Nick Bjugstad Scores Utah Hockey Club’s Second Opening Period Goal

Jan 14, 2025 , 7:54 PM | Updated: Jan 15, 2025, 3:01 pm

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BRIAN PREECE


KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Hockey Club has taken advantage of four Montreal penalties in the opening period, scoring a pair of goals against the short-handed Canadiens. Nick Bjugstad scored his first goal in 23 games as the Kirby Dach tripping penalty expired inside the final minute of the period.

Utah HC (18-17-7, 43 points) continues its seven-game homestand when the Montreal Canadiens (20-18-4, 44 points) come in on Tuesday, January 14. Both teams enter in the fifth Wild Card spot in their respective conferences.

RELATED: Utah Hockey Club Capitalizes On Early Penalties With Power Play Goal

A sloppy opening period saw Utah grab a 2-1 lead when Bjugstad backhanded the puck past Sam Montembeault as Dach exited the box. Michael Kesselring and Matias Maccelli recorded assists on the play.

Bjugstad has five goals and seven assists this season.

Utah controlled the first period, outshooting Montreal 14-3.

Utah HC expects John Marino to add backline depth

One day after Head Coach Andre Tourigny told assembled media that John Marino is now officially considered day-to-day, Utah Hockey Club GM Bill Armstrong said that Marino is expected to make his debut tonight against Montreal.

RELATED: Utah Hockey Club Vs. Montreal Canadiens Live Blog

After shedding his non-contact jersey in early January, Marino joined the team on their previous road trip, has been a full participant in practice and was recently paired with Juuso Valimaki.

Alongside Mikhail Sergachev, Marino was another big acquisition for the Utah Hockey Club this past offseason as they made an effort to bolster their D-core.

At 6-foot-1, Marino brings a good amount of size and physicality to the ice.

He’s also very confident with the puck, skates well, and can make a sizable impact offensively, as he’s registered 18 goals and 89 assists in five seasons at the NHL level.

While Marino’s return is certainly coming at the right time for Utah, and he’ll eventually play a significant role for the club, it will take a few games to settle in and get back up to speed.

“We have big plans for him,” General Manager Bill Armstrong said. “He’s a top-four defenseman for us that can impact the second-unit PP and the number-one PK.”

“If we can bring him in the right way and not overload him with minutes or situational play, it’ll help him grow and get comfortable.”

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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.

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