on a Questionable Coaching Decision

Typically, you don’t start the same goaltender on back-to-back nights. However, that’s what Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma did on Tuesday when he started Joey Daccord after he started against the LA Kings on Monday. It ended up being the worst choice he could’ve made as Daccord, who was obviously tired, let in seven goals before finally being pulled.

Now, it is kind of hypocritical to say you shouldn’t start a goaltender on back-to-back nights, as Tourigny has done that at times with Karel Vejmelka this season. However, they’re different situations. The Kraken are out of the playoffs and have been for a while. Utah is still technically in playoff contention, so starting their best goaltender isn’t up for debate. Bylsma made a bad choice by not starting Victor Ostman, and it showed in the score.

Funny enough, all seven goals were scored by different players. As mentioned, Yamamoto scored, but Mikhail Sergachev, Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse, Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Nick Schmaltz, and Michael Carcone all joined him on the scoresheet as well. Seven different scorers on seven different goals show the depth Utah has on their team. It also helped that the power play was firing on all cylinders once again, going three for six.

“If you remember in training camp, we talked about our depth,” Tourigny said. “A season has a lot of chapters, and we were in the trenches in January. It was a really tough situation, and we didn’t have that depth scoring, and we knew our team was depending on that. Since then, we have had that depth scoring, and you can see the result. In every game, our offense can come from everywhere, like tonight. The power play was really good, but we also had scoring from other lines. That made a difference.”

Utah never looked back after scoring three goals in the first period. The offense kept clicking, and the team didn’t stop pressing. After all, there are only four more games left in the season, which means every game is a must-win.

“Whenever you have a 3-0 lead after the first, you still have 40 minutes to play,” Sergachev said. “Especially if they’re going in, you want to go and pressure and try to get more shots and more pulls, but obviously, looking back, and not giving up goals. So I think that’s what guys did in the second.”

Utah was great defensively as well, only giving up one goal during the game. Vejmelka was once again outstanding, saving 18 of the 19 Kraken shots. Vegetables were thrown on the ice after the win, which is quickly becoming a new tradition for Utah fans to do whenever he plays well. Fans have also been dressing up as broccoli to support the goaltender, which even Sergachev finds amusing.

“I like the guys with vegetables on their heads,” Sergachev said. “That’s cool.”

It’s been a struggle at times this season for Utah to play a full 60 minutes of good hockey. However, that certainly wasn’t the case on Tuesday as the team dominated in every possible fashion as they continue their winning ways.

A Bullet Dodged

Going into their game on Tuesday, Utah was faced with a simple scenario. Lose, and they’re officially eliminated from playoff contention. Win, and they live to fight another day. Utah chose to push their inevitable fate down the road.

Now with a 36-30-12 record, Utah sits seven points back of the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Playoffs are clearly out of reach, but the fact that Utah will potentially be going into game 79 still technically in the playoff race is an incredible improvement from the past couple of seasons.

They’ve started to earn a good reputation around the league as well. Vince Dunn said the team has some “elite playmakers.” Bylsma said Utah’s power play is dangerous. Improvement isn’t just being noticed by the team and the fans, but the whole league now.

It will take some incredible luck for Utah to somehow beat out the Wild for that playoff spot, but after the past 78 games, this season shouldn’t be considered a failure. In fact, one day, when looking back, it could be considered as one of Utah’s biggest stepping stones on the path to making the playoffs.

Game 79 will be the final one held at Delta Center this season as Utah hosts the Nashville Predators. The Predators are 28-42-8 this season and are coming off a 7-6 overtime win over the New York Islanders. This will be the first time these two teams have met since November, when Utah lost 4-0.