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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) falls as Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) takes possession of the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
“Deflated” might be the best word to describe the mood inside the Delta Center on Monday night.
After battling for months, the Utah Hockey Club’s 5-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings put the former six points out of a playoff spot with three teams ahead of them and just 11 games to play.
Hope is not yet lost in the locker room, though.
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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) and Utah Hockey Club center Kevin Stenlund (82) fight for the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) falls as Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) takes possession of the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl (3) and Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) fight for the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) takes an unsuccessful shot on goal as Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon (34) blocks it during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) moves the puck away from Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92), Utah Hockey Club left wing Michael Carcone (53) and Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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The Detroit Red Wings celebrate a goal against the Utah Hockey Club during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Detroit Red Wings center Tyler Motte (14) scores Detroit’s fifth goal as Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70), Utah Hockey Club defenseman John Marino (6) and Detroit Red Wings center Craig Smith (15) watch during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi moves the puck away from Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club left wing Michael Carcone (53) tries to get the puck away from Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl (3) and Detroit Red Wings left wing J.T. Compher (37) during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) lets a goal in during an NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) passes the puck during an NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club right wing Dylan Guenther (11) tries to get the puck away from Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex DeBrincat (93) during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) and Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen (27) fight for the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) falls as Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) takes possession of the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70), Detroit Red Wings center Tyler Motte (14), Detroit Red Wings center Craig Smith (15) and Detroit Red Wings left wing Austin Watson (24) react to Detroit’s fifth goal, scored by Motte, during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Kevin Stenlund (82) and Detroit Red Wings right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (11) fight for the puck during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) swats the puck down with his hand as Detroit Red Wings center Craig Smith (15) rushes in during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025. Utah lost 5-1. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
“There’s never going to be any quit in this room — ever,” said team captain Clayton Keller. “We’re going to fight all the way until the end.
“We’re going to try to win every single game from here on out. (You) never know what can happen. We’re going to stay motivated, learn from this game (and) attack this next road trip. We go 3-0, you never know what will happen.”
For large stretches Monday, UHC maintained control of the puck — they just couldn’t get past Detroit goaltender Alex Lyon, who took the place of Petr Mrázek less than two minutes into the game after a collision with Dylan Guenther resulted in Mrázek’s departure.
Utah was in such control that through the first 36 minutes of the game, it allowed just four shots on net.
“I think we got a little bit unlucky on our goals against,” said head coach André Tourigny. “The puck was bouncing a lot tonight. It was tough to execute. I would have loved to simplify a little bit, go more at the net and (be a) bit more dirty.”
Utah Hockey for dummies
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Dylan Guenther is an important player to this UHC team.
He was one of Utah’s few bright spots on Monday — and not just because of his early goal. All night long, he was in the mix offensively. He led the team in both scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances and he took the second-most shots of anyone in the game.
“He’s such a great guy, such a great player,” said Keller, who had the primary assist on Guenther’s goal. “I’ve said it so many times — one of the best shots I’ve ever seen. He works on it a ton in practice, before practice, after practice. ... I can’t say enough good things about him.”
Guenther’s goal on Monday marked the 100th point of his NHL career. He signed an eight-year contract extension this summer worth just north of $7.1 million annually, and it already looks like an absolute steal for the team.
Utah Hockey for casual fans
Karel Vejmelka has started more consecutive games than anyone else in the last four seasons: 14. Per the Utah HC media relations department, the last to do it was former Jacob Markström with the Calgary Flames in 2021.
As solid as Vejmelka’s been this season, he seems a little tired.
“He should be tired,” Tourigny said. “All the players in this league are a little bit banged up or a little bit tired or a little bit worn down, but you need to battle through it and find a way.”
Vejmelka’s .692 save percentage on Monday was the worst of his career, excluding a few games wherein he played less than 10 minutes.
In all fairness, there were some bad bounces Monday that shouldn’t be blamed on Vejmelka, but he’s probably not as sharp as he might have been if he were more rested.
As hesitant as Utah is to rely upon the less experienced Jaxson Stauber for a game or two, it might be time. He stole a game in Las Vegas earlier in the season, earning the franchise’s first-ever shutout.
Who’s to say he can’t go on another good run?
Utah Hockey for nerds
For the first time since March 12, UHC scored a power play goal, but don’t go thinking all their woes are solved on that front.
They ended the game with a 20% success rate with the man-advantage — and that’s against the team with the worst penalty kill in the NHL.
“Quicker puck movement, I think,” Keller said in response to the question of what the power play needs to do differently. “At times, getting pucks to the net (and) being a little more simple. I think that’s the key for us — That’s when we’re at our best."
Though you wouldn’t believe it given the final score, Utah trailed 2-1 the majority of the game. When the revolving door started on the Red Wings’ penalty box, the home team could have assumed that it would find ways to take advantage — but it just didn’t work out.
Two things come to mind when considering adjustments Utah could make to its power play, and they both have to do with personnel.
Ever since Barrett Hayton got bumped down to the second unit in favor of Logan Cooley, the first unit has struggled. Yes, it’s important to give power play time to your budding stars, but if it’s not producing the right results, you have to change something.
The other potential adjustment has to do with the second unit, which has struggled all season long. Utah doesn’t have the offensive depth to put a full firing squad on PP2, but they do have some players not playing there that have been successful in the past.
The first is Matias Maccelli, who has looked better since his return to the lineup and may be able to provide a boost. The other is John Marino.
Utah’s second unit currently includes four forwards and one defenseman, but changing that to three and two could be valuable, if for no other reason than to try something new.
What’s next?
UHC embarks on its penultimate road trip of the season — and it’s a sunny one. They visit both Florida teams, followed by a stop in Chicago on the way home.
First up are the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom Utah hosted on Saturday. It’s Mikhail Sergachev’s first game back in the city where he won the Stanley Cup twice, so expect an emotional tribute video and a prolonged standing ovation.
In their previous meeting, Utah walked away with a 6-4 win at the expense of Brandon Halverson, who made his first-ever NHL start in net for Tampa Bay.
This time around, it’s likely UHC will have to face Vezina and Conn Smythe winner Andrei Vasilevskiy instead.
The game starts at 5 p.m. MDT and can be seen on Utah HC+ and Utah 16.
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