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Your Favorite Hockey Guy in Utah

October 26, 2025

^{Dylan Guenther keeps Utah flying high with a late game snipe to beat the Jets}

The second game in a back-to-back against the Winnipeg Jets was always going to be tough. Utah’s 6.5 goals a game to start the road trip was a mark that would be next to impossible to duplicate against the best goaltender, and strongest defensive team in the league.

As expected, the first period was a defensive slog. Winnipeg and Utah traded a few shot attempts in the first 10 minutes. The focus for the first feeling out minutes were defensive in nature. Simashev, Sergachev, Schmidt and Marino all held the line, with good backchecks and stick checking by all 4 of the forward lines. Little offense was available, but little was given. Forecheck for the Jets put pressure on Utah a few times, including one where 2 forecheckers pressured Marino, but each push by either team led to neutral zone control with little O zone time.

The Jets had the scariest chance of the first half of the game off a point shot that was deflected in front. Vitek Vanecek, starting the second game for Karel Vejmelka after his stellar performance, made the grab and kept it scoreless. A good forecheck by Stenlund, and a nice keep by Kailer Yamamoto gave Brandon Tanev a chance to score against his old team, but his sharp-angle shot was turned away. The best scoring chance of the period came from Logan Cooley, who skated up the left wing, with a hard shot from the dot, but the opportunity was denied by Hellebuyck.

The low-event hockey continued until the horn almost sounded, when the Jets got a golden opportunity with a shot that went wide. The period ended, with neither team scoring, but also neither giving a lot to their opponent. The dreaded 2nd period was up next. Utah and Winnipeg both had under 10 shots for the period, with Utah being outshot 8 to 6.

The period started out as second periods do for Utah; less than a minute in, Utah gave just a tiny bit of room at the blue line for the Jets and Dylan DeMelo sniped a post and in shot from the point. Utah was down to a defensive team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. 1-0 Jets.

Utah brought pressure immediately, however, as Schmaltz crashed towards the net, but his shot from in tight was unable to get past Hellebuyck. The third line continued pressure over the next shifts, with Carcone and Crouse connecting for an attempt that went over the cage. With sustained pressure, Dmitriy Simashev took a stick to the face, putting the Mammoth on the man advantage for the first time of the night.

Winnipeg’s penalty kill has been the best in the NHL by far for the year, with as many short handed goals as goals given up. Their lethality was on immediate display, as some lethargic play at the start of the kill almost cost them. Morgan Barron was stopped on the shorthanded breakaway, and Utah regrouped. After that shorthanded scare, Utah ramped up the intensity. Pressure by Peterka led to a clang off the post, and a near far-post tally by McBain in the crease went into the pads, and the penalty ended with no team scoring.

Keller’s individual rush gave Utah a decent scoring chance, but that was turned away again. Hellebuyck looked unbeatable despite continued pressure; McBain, Crouse, and Carcone had another pair of chances, but Utah was still scoreless.

Utah’s zone entry and pressure by the Stenlund-Tanev-Yamamoto line led to a delay of game penalty, as the Jets cleared the puck over the glass. After a review by the stripes, they finally got the correct offender, and Utah once again went back to the power play.

Utah won the PP draw, and had great puck movement and a near highlight goal (again) by Cooley. Cooley tried to bank a shot in off Hellebuyck’s back, but just missed. Utah won the next draw as well, with the puck coming back to Sergachev. Sergy walked in, and wired a shot over Hellebuyck’s glove for the tie game at the halfway point of the game. Tied score, 1-1

The Mammoth, as they’ve done a few times this year, lit the lamp again less than two minutes later. A great defensive stand by Nate Schmidt at the Utah blue line allowed Yamamoto and Carcone to jump out on a 2 on 1 opportunity. Yams delivered an absolutely beautiful saucer to Carcone, who one-timed it over a diving Hellebuyck. Carcone’s goal made it 2-1, Utah.

The Jets brought energy for an immediate counter, but both teams again stalled into a neutral zone, possession battle. Marino got called for an interference call deep in the Utah zone, allowing the Jets power play to get their first chance of the game.

