Pushing for a playoff spot, Utah hosts injury-riddled Wild

The Utah Hockey Club seeks a third straight win on Thursday night when the Minnesota Wild travel to Salt Lake City.

Utah has won its last two contests by identical 2-1 scores, and in similar fashion. Lawson Crouse netted the game-winner on Tuesday with 7:48 left in the third period to help Utah defeat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. Two days earlier, Dylan Guenter's power-play goal with less than six minutes remaining pushed Utah past the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

In both instances, Utah rallied from down 1-0.

The wins come at a pivotal time for Utah. With 61 points, the team sits three points behind the Calgary Flames for the Western Conference's final wild-card berth. However, coach Andre Tourigny's side has two fewer games remaining on the schedule than the Flames and Canucks (63 points).

After Tuesday's win, Tourigny told reporters the back-to-back wins speak volumes about the team.

"They want it," he explained. "I think there's a good feel on the bench right now, and there's a feel of competitiveness. There's a feel of care. There's a feel of passion, and I like the way it feels.

"The guys are all in on winning. They don't give a damn about who. It's us."

Karel Vejmelka started in goal for both games, making 36 total saves to help Utah secure four points.

Center Clayton Keller, tied for the team lead with 21 goals, paces Utah with 43 assists and 64 points. He enters Thursday's contest on a five-game point streak after tying the game against the Blackhawks with a goal in the final minute of the second period, and assisting on both goals in the win over the Canucks.

Since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Wild have split two games with the Detroit Red Wings. On Saturday, they won 4-3 on the road in overtime before coughing up a 2-0 lead on Tuesday to drop a 3-2 decision.

Minnesota's superstar sniper Kirill Kaprizov has been dealing with a lower-body injury that's kept him sidelined since Jan. 26. The winger has only been available for three games since Christmas. Despite only playing in 37 of the Wild's 58 games, Kaprizov leads the team in goals (23) and points (52).

The Wild are 5-3-0 in the eight games since Kaprizov last skated. Left winger Matt Boldy, second on the team with 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists), and center Marco Rossi, third with 50 (21 goals, 29 assists) have posted six points apiece in those eight games.

The injury bug bit again this week when center Joel Eriksson Ek suffered a lower-body injury during Monday's practice. The Swede has 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 42 games this season. According to The Athletic, he could miss an extended period for Minnesota, which is sitting third in the Central Division standings.

Coach John Hynes said the injuries aren't changing the way his team plays.

"It doesn't change the identity of how the team wants to play," Hynes said after Tuesday's loss. "Now, when you don't have those two guys in the lineup, there's different skill sets there. But I think if you look at tonight's game there's not much that we didn't do well. We did lots of things well. We just didn't find a way to win."

--Field Level Media