Mar 10, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) blocks the shot of Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the overtime shootout at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Michael Kesselring talks fight with Simon Benoit, Utah's rally and more

Utah's game against Toronto had every element a hockey fan dreams of, starting with a dramatic finish on the final shot.

After facing a 3-0 deficit in the second, Utah would take less than four minutes to tie the game behind a suddenly electric offense that had a 13-3 shot on goal run after being outshot 18-6 through the first half of the game.

With the game tied 3-3 and neither team budging in the third, the game would go on to overtime before an inevitable a shootout period.

Neither Utah nor Toronto would score on its first attempt in shootout, but with Utah's Logan Cooley unable to get past Toronto goalie Joesph Woll, the Maple Leafs would score first on an Auston Matthews shot.

Mar 10, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) takes a shot on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during the overtime shootout at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

With only one shot remaining, Clayton Keller was Utah's last chance of getting a goal in shootout. With a move to the left in front of Woll, Keller suddenly switched going to his backhand and scoring on the right side of the goal. Utah had tied it 1-1 and gave its goalie Karel Vejmelka a chance to extend the shootout.

"It was kind of nice going third sometimes because you can kind of see how the goalie moves," said Keller. "Cools is a leftie and I kind of wanted to come in on a similar angle to him. So I just tried to be patient and just kind of wait him out of my forehand... bring it to the backhand. It was nice to finally get one."

But while Utah had extended the game even longer, it was Toronto's Mitch Marner who would finally put this thrilling game to an end with his goal on Vejmelka sealing the win for the Maple Leafs.

"It's huge. The whole day for me is positive," said Utah head coach André Tourigny. "We're missing one point and that's the only thing we can complain about. The rest is unreal. That's a good team... We fought, we hit, and we fed on the energy of our crowd."

But this game had lots of entertaining moments even before it got to shootout.

For one, it featured two 3-0 goal runs by highly motivated teams—the first from a Toronto squad aiming to claim the Eastern Conference's top seed, and the second from Utah as a response, looking to push past Vancouver, Calgary, and St. Louis into the playoffs—resulting in a dramatic 3-3 tie and high-intensity play right until the final second.

But it also had its fair share of high emotion moments like the fight that saw Utah's Michael Kesselring receive a leaping 'Superman Punch' from Leafs' Simon Benoit that temporarily put him in the locker room before returning to the penalty box.

"Okay, yeah, I'm fine. Yeah, I'm playing a little less, so I got to find ways to impact the game. I thought it was a good opportunity, said Kesselring. "He's a tough kid, and respect to him for fighting. He doesn't have to when it's three nothing. But, yeah, I just tried to get the boys going a little bit."

Ultimately, Kesselring's fight changed the outlook of the game as it was the catalyst behind Utah's rally from a 3-0 deficit.

Utah Hockey Club defenseman Michael Kesselring (7) and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit (2) fight during the second period at Delta Center.

Or there was the jarring collision that saw Oliver Ekman-Larsson not only run into Karel Vejmelka, but take the goal out of the ground all the way to the boards. Both would receive medical attention, but would stay in the game.

It had career milestones being passed: with Clayton Keller's 50th assist, on a Nick Schmaltz goal, being the highest he's ever had in a season topping his previous high of 49, and career firsts with Calle Jarnkrok's second goal for Toronto being the first of his career.

"I know the hard work that I put in every single day, it's not just in the off-season," said Keller. "It's the little things, the video, the help from our coaching staff, my teammates as well. It's just going out there and doing everything I can. I'm not worried about the stats as long as I'm playing my game and getting chances."

On top of that, the game had its fair share of controversy after the referees ruled that Toronto's third goal, scored by Steven Lorentz, counted following a review for a high-stick deflection—a call that could have disallowed the goal.

The decision had Utah 'not to pleased' according to Kesselring and Tourigny telling the media, 'I won't make any comment on their third goal, so you can scratch that question right away.'

All the chaos that ensued in second period that featured 7 combined penalties, in a game that ended with 12 combine penalties, the shift in the third turned into highly competitive play with few mistakes from either side, including an incredible paddle save from Vejmelka:

Utah's effort to get back into this game was notable, especially considering that in their last game, the team also staged a comeback from a 3-1 deficit before ultimately losing 4-3 in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks.

In fact, this was the first time Toronto had to play in overtime, let alone a shootout, after leading at the end of the first period, having gone 19-2-0 in such situations prior to tonight's game.

In fact, this was the first time Toronto had to play in overtime—let alone a shootout—after leading at the end of the first period, having gone 19-2-0 in such situations prior to tonight's game.

Utah HC Announces Defensemen Juuso Välimäki Out Long-Term The Utah Hockey Club has announced that defenseman Juuso Välimäki underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL. He is expected to be out for eight to nine months but is expected to make a full recovery.

While Toronto holding on to win this game after losing its previous three was not the result Utah hockey fans wanted, no one could be left unsatisfied with the game. With all the electric fights, runs, shots, and saves, it was a thrilling matchup.

Tourigny put it best when he simply said that this game 'was a hockey game.'

Mar 10, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) attempts a shot on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

A Bit of Everything Happens In Utah HC's Thrilling 4-3 Shootout Loss to Toronto