Columbus Completes Comeback In OT, Downs Utah Hockey Club
Jan 31, 2025, 9:44 PM

SALT LAKE CITY—Utah Hockey Club couldn’t hang on to a two-goal lead, falling 3-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime. A two-on-nothing breakaway in the extra period sent Utah home with a disappointing loss.
Utah HC (21-21-9, 51 points) is hosting the Blue Jackets (26-19-7, 59 points) at Delta Center on Friday, January 31. Columbus enters the night with the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Utah is fourth in the Western Conference wild-card race, seven points behind the Calgary Flames.
Welcome, @BlueJacketsNHL 👋
📍: Delta Center
⏰: 7:00PM MT
📺: Utah HC+ and Utah 16
📻: KSL Sports Zone pic.twitter.com/MFU4B4UeIG— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) January 31, 2025
Utah suffered a blow earlier in the day when it was announced that center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. His 15 goals are second behind captain Clayton Keller, and his 28 assists are third. Cooley’s 43 points are second behind Keller.
Cooley has been settling in during his second full season. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native was developing into one of the franchise’s most exciting offensive players.
Cooley’s absence puts more scoring pressure on Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Dylan Guenther.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 18: Clayton Keller #9 jumps on Mikhail Sergachev #98 of the Utah Hockey Club after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in overtime at Delta Center on December 18, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Utah had a chance to move up the standings with 14 games in January, including eight on home ice. Instead of making a dent in the standings, the club has lost eight of 13 before tonight. Utah has the fewest wins in the league at home with an 8-11-5 record.
Defenseman John Marino enters the night riding a three-game assist streak.
Columbus faces Utah HC for the first time
Defenseman Zach Werenski’s (16 goals, 38 assists) 54 points lead the No. 7 team in the East. Rightwinger Kirill Marchenko has tallied 20 goals and 33 assists, leaving him one point behind Werenski. Marchenko has a goal in two consecutive games.
Five Blue Jackets enter the night riding points streaks, led by five points from Kent Johnson in the past four games.

ELMONT, NEW YORK – JANUARY 20: Kirill Marchenko #86 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on January 20, 2025, in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Columbus is 3-3 in their last six after a six-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets have back-to-back one-goal wins, including a 2-1 OT win at Las Vegas on January 30. They are 7-14-4 on the road.
Pregame
Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.https://t.co/oLJtHYoftb
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 31, 2025
Friday night lines. pic.twitter.com/OvQYvHaHgP
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) February 1, 2025
LISTEN LIVE: @utahhockeyclub is at home to face the @BlueJacketsNHL on the @kslsports app, @KSLSportsZone and:https://t.co/3qhm6hFYgH pic.twitter.com/06WZoP6TGh
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
First Period
Columbus penalty for tripping.
Utah HC with their first power play of the night.
1P: 15:04 | 0-0
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Brutal. Long penalty. https://t.co/V5EvXnPA50
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Absolute robbery from Vejmelka with his glove.
Quick wrister from the high slot with traffic in front and he snagged it with ease.
That’s a big save.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Vejmelka just did it again.
Pure brilliance with his glove tonight.
Veggie chants have returned to Delta Center and rightfully so.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Seriously, what a save.
Tracked the puck perfectly and flashed the glove to bring it in. https://t.co/9djCaKQB2v
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Veggie said 🚫 for @utahhockeyclub https://t.co/8gSzDUVaIC
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Penalty has come at a great time.
All the momentum is with Utah right now and they’re banging on the door to score. https://t.co/A6L7lR7x1a
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
End of the 1st period in SLC.
Utah 0
Columbus 0SOG
Utah 13
Columbus 9— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Second Period
NICK SCHMALTZ SCORES ON THE POWER PLAY.
Beautiful feed from Hayton.
Utah up 1-0 over Columbus.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Great effort from Hayton to feed Schmaltz who recognized the open space and crashed the net. https://t.co/mWshu32L42
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
.@utahhockeyclub grabs the 1️⃣-goal lead on the PPhttps://t.co/IuUCIptlt0
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Utah back to the power play after Columbus is called for tripping.
2P: 17:41 | 1-0 Utah
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Barrett Hayton has turned into a real problem for opposing teams in front of the net.
The guy digs and battles so hard. He’s an absolute pest.
Good for him. Utah needs more of that.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Vejmelka’s glove has been unreal tonight.
He just keeps snagging pucks with heat on them like it’s nothing.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
End of the 2nd period in SLC.
Utah 1
Columbus 0SOG
Utah 23
Columbus 15pic.twitter.com/g7ILTiJT4m— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Third Period
KERFOOT SCORES AND THE UTAH HOCKEY CLUB LEADS 2-0!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
JUICY rebound and Kerfoot made no mistake.
Big goal. https://t.co/y8bNTaRcCH
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Michael Kesselring can be so dangerous on the rush.
He absolutely flies into the zone and can let it rip from deep. As he continues to develop, he’ll only get better at that and see more pucks go in.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Blue Jackets score and cut Utah’s lead in half.
3P: 13:35 | 2-1 Utah
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Utah has to respond here.
Absolutely cannot allow Columbus to tie this game.
2 points tonight are darn near essential. https://t.co/GtRJeiUd0v
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Columbus scores. Tie game in SLC.
3P: 8:18 | 2-2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 1, 2025
Mikhail Sergachev just broke his stick over the bench.
Safe to say he’s unhappy with how things are going.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Same outcome, different day.
OT in SLC.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Blue Jackets score on a 2 on 0.
Unreal.
Columbus wins 3-2.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 1, 2025
Utah-Columbus Gameday Reading
-
Wasatch Out, Outlaws Back On Table For Utah HC Name
-
Center Logan Cooley Out Indefinitely With A Lower Body Injury
-
Yeti Out As Potential Nickname
-
The Hat Trick: Crosby Stuns Utah HC With Overtime Goal
-
Barrett Hayton’s Six Points Earns NHL Honor
-
Maveric Lamoureux Reflects on NHL Experience
-
Utah HC Midseason Report Cards: Above Average Performers
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Utah HC Midseason Report Cards: Top Performers
-
Karel Vejmelka Dons Dino Mask
-
Utah HC Partners With Local Businesses For Budget-Friendly Tickets
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Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. Listen to Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
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Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X and Instagram at @bpreece24.