Golden Knights’ armor too strong for Utah Hockey Club

After the Utah Hockey Club went up 2-0 Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, it looked like they couldn’t be stopped.
They dominated the first period in almost every major statistical category and hit the post three times. They then continued that dominance into the second period.
But, as is often the case in hockey, it doesn’t matter how good you are at even strength if your opponent can consistently score on the power play.
Golden Knights forward Tomáš Hertl struck midway through the second period, picking up a loose puck in the slot and firing it home. Then in the third, he did it again. The two goals were nearly identical and both came with a Utah player in the penalty box.
All signs pointed to overtime until William Karlsson tipped a seemingly harmless shot past Karel Vejmelka with 1:18 left in the third to put the Golden Knights up by one. Karlsson followed it up with an empty-net goal to seal the Vegas victory, 4-2.
This is the second time Utah has lost to Vegas after going up 2-0.
For the first time ever, the most common jersey at the game was that of Utah HC. That’s because, well, Utah HC retail jerseys exist now.
The team released them for sale Friday morning. Despite that fact, there were still lots of jerseys representing the next state over.
Having been the closest NHL team to Salt Lake City for seven seasons, the Golden Knights have won over a number of the local hockey fans. That became obvious when “Go Knights, go” chants broke out in the first period, though they were quickly suffocated by a chorus of booing from Utah fans.
That opened the door for one of the greatest X posts I’ve seen this season.
A lot of passion was on display all game long, both on the ice and in the stands. The two teams meet again in Las Vegas on Nov. 30. It’s a shame that they aren’t in the same division. This could end up being a fierce rivalry.
Don’t look now, but Mikhail Sergachev is on a two-game goal streak.
Both goals, as well as his previous one, which came against the Calgary Flames, looked very similar: He picked up the puck in the high slot and fired a wrist shot top-shelf.
Defensemen can get too caught up in shooting for sticks, but Sergachev takes his opportunities to shoot when he gets them.
But no matter how well Sergachev plays, he’s never satisfied with a loss.
“I feel like we respect teams too much,” he said. “We give them ice and give them the puck to play with. Instead, we should be the ones playing with the puck. It’s a matter of finding the right balance, when to make a play and when to get it behind their (defense) and go to work.”
Sergachev also talked about simplifying the breakout, but he said they’ll have to watch the tape and figure out what to do differently next game.
Though it didn’t produce the ultimate outcome they wanted, Utah’s defensemen were much more involved in the play than they typically are, which put them in a position to succeed.
Utah consistently drew in forecheckers as they gained the zone, leaving the trailing defensemen open. Once they’d pass it to the defensemen, there was enough open space for plays to happen.
Shot quantity had been a struggle for them in the previous handful of games, and although André Tourigny said before the game Friday that quality matters more than quantity, they hadn’t been getting many quality looks either.
The defensemen changed that on Friday.
Utah especially dominated the first period. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought they were on the power play the majority of the time. Time after time, they had extended periods of puck possession in the offensive zone and plenty of scoring chances.
“The game is simple,” Sergachev said afterward. “You get it out of your zone quick, you get it behind their D and you don’t let them get out. That’s the game we played.”
Newcomer Olli Määttä, who played on the top pairing for the second consecutive game, found himself deep in the offensive zone on a number of occasions.
When Juuso Välimäki was doing that earlier in the season he spent a few games in the press box, but if Määttä can consistently get back in time, it could really work to Utah’s advantage to have another guy so involved in the offense.
“He’s playing well,” Tourigny said of Määttä. “Him and Sergy together, they’re seeing each other and they talk a lot to each other and they play good together.”
Sergachev also had high praise for his new partner.
“He’s great,” Sergachev said. “He’s really poised with the puck, he’s looking for me, he’s finding guys, his head is always up and he’s very good defensively.”
Next up are Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, who come to town on Monday.
The Capitals were one of the most active teams over the summer, adding plenty of players in hopes of making a nice playoff run. Some doubted their ability to do so after they got swept in the first round last year, but they are looking good so far.
Ovechkin also continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. He needs just 32 more to become the highest-scoring player of all time.
Monday’s game starts at 7 p.m. and can be seen on Utah HC+ and Utah 16. Tickets are also available on Ticketmaster, starting at $56 at the time of writing.