André Tourigny called Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets a “measuring stick” hours before the puck had dropped.
Utah Hockey Club was set to face the No. 1 team in the NHL, which is widely known as a Stanley Cup contender.
To the Delta Center crowd’s delight, Utah put forth a 4-1 win over the Jets, etching its season-long progress with a cohesive and commanding performance.
“I like the fact that we’re not scared. We’re taking it the right way,” the head coach said. “We played against a really good team and we played a hell of a game. Really proud of the guys.”
Clayton Keller got his team going early in the first period as Winnipeg’s Dylan Samberg sat in the box for tripping. Nick Schmaltz got the puck behind the net and chipped it up to Barrett Hayton, who found the captain open in the right circle. Keller one-timed the pass in at 4:24 for the 1-0 lead and his 26th goal of the season — tying Dylan Guenther for most on the team.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL hockey at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Utah started the middle frame on the man advantage and converted once again — 57 seconds into the period. This time, it was Hayton. The center made space for himself around the Jets’ crease and backhanded a dish from Guenther past Connor Hellebuyck to make it 2-0. The tally marked Hayton’s 19th of the year and tied his career high from 2022-23.
“He’s such an underrated player. He does everything so well,” Keller said of Hayton. “He does all the little things, goes to the tough areas, he’s in front, he wins those battles.”
Keller’s assist on the play was his 500th NHL point, too.
“So many people in my life sacrificed for me to get to this level. So just super grateful,” Keller said. “It’s cool and I still feel like I have a lot more to give and I’m just getting started.”
Hayton was moved back to the first power-play unit on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings; Logan Cooley was placed on the second unit. The change has proved to work — after going four consecutive games without a power-play goal, Utah has three in its last two contests.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) is celebrated after trying up the game 3-3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 10, 2025.
“Maybe the power play had been struggling a little bit but I think that’s how you get better,” Keller said. “When you struggle you learn from it, you watch the video, you break it down a little bit more and you simplify.”
Tourigny was pleased with the adjustment — and, of course, the goals — he saw.
“Our power play produced but more than that they gave us momentum,” Tourigny said. “They played, they attacked, they were on their toes.”
Kevin Stenlund — who is a former Winnipeg Jet — extended the Club’s gap at 16:57. The center picked up a cross-zone sauce from Mikhail Sergachev at the offensive blueline and sniped it off the rush for the 3-0 lift. Stenlund has two goals in three games as his fourth line with Alex Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad continues to be a nightly difference-maker.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Kevin Stenlund (82) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Minnesota Wild, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
“It shows us how good of a team we are when we play the right way, play our way,” Stenlund said.
It wasn’t just the power play that gave Utah an edge through 40 minutes — it was the penalty kill, too. The Jets came into Saturday’s matchup with the second-best power play in the league at 29.4%. The Club went 3-for-3 on the kill — led by guys like Stenlund, Kerfoot, Sergachev, Jack McBain and Ian Cole — to protect its lead ahead of the final stanza.
“We tried to put pressure on them, stay hard and get clears too on our feet,” Stenlund said of the PK. “We did a good job there.”
The Jets finally potted one on the man advantage in the third after Olli Määttä was called for hooking. Mark Scheifele broke through with a wrist shot from the left doorstep to bring Winnipeg within two, 3-1, at 2:45. It was the only chance to beat Karel Vejmelka all night. The goaltender made 32 saves in his 20th consecutive start.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL hockey at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
“Really proud of him,” Tourigny said. “It’s fantastic for him to go through that kind of a stretch.”
Bjugstad — who had not scored since Jan. 14 — secured the 4-1 victory with an empty-netter that he lobbed down ice from the neutral zone at 17:19.
Utah is now seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference which, realistically, will see it miss the playoffs. But wins like Saturday show the evolution of the Club since the curtains opened on its inaugural season.
Spoiler alert — it’s a better team than when it started.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Keller said. “We’re still learning every single game just how hard it is to win.”
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