ST. LOUIS — The Utah Hockey Club’s first season in the NHL officially came to a close Wednesday night with a tough 6-1 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues.
Despite a milestone 30th goal from star forward Clayton Keller, Utah was unable to recover from a blistering first-period surge by the Blues, who netted four goals in just 12 minutes.
Utah finishes its debut campaign with a respectable 38-31-13 record.
A Season to Remember, Not Defined by One Game
Head coach Andrè Tourigny acknowledged the lopsided loss but emphasized the bigger picture.
“This isn’t how we’ll remember the season,” Tourigny said. “Would I have liked to finish on a high note? Of course. But this team showed pride and resilience all year. I’m incredibly proud of their effort.”
Blues Dominate Early, Clinch Playoff Berth
The Blues were firing on all cylinders in a high-stakes matchup, sealing their postseason spot with the win. They exploded for four goals in the opening period, led by Jordan Kyrou’s two tallies and strong performances from Pavel Buchnevich, Jimmy Snuggerud, Brayden Schenn, and Zack Bolduc — each contributing a goal and an assist.
Robert Thomas added two assists to stretch his point streak to 12 games, as the Blues extended their home win streak to 12. Jordan Binnington stood strong in net with 22 saves.
St. Louis, once trailing significantly in the playoff race after the 4 Nations Face-Off break, surged late in the season with a franchise-best 12-game win streak. They now prepare to face the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs. Winnipeg earned the NHL’s top regular season record at 55-22-4 and captured the Presidents’ Trophy.
Utah Reflects on a Strong First Year
Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves in net for Utah, wrapping up a stretch in which he started 24 of the team’s final 25 games.
Veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who played 10 seasons in St. Louis but appeared in just 16 games for Utah, may have played his final NHL game. The 35-year-old hinted at retirement.
“There’s a real bond in that room,” Bortuzzo said. “I think the fans saw how much heart this team played with. We didn’t get the result we wanted tonight, but this group is building something strong.”
Game Recap: First Period Blitz Sinks Utah
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8:08 – Brayden Schenn opened the scoring, capitalizing on a rebound after Vejmelka stopped Snuggerud’s breakaway attempt.
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11:17 – Pavel Buchnevich doubled the lead, finishing a sharp feed from Thomas.
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14:45 – Jimmy Snuggerud scored on the power play — his first NHL goal — after a review confirmed there was no kicking motion.
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19:13 – Bolduc hammered home a one-timer on the power play to make it 4-0.
Keller gave Utah its lone goal early in the second on a power play just six seconds after a St. Louis penalty, trimming the deficit to 4-1.
But the Blues weren’t done. Kyrou added a pair of third-period goals, including one on the man advantage, sealing the dominant 6-1 win.
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