The Jets’ have a patient power play. They don’t shoot often, but move the puck a lot. They try and tire out the PK, finding mismatches and lanes where possible. They executed this for almost a full 2 minutes. Vanecek was tested from range, then from a pair of stuff attempts, but was able to hold the fort. However, right as the penalty was to expire, Jets captain Mark Scheifele was able to skate through an exhausted Sergachev, get to the right dot, and fired home the equalizer past Vitek. Tied again, 2-2.

Guenther had a wrister from the blue, that was turned aside, the Jets failed to capitalize on a rush chance that saw Vanecek end up on his back in the net, but Utah’s defense kept Winnipeg away from any real chances. One last push by the Jets and another good save by Vitek, turned into a shot that Schmidt had pop up into a dangerous spot, and a stuff by Hayton was denied. Keller stripped a Jets forward at the line, fed an all alone Cooley in front of the net, but he had nowhere to go as Hellebuyck’s angle prevented any room for the youngster to shoot.

Despite the crazy chances after Winnipeg’s tying goal, neither team was able to cash in, and they ended the second tied 2-2. Utah turned up the pressure, doing exactly what they needed to do to counter a goalie like Hellebuyck, tallying 16 shots in the period to Winnipeg’s 8.

The Jets had a scary chance in the first minute of the third. A great stick poke by Guenther almost got the zone cleared, but the Jets somehow kept the puck in. They kept applying pressure, shooting high on Vanecek and causing a bobble that he ultimately grabbed.

Kyle Connor had the best chance of the period, driving wide on Sergachev and popping the puck over Vanecek. The puck bounced about 6 inches away from the red line, but its momentum pushed it just beyond the post.

Matching minors to Peterka and Nikita Chibrikov gave the teams a lot of room on a 4v4. Sergy tried from distance, Keller had a shot result in a loose puck right in front that couldn’t be cashed in on, and Vanecek somehow stopped a redirected puck and 2 rebounds up close to keep the score tied.

Marino had a golden opportunity stopped at the halfway mark, but the Jets interfered in front of the net, and the Mammoth returned to the power play.

The power play had a lot of looks, and great chances by Guenther. A slightly low shot missed, then a rip off Hellebuyck’s mask (which led to a stoppage, go figure…) kept him off the board, but Utah kept zone pressure well after the power play ended. No points for the play, but really good play again from Team Tusk.

After the Jets were able to finally clear, play resumed to the neutral zone, low chances, possession game. Both teams chipped, chased, had low-danger shots from long range and seemed to be slowing down, potentially looking to play for a tie. This changed, however, when a Guenther clear deep in his zone was poked along deep into the Jets zone. JJ Peterka outraced the unexpecting Jets defense, taking a massive hit into the corner just as he passed the puck to Cooley. Cooley dropped back for a trailing Guenther, who sniped a shot right above Hellebuyck’s glove, right side, to give Utah the lead. 3-2 Utah.

Scary moments, though, with Peterka down in the corner. Thankfully for the Mammoth, and for JJ, he seemed to just have been shaken on the play, and he would not miss much, if any time, for the rest of the game.

Suddenly and shockingly down, the Jets reeled and were forced to regroup. Looking for the tying goal, and at least one point at home, Winnipeg crashed Utah’s zone hard. Two amazing stops by Vanecek, one on Scheifele in close, the other on Connor from out at the line, led to a Utah clear. On Winnipeg’s rush, they forgot to count and were called for too many men on the ice. It was extremely blatant – they had 7 skaters on the ice as they were changing, and that gave Utah a power play with just 2:15 to go in the game.

Utah used this time wisely. Knowing that Winnipeg can use the penalty kill as effectively as they do to counterattack, the Mammoth wouldn’t use this power play to push for a goal as much as they would use it to run out the clock. Utah kept 2 men back at the line at all times, got the puck in the zone, and kept the Jets from pulling Hellebuyck until less than a minute left. An ill advised play by Cooley, trying to pass blindly into the slot from deep in the Jets zone gave Winnipeg a 3 on 2 break. Schmidt ended that chance by angling Scheifele off the puck, but the Jets got the extra attacker to make it a 5 on 5 situation. The Jets immense pressure did not let the Mammoth clear the zone until the penalty expired. With 15 seconds left, and with the 6 on 5 advantage, one last push resulted in a Scheifele shot from the left circle. It was stopped by Vanecek, but the puck tantalizingly sat loose in front of him, however Josh Morrissey was unable to get it past Vitek as the horn sounded.

