Utah Hockey Club cruise to debut win over Blackhawks

Field Level Media|published: Wed 9th October, 01:12 2024

Oct 8, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club forward Clayton Keller (9) celebrates a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Dylan Guenther scored two goals to help the Utah Hockey Club win their inaugural game 5-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.

Barrett Hayton had a goal and an assist, Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse also scored and Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley had two assists each for Utah, which was relocated from Tempe, Ariz., earlier this year after a Salt Lake City-based ownership group purchased the Arizona Coyotes.

Connor Ingram made 25 saves for the win.

Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno scored, Connor Bedard had two assists and Petr Mrazek stopped 20 saves for Chicago, which went 0-for-3 on the power play.

Guenther scored the first goal in franchise history on Utah's second shot, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead at 4:56 of the first period.

Michael Kesselring brought the puck into the Chicago zone with speed, then centered a pass to Guenther, the ninth overall pick by the Coyotes in 2021 NHL Draft. Guenther shot a one-timer past Mrazek from the high slot.

Jack McBain twice hit a post for Utah before Keller stretched the lead to 2-0 at 13:35 of the first.

Blackhawks defenseman Craig Smith turned the puck over just before exiting his zone, and Keller got the puck to Hayton, who passed it to Schmaltz. After Schmaltz partially fanned on his shot, the puck continued to Keller, who swiped it into the net.

Utah extended the lead to 3-0 at 8:46 of the second period.

Mikhail Sergachev took a shot from the point that deflected off the hip of Chicago defenseman Jason Dickinson, off the stick blade of Hayton and into the net.

The Blackhawks cut it to 3-1 at 14:25 of the second.

Bedard darted around a Utah defenseman at the blue line and fed a backhand pass to Teravainen cutting down the middle. Teravainen slipped the puck through Ingram's pads.

Chicago trimmed the lead to 3-2 when Foligno tipped in a point shot from Alex Vlasic at 4:46 of the third period.

The Blackhawks pulled Mrazek with about two minutes left, and Guenther scored into the empty net to make it 4-2 with 42 seconds remaining.

Mrazek went back in the crease and Crouse scored on a deflection with 22 seconds to go for the 5-2 final.

--Field Level Media

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