After the Utah Hockey Club took a 2-0 lead Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, it seemed like they couldn’t be stopped.

They dominated the first half in almost every major statistical category and hit the post three times. They then continued this domination in the second period.

But, as is often the case in hockey, it doesn’t matter how strong you are at even strength if your opponent can consistently score on the power play.

Golden Knights forward Tomáš Hertl struck midway through the second period, scooping up a loose puck in the slot and returning it to the goal. Then in the third, he did it again. The two goals were almost identical and both were scored by a Utah player in the penalty area.

All signs pointed to overtime until William Karlsson tipped a seemingly harmless shot past Karel Vejmelka with 1:18 left in the third to give the Golden Knights a one-point lead. Karlsson followed up with an empty-net goal to seal the victory for Vegas, 4-2.

This is the second time Utah has lost to Vegas after leading 2-0.

Utah Hockey for Dummies

For the first time ever, the most common jersey at the game was Utah HC. That’s because, well, Utah HC retail jerseys now exist.

The team put them on sale Friday morning. Despite this, there were still plenty of jerseys representing the next state.

Having been Salt Lake City’s closest NHL team for seven seasons, the Golden Knights have won over a number of local hockey fans. This became evident when chants of “Go Knights, go” broke out in the first half, although they were quickly drowned out by a chorus of boos from Utah fans.

This opened the door to one of the biggest x-rated posts I’ve seen this season.

A lot of passion was shown throughout the match, both on the ice and in the stands. The two teams will meet in Las Vegas on November 30. It’s a shame they’re not in the same division. This could end up being a fierce rivalry.

Utah Hockey for Casual Fans

Don’t look now, but Mikhail Sergachev is on a two-game goal streak.

Both goals, as well as the previous one, against the Calgary Flames, were very similar: he picked up the puck in the high slot and fired a wrist shot into the top of the shelf.

Defenders can be too busy shooting for sticks, but Sergachev takes his shot opportunities when he gets them.

But no matter how well Sergachev plays, he is never satisfied with a defeat.

“I feel like we respect teams too much,” he said. “We give them ice and give them the puck to play with. Instead, we should be the ones playing with the puck. It’s about finding the right balance, when to make a play and when to put it behind their (defense) and get to work.

Sergachev also talked about making the breakout easier, but he said they’ll have to watch the tape and figure out what to do differently in the next game.

Utah Hockey for Nerds

Although it didn’t produce the desired end result, Utah’s defenders were much more involved in the play than they usually are, which put them in a position to succeed.

Utah constantly drew forechecks as they gained the zone, leaving the back defenders open. Once they got it to the defenders, there was enough open space for plays to happen.

The quantity of shots has been difficult for them in the previous few games, and although Andre Tourigny said before Friday’s game that quality matters more than quantity, they also haven’t had many looks from quality.

Defenders changed that Friday.

Utah especially dominated the first period. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought they were on the power play most of the time. Time and time again, they had long periods of puck possession in the offensive zone and numerous scoring opportunities.

“The game is simple,” Sergachev said afterward. “You get him out of your zone quickly, you put him behind their D and you don’t let them out. This is the game we played.

Newcomer Olli Määttä, who played in the first pair for the second game in a row, found himself deep in the offensive zone several times.

When Juuso Välimäki was doing this earlier in the season, he spent a few games in the press box, but if Määttä can consistently get back in time, it could really be to Utah’s advantage to have another guy also involved in the offensive.

“He plays well,” Tourigny said of Määttä. “Him and Sergy together, they see each other and they talk to each other a lot and they play well together.”

Sergachev also praised his new partner.

“He’s great,” Sergachev said. “He’s really balanced with the puck, he looks for me, he finds guys, he always has his head up and he’s very good defensively. »

What’s next?

Next is Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, who will be in town on Monday.

The Capitals have been one of the most active teams over the summer, adding numerous players in hopes of having a strong playoff run. Some doubted their ability to achieve this after being swept in the first round last year, but they are doing well so far.

Ovechkin also continues his quest for Wayne Gretzky’s goalscoring record. He only needs 32 more to become the most successful player of all time.

Monday’s game starts at 7 p.m. and can be seen on Utah HC+ and Utah 16. Tickets are also available on Ticketmasterstarting at $56 at the time of writing.