SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club isn’t giving up on the postseason just yet — and Tuesday night’s dominant performance proved they’re still fighting.
In a blowout 7-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken, Utah delivered a franchise-best offensive showcase, with seven different players finding the back of the net. The win marks Utah’s fourth in the last five games (4-1-0) and keeps their faint playoff hopes alive.
Rising star Dylan Guenther tallied three assists, while Mikhail Sergachev contributed a goal and two helpers. Between the pipes, Karel Vejmelka stopped 18 shots in a solid showing.
“We’ve talked all season about our depth,” head coach André Tourigny said. “It was missing during a rough stretch in January, but now it’s showing up in big ways. Tonight, we saw contributions from every line and a power play that really clicked.”
Utah jumped out to an early lead, with Sergachev opening the scoring just 2:44 into the game with a sharp wrist shot from the point. Clayton Keller extended the lead on a five-on-three power play, and former Kraken forward Kailer Yamamoto added a power-play goal of his own — clearly playing with something to prove.
“They let me go, so of course I had a little fire coming into this one,” said Yamamoto. “Great to contribute in a win like this.”
The onslaught didn’t stop there. Just seconds into the second period, Lawson Crouse made it 4-0, followed by Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz, who each capitalized on strong puck movement and rebounds to push the lead even further. Michael Carcone capped Utah’s scoring late in the second with a slick wrist shot.
Seattle’s Jared McCann scored the Kraken’s lone goal on a power play early in the third period, breaking the shutout with a deflection. Joey Daccord started the game in goal for Seattle, stopping 22 shots before being replaced by Victor Ostman — who made his NHL debut — to start the third period.
Despite the convincing win, Utah still faces a steep climb to the playoffs. The team trails the Minnesota Wild by seven points for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, with only four games remaining in the regular season.
Utah will close out its home slate on Thursday when they host the Nashville Predators in what could be a pivotal game for their playoff dreams.
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