VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In a tightly contested battle, the Utah Hockey Club secured a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks during their first visit to the city on Sunday evening.
Logan Cooley delivered the decisive goal for Utah, with Kevin Stenlund and Clayton Keller — the latter with an empty-net goal — also contributing to the scoreboard. Utah’s goaltender, Karel Vejmelka, was solid between the pipes, turning aside 18 shots. Nick Schmaltz provided crucial support with two assists.
The Canucks struck first, converting on a power play, with Quinn Hughes finding the back of the net at 2:37 into the second period. Despite Vancouver’s efforts, Utah’s resilient defense and opportunistic offense proved too potent.
Kevin Lankinen had a busy night for Vancouver, stopping 20 shots. The Canucks, fresh off a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, were eager to maintain momentum but ultimately fell short against a determined Utah squad.
The outcome of this game had significant implications for both teams, vying against the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues for the last available playoff spot in the Western Conference. At the end of the night, the Canucks found themselves tied in points (73) with the Blues but below the playoff threshold due to having fewer wins (31) than St. Louis (33).
From the Vancouver bench, Jonathan Lekkerimaki stepped in for Filip Chytil. Chytil had departed from Saturday’s game late in the third period after being struck from behind by Jason Dickinson of the Blackhawks, experiencing a whiplash motion before collapsing to the ice. Head Coach Rick Tocchet described Chytil as “day to day” due to the injury.
Utah demonstrated its dominance over this matchup by sweeping the three-game series against Vancouver this season. Prior to this game, Utah had emerged victorious with a 3-2 overtime win on December 18 and a close 2-1 win on February 23.
A critical moment transpired when Cooley seized a rebound opportunity to hand Utah the lead at 5:08 of the third period. The play originated from Schmaltz’s shot deflecting off a Canucks player’s skate, leading the puck to Sean Durzi, who redirected it. Cooley was perfectly positioned to convert the play into his 18th goal of the season.
Discipline was a challenge throughout the match, with the physical play resulting in 14 penalty minutes for Utah and eight for Vancouver. The Canucks showcased a robust physical presence with a 38-17 hit advantage over their opponent.
Looking ahead, Utah is set to conclude a three-game road trip with a matchup against Edmonton on Tuesday, while the Canucks aim to finish their three-game homestand on a high note when they face off against the Jets that same evening.
