It may have been a slow start for Utah HC (26-24-9) against the Chicago Blackhawks (17-34-7), but after a Lawson Crouse goal put Utah up 2-1, the team held strong on defense to secure its third consecutive home win, its best of the season. After all, it doesn't matter whether Utah has to grind out goals in a slow defensive battle or outscore its opponent in a shootout—any win for Utah at this point in the season is vital due to the constant arms race between Utah, Calgary, Vancouver, St. Louis and even Anaheim for the final Wild Card spot. With tonight's win, Utah moves just three points out from the last Western Conference Wild Card spot, now owned by the Calgary Flames after its 3-1 win on the road against the Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames/players/inside-ovechkins-career-statistics-against-flames]. "They want it. There's a good feel on the bench right now," said head coach André Tourigny. "There's a feel of competitiveness, there's a feel of care, and there's a feel of passion. I like the way it feels and the guys are all in on winning. They don't give a damn about who, but us." With a 1-1 tie in the third, it was the play of Utah's third line—made up of Crouse, Josh Doan, and Jack McBain—that ended up producing the biggest play of the game. With McBain positioned in the blue paint, forcing Chicago's Alec Martinez to stay within arm's length of him, Crouse was able to fully capitalize on his driving cut to the net and score the game-winning goal for Utah. Doan's assist earned him his tenth point of the season. "We attacked as a unit, and Doaner(Josh Doan) made a great play to find me in the middle," said Crouse. "There was a lot of open ice, and I think the key player on that play was McBain just being at the net, and that allowed me to have that extra second to get the shot off." While the whole team played with more energy, with a 15-6 advantage on goal shots being the biggest indicator, it was notable how much energy Crouse's line brought in that third period. As a result, the puck found the net, and the crowd was the loudest it had been all night. "It feels good. Obviously, the crowd's been so great to us all season long," said Crouse. "I want to score more goals for them, I'm not gonna lie. But that's a good start. Hopefully, I’ll keep going." Feb 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) passes the puck against Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) and defenseman Nolan Allan (42) during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7d55a05f-367c-4b6f-bd94-1c5cefab8ecc.jpeg] Feb 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) passes the puck against Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) and defenseman Nolan Allan (42) during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Despite going 0-for-5 on power play opportunities and allowing the Blackhawks to score the first goal of the night, Utah battled back to take the lead 12:12 into the third period. However, it was Utah's defense, reminiscent of its more recent performance against the Canucks, that sealed the win. Considering Utah was down for the first 39 minutes of the game, it could have been easy to lose patience. But instead, the team maintained its focus, relying on goalie Karel Vejmelka's strong performance, and was rewarded for its patience with a Clayton Keller goal. "Just keep playing our game. Keep going," said Keller. "I think we've taken strides in learning from previous mistakes when we’ve had the lead. Playing a little bit more loose. That’s part of the way that we kind of stuck with it. We had a lot of possession and chances in the third there." Utah is finding various ways to get wins at home is critical for this team, especially if it wants to compete in the playoffs. Now that it's gotten its season-best three consecutive home wins, Utah has a chance to keep building on that with its upcoming game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Feb. 27. After originally losing its first matchup in a 5-4 shootout at home, Utah has won its last two games against Minnesota. Utah will conclude its homestretch with a rematch against the New Jersey Devils Saturday, Feb. 29.
