SALT LAKE CITY – After an electric and chippy hockey game full of momentum swings, the Utah Hockey Club emerged with their sixth straight road victory thanks to a clutch late goal from Captain Clayton Keller. Despite trailing in the third period, Utah rallied back and remained perfect on their mentor’s trip with another two points against the San Jose Sharks.
Here are the key takeaways from Utah’s clutch victory.
While the team is playing really good hockey as of late and there’s been a plethora of positives, it’s been a tough year for all three members of Utah’s third line.
Between Nick Bjugstad, Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse, the three have combined for just 11 goals and 14 assists (25 points), the fewest of any line on the team.
Now, it is important to note that the three have not played on the same line all season and Bjugstad missed the first eight games of the year.
However, their collective production is still not good enough and something needs to change in order for that line to find a spark.
“That’s what we’re looking for, consistency. We realize we have to be much better. I think we are doing some good things defensively, but obviously we want to produce, we want to help the team win. We haven’t been doing that,” Lawson Crouse said.
Is it easy to overlook the third lines production based on the team’s success as of late? Absolutely. But if they were able to contribute even a bit more, Utah could have a few extra points right now which would put them in control of a wild card spot rather than two behind.
So, what are the options?
Ultimately, it may be time to sit one of those three and play Liam O’Brien.
Utah could also call Josh Doan or Kailer Yamamoto back up and give somebody that’s hungry a chance to prove themselves rather than settling for the status quo.
Making the playoffs takes a collective team effort and while everything has been really positive as of late, Utah still needs more from that line.
It’s no secret that Logan Cooley is having a special season of growth and evolution.
Through 30 games this year, Cooley currently leads the Utah Hockey Club in assists with 19 and has transformed into an elite maestro.
Before taking a deeper look at his assist tally, it’s important to point out how much his game has grown in just a short span.
After appearing in all 82 games for the Coyotes last year, No. 92 had just 24 apples. Based on his current production, Cooley is on pace to finish with 52 in 2025, up 116 percent from last year.
A colossal increase.
Update: Logan Cooley now leads #UtahHC with 19 assists this season.
Significant improvement from last season as he had just 24 in 82 games last season.
He’s on pace to finish with 52 this year. https://t.co/qXtxSpKs3M
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 15, 2024
Against the Sharks, Cooley’s brilliance was on full display as he finished the evening with two critical assists.
Early in the first, he found his favorite sniper Dylan Guenther in the slot who gave Utah a 1-0 lead.
Speed and vision from Cooley.
Gorgeous pass.
Dylan Guenther with a wicked snipe to add yet another to his tally.#UtahHC https://t.co/VXAg3IC6q9— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 15, 2024
As demonstrated by the first goal, Cooley utilized his wicked speed and vision to find Guenther. After a strong zone entry, he got his head up, drew all the Sharks attention to the corner, and delivered a gorgeous pass right on the stick of No. 11.
Great team goal on the power play.
Great patience from Keller, absurd elevated pass from Cooley, and a strong finish to tie this game up.
Critical response from Utah on the power play. https://t.co/aJbGafNd5e
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 15, 2024
As for the second, after battling for position in front of the net, Cooley peeled off to the side and delivered another highly skilled elevated pass to Nick Schmaltz who buried it to tie the game.
“He was outstanding on this road trip…he just played amazing. He played both sides of the puck, he competes, he’s in the scrum. He’s good defensively, good offensively. He did a lot of good stuff. PK, power play…he’s headed in the right direction,” Andre Tourigny said.
Cooley’s evolution this season cannot be overstated. The game is clearly slowing down, he’s maximizing his talents, and his success is directly resulting in big wins for Utah as of late.
“Obviously, when you first come into the league, it’s super-fast and you just try to find a way to play in this league. This year, I think it’s slowed down a lot and allows me to make more plays and see the game differently,” Cooley told KSL Sports.
Wearing the “C” on your sweater in the National Hockey League comes with a lot of responsibilities, one of which is delivering when the team needs you most.
Against the San Jose Sharks, that’s exactly what Clayton Keller was able to do as he scored a clutch game-winner on the power play in the final minute of regulation.
Massive goal from Captain Keller.
Waits, waits, waits, sees the window he wants, and makes no mistake to give Utah the lead.
What a shot and the mentors are loving it.#UtahHC https://t.co/3LB62R5rIS
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 15, 2024
Keller has been brilliant on special teams as of late as he’s tallied three power play goals over the last three games.
While it’s taken a collective team effort, Keller has been a primary driving force for the team’s sudden surge of power play production.
“You talk about another competitive guy. Another guy who is never satisfied who always wants more. He wants to be a difference maker. I think right now, our power play is rolling and he’s a big part of it,” Tourigny said about Keller.
Now, is there an argument that he’s not been as productive as he probably could be to this point? Sure. But considering everything this team has gone through over the last year, the pressure of the relocation and to be the face of all that, he’s doing perfectly fine.
In addition to a much more effective power play, Utah is playing their best hockey of the season right now as they’ve gone 6-2-2 over their last 10 games.
“We’ve had a lot of confidence. Guys are talking on the bench. You can just feel it. There’s a different feeling. To have that is a good thing. I’m looking forward to our next game,” Keller explained.
Clayton Keller on the difference as of late: “We’ve had a lot of confidence. Guys are talking on the bench. You can just feel it. There’s a different feeling. To have that is a good thing. I’m looking forward to our next game.”
BIG smiles from the Captain 😁#UtahHC
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 15, 2024
So, regardless of whether or not he could be producing more, Keller has still had a solid year, and his leadership has greatly impacted Utah’s recent success.
The Utah Hockey Club will now travel home to face the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday at Delta Center. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
