SALT LAKE CITY — Nick Bjugstad found the net for the second time during a decisive stretch in the third period, helping the Utah Hockey Club secure a 4-1 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday evening.
Utah launched a burst of three goals within a mere 2 1/2 minutes to take control of the game. Jack McBain and Mikhail Sergachev also contributed to the scoreboard for Utah, which managed to secure a win on home ice after struggling with three losses in their past four away games. Michael Kesselring provided two assists while Karel Vejmelka shined in goal, recording a career-high 49 saves to achieve his first win in five outings.
The lone goal for Carolina came from Martin Necas, marking just the second loss for the team in 11 contests and putting an end to their impressive streak of nine consecutive games with at least four goals scored. Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov faced 18 shots and allowed three goals before being replaced following Sergachev’s score that placed Utah in a commanding 3-1 lead at 7:11 of the third period. Spencer Martin entered the game and managed to stop two of the three shots he faced.
Vejmelka’s performance was noteworthy, as he made 15 saves in the first period, followed by 16 in the second, and finished with 18 in the last frame. The scoring explosion for Utah began at 5:09 into the third period with a goal from McBain, and Bjugstad punctuated it just 17 seconds after Martin came onto the ice.
Bjugstad opened the scoring for Utah with 2:05 remaining in the first period, marking his first goal of the season and the 150th of his career. Necas leveled the score with a power-play goal halfway through the second period.
Key takeaways from the match include the Hurricanes, who scored 44 goals across their previous nine games, struggling to find their rhythm in Utah despite outshooting their opponents 50-21. On the other hand, Utah faced an uphill battle too, coming off a 1-2-1 record on their recent road trip, but they benefited from a four-day break, the longest of the season thus far. However, prior to the third period, the Hurricanes consistently outperformed the home team in puck battles and scoring opportunities.
A significant moment occurred just 22 seconds following McBain’s tally when Lawson Krause struck the crossbar on a shot that was initially ruled a goal. Upon review, the score was revoked, paving the way for Sergachev to score, followed shortly by Bjugstad’s final tally.
Statistically, Utah improved its record to 5-0-2 when scoring the first goal.
In the upcoming matches, Utah will host Vegas on Friday while the Hurricanes will take on Ottawa at home on Saturday.