PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 23: Mikhail Sergachev #98 of the Utah Hockey Club celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a goal in the first period during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 23, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, Canada – The Mikhail Sergachev offseason acquisition is paying off in spades after the veteran defenseman scored to give Utah Hockey Club a 3-2 road win over Montreal to finish a four-game road trip at .500.
Utah Hockey Club (8-10-4, 21 pts) is in the Great White North to face the Canadiens de Montréal at Bell Center on Tuesday, November 26.
SERGY WITH THE OT WINNER!!!!
LET'S GO!!! pic.twitter.com/54WrOotwDG
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) November 27, 2024
The overtime period opened with both teams going up and down the ice. With less than 30 seconds left, Nick Schmaltz skated toward the right side of the net before firing a perfectly placed pass to Sergachev in front of the net. The veteran defender beat Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault for the win.
It was the sixth goal of the season for Sergachev and third in his past six games.
Despite an impressive effort during the first and third periods, the Utah Hockey Club experienced yet another dooming stretch that buried any chances of winning the second half of their back-to-back. Following three consecutive goals from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Utah failed to emerge from another two-goal deficit and lost 3-2 on Sunday night.
After a strong first period and an early 1-0 lead, the Utah Hockey Club allowed three goals in five minutes, putting them at a two-goal deficit, and they were yet again unable to crawl out.
During those five minutes, it was an additional poor stretch of hockey where everything that could go wrong went wrong. They committed unnecessary stick penalties, put themselves at a disadvantage, had several key defensive breakdowns, made a bad change, and completely came apart.
“It’s a big issue. You get on the road and repeat the same mistake, the same guys, a stick penalty…that’s tough. Our game management, our game in the game, cost us today. From bad change to getting in penalty trouble,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said.
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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
