Nick Bjugstad Scores Utah Hockey Club’s Second Opening Period Goal
Jan 14, 2025, 7:54 PM

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Hockey Club has taken advantage of four Montreal penalties in the opening period, scoring a pair of goals against the short-handed Canadiens. Nick Bjugstad scored his first goal in 23 games as the Kirby Dach tripping penalty expired inside the final minute of the period.
Utah HC (18-17-7, 43 points) continues its seven-game homestand when the Montreal Canadiens (20-18-4, 44 points) come in on Tuesday, January 14. Both teams enter in the fifth Wild Card spot in their respective conferences.
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When in doubt, just throw the puck on net.
Bjugstad gives Utah a 2-1 lead late in the first and scores his first since 11/23. https://t.co/3LhrdrKxmL
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 15, 2025
A sloppy opening period saw Utah grab a 2-1 lead when Bjugstad backhanded the puck past Sam Montembeault as Dach exited the box. Michael Kesselring and Matias Maccelli recorded assists on the play.
Bjugstad has five goals and seven assists this season.
Utah controlled the first period, outshooting Montreal 14-3.
Utah HC expects John Marino to add backline depth
One day after Head Coach Andre Tourigny told assembled media that John Marino is now officially considered day-to-day, Utah Hockey Club GM Bill Armstrong said that Marino is expected to make his debut tonight against Montreal.
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Bill Armstrong just mentioned on the air with @975hans and me that John Marino will be in the lineup tonight for the Utah Hockey Club.
— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) January 14, 2025
After shedding his non-contact jersey in early January, Marino joined the team on their previous road trip, has been a full participant in practice and was recently paired with Juuso Valimaki.
Alongside Mikhail Sergachev, Marino was another big acquisition for the Utah Hockey Club this past offseason as they made an effort to bolster their D-core.
At 6-foot-1, Marino brings a good amount of size and physicality to the ice.
Per Tourigny,
John Marino is a game time decision tonight.
He will go through warm ups.
If he plays, he’ll be on the third pairing.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 14, 2025
He’s also very confident with the puck, skates well, and can make a sizable impact offensively, as he’s registered 18 goals and 89 assists in five seasons at the NHL level.
While Marino’s return is certainly coming at the right time for Utah, and he’ll eventually play a significant role for the club, it will take a few games to settle in and get back up to speed.
“We have big plans for him,” General Manager Bill Armstrong said. “He’s a top-four defenseman for us that can impact the second-unit PP and the number-one PK.”
“If we can bring him in the right way and not overload him with minutes or situational play, it’ll help him grow and get comfortable.”
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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 Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.