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Utah HC's Playoff Hopes Take Another Tough Blow In Latest 4-2 Loss to Kings

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Apr 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (17) have words after a play during the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

A lot changed for Utah HC in 44 seconds. 

What had been a 1-1 game, one that seemed like Utah’s to take control of at any moment, thanks in large part to its 25-9 advantage in shots on goal through two periods, suddenly had turned into a 3-1 deficit that the team could never recover from.

With a quick, unassisted goal from Kings forward Kevin Fiala, Los Angeles would not only take the lead back, but would never give it up for the rest of the game. 

With Utah defenseman John Marino attempting a dangerous cross-ice pass right after the faceoff, the puck went straight to Fiala’s stick, right in front of the net, leading to an immediate goal for the Kings.

The uncharacteristic mistake from Marino would prove to be fatal for Utah later in the game. 

After two penalties were called on Anze Kopitar for cross-checking Kevin Stenlund, and Stenlund was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for going down a little too easily after the cross-check, a 4-on-4 situation was set up for both teams.

But with Fiala’s goal coming just 19 seconds into the 4-on-4, play resumed with both Stenlund and Kopitar still in the box.

Without the extra man on the ice, Utah made yet another costly mistake.

This time, Trevor Moore knocked Utah's Sean Durzi to the ice, then took off on a breakaway and buried another goal for L.A. during the 4-on-4.

“I think the first one was an unfortunate turnover," said coach André Tourigny. "Johnny (John Marino) doesn't do a lot of those... just happened at the wrong time. I think it was an unnecessary risk but that's happened. The other one, there's a few things on that. I think we didn't move our feet to get up ice... Veggie (Karel Vejmelka) could have, should have, gotten that puck."

The Kings would add one more with an empty-netter to go up 4–1, before conceding Utah’s only other goal—Jack McBain's first career power play goal—with under 30 seconds remaining and far too little time left to mount a comeback.

"We were in the driver's seat for the first two periods, and unfortunately, what happened on the four on four and they capitalized on two chances," said Utah's Lawson Crouse. "That's how quick the game can get away from you, and we were playing catch up from there." 

While the game ultimately ended in a convincing win for the Kings, it's hard not to look back at a few key moments in the first two periods that went Los Angeles' way. 

The first tough break for Utah came just two minutes in, when what looked like an early goal was called back.

Upon review, a pass from Utah’s Clayton Keller to Dylan Guenther, who was wearing a bubble after breaking his nose in Utah’s win over the Flames, never crossed back in front of the blue line and instead traveled along it.

As a result, Keller crossed the line before the puck, making the play offside. While it wasn’t initially called and it appeared as though Guenther had scored, a quick challenge by the Kings led to the play being overturned and play resumed shortly after.

“I think [the team is learning] how every play matters...," said Guenther. "Every shift, no matter what happens, all you can do is go out there and try to win your shift so just take it a step at a time.”

While Utah never looked fazed, even after the unfortunate offside call, the team found itself on the wrong side of yet another goal

This time, the Kings scored their first goal of the night following a wild sequence in which L.A.'s Adrian Kempe collided with Vejmelka after being pushed by Utah’s Logan Cooley.

Because it was deemed that Kempe ran into Vejmelka because of Cooley,  no goalie interference penalty was called against Kempe.

All of the sudden, what could have been a 1–0 lead heading into the second period instead turned into a 1–0 deficit.

Those breaks for the Kings were a big reason why the game stayed close early on, even with Utah's offense humming and controlling much of the play.

While Lawson Crouse scored Utah’s first goal of the game in the second to tie things up and keep it competitive, being on the wrong end of a two-goal swing early proved costly once Utah began making mistakes in the third.

Though Utah's playoff hopes are still statistically possible, the team can't seem to catch a break with each win the Blues get, this time with its second consecutive overtime victory coming against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The win extended St. Louis' win streak to 11, tied for the longest in the NHL this season, and has singlehandedly snuffed Utah's hopes of making the playoffs. 

With only six games remaining and sitting nine points behind the Minnesota Wild, holders of the final Wild Card spot, Utah will need to win out the rest of its schedule if it has any hope of making the playoffs.

Minnesota has struggled recently, losing five of its last six games, but it would still take a remarkable collapse, like losing all six of its remaining games, for the Wild to fall out of playoff position.

So while tonight's loss has all but eliminated Utah from the race, the club will need to keep fighting while there's still a statistical chance, starting with its game against Winnipeg on Saturday, April 5.

Its Do or Die For Utah Hockey ClubIts Do or Die For Utah Hockey Club 

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