The Hat Trick: Utah Hockey Club Puts Out Fire, Extinguish Losing Streak Against Flames
Oct 30, 2024, 11:48 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Following a brutal four-game losing streak, the Utah Hockey Club doused the Calgary Flames with an onslaught of five goals to regain their confidence and get back into the win column. With contributions from Captain Clayton Keller, defensive anchor Mikhail Sergachev, rookie Maveric Lamoureux and newcomer Olli Maatta, the club responded appropriately with a 5-1 victory.
Here are the key takeaways from Utah’s much needed victory.
Olli Maatta looked solid in his Utah Hockey Club debut
After being traded late last night by the Detroit Red Wings to Utah, veteran defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Olli Maatta made his debut with the Utah Hockey Club against the Flames and he did not disappoint.
Olli Maata on being traded and playing tonight: “I think the moment I came in here, guys welcomed me really good. I can see this organization is a great one. There’s a great thing going on here, the group of guys we got. It just feels right.”#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/auy6Ek4smo
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
“I think the moment I came in here; guys welcomed me really good. I can see this organization is a great one. There’s a great thing going on here, the group of guys we got. It just feels right,” Maatta said.
Despite only four hours of sleep and having to jump on an early flight from Detroit, he demonstrated his veteran skillset and instincts for the club without skipping a beat.
In 20 minutes on the ice (2nd most on the team), Maatta was exactly what you’d expect from a veteran of his stature. He’s by no means flashy, but he’s smart, has high hockey IQ, knows how to react in every situation and even contributed well on the PK.
“He was really good. For a guy who did not sleep a lot last night, traveled today, got here, doesn’t really know our system, his teammates, doesn’t really know how they’ll react, I think he showed what I often talk about. He’s an NHL player…this guy does it every day, every night. He knows what it is…more than often you will have that kind of performance from him,” coach Andre Tourigny said.
“He’s been around, it was not his first rodeo. He was calm, took the board away, made a direct pass, bypassed the forecheck, he had poise with the puck, he was defending hard. He’s an NHL defenseman. It was great,” Tourigny added.
Like coach said, Maatta was as advertised. He’s an experienced veteran defenseman who has been around and knows exactly how to handle situations. Despite the small sample size, he appears to be a solid addition for the club’s blue line.
Maveric Lamoureux is proving he should remain in the NHL after first career goal
20-year-old Maveric Lamoureux had the need for speed against the Calgary Flames as he blasted an absolute rocket from the point and registered the first goal of his NHL career.
BLAST from the point for his first NHL goal.
That’s a special one. They’ll hang onto that puck for him. Unforgettable moment for the youngster. He’s showing he doesn’t need to go back to the AHL.#UtahHC https://t.co/ZpSKTkcYTP
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
A special moment for any NHL player and one that Lamoureux will never forget.
“Amazing, it felt like it was going in slowly and then I saw the light go on and I was just really happy…especially scoring here with all the fans…it was something like I dreamt of,” Lamoureux said.
Maveric Lamoureux on scoring his first NHL goal: “Amazing, it felt like it was going in slowly and then I saw the light go on and I was just really happy…especially scoring here with all the fans…it was something like I dreamt of.”#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/NRA85W53PD
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
Aside from his great puck of fire that lit the lamp, Lamoureux has been really impressive in his four NHL starts this season. He’s confident, comfortable, has flourished with his unique skillset and looks like he belongs.
In addition to his towering 6-foot-6 size, Lamoureux is incredibly physical, calm, collected, has a good stick, is great with the puck, makes the right plays and can clearly contribute on offense.
He’s everything this team needs in a defenseman. From his physicality which he uses to clear out the crease in the defensive zone and shut down shooters, to his ability to create and put the puck in the net, he’s exactly what they’d hoped he’d be.
“The big thing for Mav will be to stay urgent…there’s a lot of people who can play NHL for a week or two. An NHL player is capable of doing it every night, all the time. That’s what he has to prove. That’s what he has to do,” Tourigny said.
Looking ahead, Lamoureux needs to keep playing the same way to prove he belongs and doesn’t need to return to the AHL. Anybody can look good for a few games, but those who belong do it every single night.
Utah Hockey Club responded with a complete effort to end the losing streak
It’s been a rough stretch for the Utah Hockey Club over the last few weeks. Not only had they lost four in a row coming into the Flames matchup, but the nature of their loss to the winless Sharks was a tough pill to swallow.
However, on Wednesday night, Utah came back with ferocity and played the most complete hockey game of the season en route to a 5-1 victory to end the losing streak.
Right from the puck drop, it was clear that Utah had their sights set on one thing. Winning a hockey game.
They played with intensity, suffocated the Flames on both ends, had active sticks, forced turnovers, created opportunities and would not be denied.
“Just the energy we brought in…we were on them, we didn’t give up, we were doing everything we had to, to get a win. We had a pretty good meeting yesterday and then we knew we had to come in here a win it. So, that’s what we did. We gave everything to come out of here with a win,” Lamoureux said.
Alexander Kerfoot and Kevin Stenlund arguably had their best performances of the season, Barrett Hayton got back on track with a gorgeous goal and Sergachev was vicious defensively while also contributing offensively with a wicked snipe to light the lamp.
Great pass, perfect release, traffic in front of the net, and the Utah Hockey Club is off to a hot start against the Flames.#UtahHC
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
Breakout pass by Maatta, solid zone entry, great passes from Cole and Schmaltz, then BURIED by Hayton.
That’s some pretty hockey right there folks. https://t.co/B7kqzamCLz
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
When this team plays simple hockey, they’re pretty darn good.
Nice movement, take advantage of the 5-on-3, and Sergachev snipes Wolf from the slot. https://t.co/rTpqGZ8O2V
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
Defensively and on special teams, Utah was equally as impressive.
Not only did they net two power play goals, but they also had a perfect PK unit as well.
Captain leading the way 🫡 https://t.co/qFOnqpFgxc
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 31, 2024
Their active sticks, physicality and pure grit when battling in front of the net to clear out forwards served them well throughout the night. Ingram was also quietly fantastic with 30 saves on 31 shots (.968 SV%).
When the Utah Hockey Club plays simple hockey, they’re actually quite good. They have the shooters, the creators and the D-core to compete every single night.
“It feels good. Obviously, we had a good first two periods and we wanted to learn from our last couple games and our mistakes. I thought we did a good job…we were simple, we kept the pucks going north. Before we kind of backed off and gave them some space. Tonight, we did a good job staying above them and not giving them much space…I’m proud of the way we responded,” Keller said.
Against Calgary, they responded appropriately and are back on track with a much-needed win.
Utah Hockey Schedule
The Utah Hockey Club will now begin a four-game road trip against the Vegas Golden Knight on Saturday night. 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.