Make that 7 for Utah, winning their third straight divisional road game in regulation, and uncontested for first place in the Central Division and Western Conference.

3 GOALS (THE GOOD):

Utah’s Coaching It was interesting to see how Utah responded to their first back-to-back games. On the road, against one of the most difficult teams in the league, Utah looked slow in the first period – though that seemed to be a feeling out between the teams. As the game went on, each line seemed to keep bringing more and more energy. Their conditioning seemed to be impeccable in their first test of the season.

Additionally, the Yamamoto lineup change proved valuable. Yams, sitting out the past few games in favor of Liam O’Brien, was impactful on both sides of the ice, including a beautiful dish giving Utah the lead in the second. His energy made the 4th line extremely effective tonight.

Discipline this game was exemplary. There was just one call against, a trip/interference call against Marino in the second. They also drew a few penalties – forcing a delay of game, a high stick, and an interference. The power play unit was 1 for 4 (the last one wasn’t used as a power play), making those drawn penalties finally count against their opponents.

Major props to Bear and the coaching staff for their conditioning, line up decisions, and changes to their PP to allow the team to go on this tear.

Utah Goaltending is unreal right now. Vitek Vanecek has given up just 2 goals a game, for a 2.01 GAA (it’s not QUITE 2.0, as he was pulled for a few seconds in a game, giving him just shy of 180 minutes in 3 games). Vanecek has been outstanding in relief tending, with a .913 save percentage so far this year – and a number of those saves were absolutely game changing. Stopping the short handed breakaway in the second kept Utah within striking distance. Three stops in a late third flurry helped prevent a tying goal. Keeping rebound control allowed Utah time to get the Jets to the perimeters, allowing the defense to do their job in front of him.

The kids are alright How can you pick one of these kids as a top 3? Night after night, you’ve got Peterka, Guenther, and Cooley vying for a first star. Tonight, Guenther got yet another clutch game winner – and three were late in the game or OT. He’s as clutch as they come, and he’s signed for a full 8 years at an astounding 7M per. This may not be the greatest deal in all of the NHL, but Bill Armstrong should be given flowers every day for that signing.

Cooley and Peterka can’t be dismissed. On a night where they didn’t score, the speed and forecheck by Peterka made all the difference in the game. That no-look pass from Cooley was a thing of beauty. His chemistry with Guenther is off the charts. The second all three of these kids click – and they’re seeming to get closer and closer daily – is the second Utah becomes a serious playoff contender. They’re a threat to score every game, and having Cooley and Guenther out in all situations gives a relief to the PK team, as well as a legitimate threat when they’re out there.

3 CHIRPS (THE BAD):
Content: they’re playing so well, trying to talk about ways to improve is getting difficult. They have tightened their power play, their 5v5 scoring is fantastic, their defensive play in their zone has been solid all year, and they continue to come up clutch in any number of ways. So, it’s a negative on me to not have so many negatives for the team. I’ll own that each and every game if I have to, as long as this team continues on this run.

Penalty Kill has been struggling the past few games. It started out red hot, but has given up goals in 6 of their last 7 games. The one game against Colorado they killed 1 for 1, and they let in 2 versus the Sharks back last week.

Utah’s been giving up 2 goals a game like clockwork. Is it possible to get even better by shutting the door on the PK more often? Who knows, since there’s only been two games all season the goaltenders gave up more than 1 goal, and even when the PK was on fire we got scored on.

Home Games we aren’t even able to see this dominant team in person for some time still. With only one game on the schedule at the Delta Center in two weeks, we’re getting some amazing TV but the fans and team aren’t even able to feed on the energy in the loudest building in the NHL.

If the team comes back and are still close to the top of the division – let alone league – the fans will make this arena unplayable for opposing teams. It’s just unfortunate the fans can’t participate in the majority of this stretch, and have to live vicariously through the TV for now.