One of the biggest stories coming out of the first stretch of the season was the success of the Utah Hockey Club, which won their first three regular-season games in franchise history, outscoring opponents 16-11 in that span. But Utah has since come crashing down to earth, losing five of their past six games – including a 3-2 loss to Los Angeles Saturday – and being outscored 20-7 in those defeats.
So, the question is, which UHC team is the real UHC team? We think the good news is that Utah is better than they’ve shown of late. Let’s look at some of their metrics to see why we’re confident they can bounce back from this current sub-par stretch.
For one thing, Utah has gotten off to a 4-4-1 start despite having an offense that currently sits at 26th overall in the league. Young star center Logan Cooley, left winger Matias Maccelli and left winger Michael Carcone have combined to produce just one goal and 11 points – and when you consider the three forwards combined last season for 58 goals and 130 points, you have to believe there’s going to be a course correction with their offense. That’s going to mean the UHC will improve their overall amount of points per game.
Meanwhile, Utah also has suffered because their goaltending hasn’t been up to snuff. Starter Connor Ingram has posted a 3.71 goals-against average and a .862 save percentage in seven appearances, while veteran Karel Vejmelka has put up a 3.04 G.A.A. and a .889 SP in three appearances. Last season, Ingram had a .907 SP and 2.91 G.A.A. in 50 appearances, and Vejmelka had a .897 SP in 38 appearances, so there’s cause to believe their current numbers are going to improve the rest of the way this year.
That combination of improvement on offense and in net should push Utah back into the thick of things in the Central Division, but it’s not going to be a cakewalk for them. After getting the lowly San Jose Sharks in their next game, Utah’s following nine games will come against Calgary, Vegas (twice), Winnipeg, St. Louis, Nashville, Carolina, Washington, and Boston – that will give them a run for their money.
Related: NHL Utah’s Battered Blueline Sends Them Into The Trade Market
At an average age of 26.44 years old, Utah is currently the NHL’s third-youngest team as per Elite Prospects. That’s another reason why they’ve struggled with consistency, but with time, experience, and increasing confidence, the UHC’s overall performance will improve, and so will their spot in the Central standings.
Utah may not blow out opponents like they did to begin the year, but as coach Andre Tourigny cracks the whip and molds them into peak condition, the UHC is going to be one of the more dangerous teams in the league. They may not look like world-beaters at the moment, but Utah is an up-and-coming squad that is going to give its fans plenty of reasons to expect big things.
The story has not been edited by 24x7sportshub and is published from a syndicated feed.
