SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club emerged victorious in a thrilling 6-4 clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, thanks to standout performances from Logan Cooley and Alexander Kerfoot, who both scored twice. Cooley also contributed an assist, playing a pivotal role in Utah’s success.
Josh Doan and Nick Schmaltz added to the score sheet with one goal each, while Karel Vejmelka safeguarded the net with 22 saves for Utah. On the opposing side, Brayden Point demonstrated his skills with two goals for the Lightning, backed by Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel each finding the back of the net. Making his NHL debut, Brandon Halverson recorded 19 saves.
During the first period, Doan and Cooley quickly pushed Utah to a 2-0 lead, with only 2:28 remaining. However, the Lightning swiftly responded with a power-play goal from Point, trimming the deficit to one. The second period saw Cirelli and Guentzel equalizing for Tampa Bay, but Utah maintained their momentum with quick counterattacks. Kerfoot expertly tipped in a shot shortly after Cirelli’s goal to reclaim the lead. Cooley then followed suit, netting his second goal 30 seconds post-Guentzel’s equalizer.
In the third period, Schmaltz increased Utah’s advantage to 5-3 just 70 seconds in. Though Point narrowed the gap for Tampa Bay, making it 5-4, Kerfoot secured victory with a short-handed empty-net goal, reinstating a two-goal lead with only 55.9 seconds left in the game.
Takeaways from the match reveal that Tampa Bay, who had previously allowed an average of 2.66 goals per game, conceded six in Halverson’s first NHL appearance. Meanwhile, Utah’s goaltender Vejmelka excelled, making his 13th consecutive start, surpassing any other goaltender streak in the NHL this season.
The key moment of the game came during the second period when Kerfoot and Cooley delivered essential go-ahead goals after Tampa Bay had briefly tied the score. Highlighting Utah’s strong performance on home ice, they have claimed points in 12 of their last 14 games (9-2-3).
Looking ahead, the Lightning will face the Vegas team on Sunday, while Utah is set to host Detroit on Monday.