The Vancouver Canucks and the Utah Hockey Membership enter their conflict in Salt Lake Metropolis on Sunday night time having misplaced their first video games after the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
On Saturday, the Canucks fell 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on the street and Utah misplaced in Los Angeles, 5-3 to the Kings. However Vancouver and Utah will return it within the second sport of their back-to-back units.
Jake DeBrusk, who scored Vancouver’s solely aim because the Canucks had their three-game profitable streak snapped Saturday, stated it took a while getting acclimated once more after the two-week break.
“Simply getting the sensation of the puck, like off the boards,” he stated. “Like myself, I felt rusty.”
DeBrusk reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his profession as he gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead 6:22 into the sport. However that was the extent of Vancouver’s offense for the night time.
Kevin Lankinen, who performed for Finland within the 4 Nations Face-off, made 32 saves.
“We acquired to make extra performs,” stated the Canucks’ Kiefer Sherwood, who acquired the primary help on DeBrusk’s aim. “I do know Lankey’s (Lankinen) world-class, however we left him out on an island an excessive amount of.”
Star heart Elias Pettersson performed for the Canucks on Saturday after many doubted his availability as a result of an undisclosed damage suffered whereas he performed for Sweden within the match. Pettersson was minus-1 with one shot in simply shy of 16 minutes of ice time. He has 34 factors (11 objectives, 23 assists) in 50 video games for the season.
Captain and reigning Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes remained out with an indirect damage that has pressured him to overlook all of Vancouver’s February video games. He had been chosen to the US’ 4 Nations Face-Off crew earlier than he was injured.
Utah, in the meantime, has dropped two of its previous three video games.
Barrett Hayton was liable for the entire Utah scoring Saturday along with his first profession hat trick and the first-ever hat trick for the Utah Hockey Membership. The franchise is in its first season in Salt Lake Metropolis after transferring from Arizona.
“I like the very fact he acquired rewarded,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny stated. “We frequently speak about how a lot ‘Haytes’ performs the suitable approach. He does all the pieces proper on and off the ice, has the suitable angle, competes so exhausting. You can not not cheer for him, so actually pleased for him.”
Hayton’s first aim gave Utah a 1-0 lead 7:54 into the sport. His second aim put Utah forward 2-1 at 5:50 of the second interval. Each objectives got here on the facility play. Hayton’s third aim got here with 9 minutes left and pulled the crew to 4-3. However defenseman Mikey Anderson’s empty-net aim with 1:30 remaining clinched the victory for the Kings.
Hayton stated the enjoyment he might need felt over the feat was overshadowed by defeat.
“Proper now it is type of simply the sting of the sport. In some unspecified time in the future, I am going to look again. It’s cool to do,” Hayton stated. “At this level, it’s irritating dropping that sport. It is such a giant sport. I really feel like we type of put our coronary heart and soul into that sport — our effort was there.”
Nick Schmaltz had two assists and Connor Ingram made 21 saves.
Hayton has 32 factors (15 objectives, 17 assists) in 57 video games for the season.
Utah defenseman Sean Durzi returned after sustaining a shoulder damage on Oct. 14 and lacking 52 video games. In 21:37 of ice time Saturday, he had an help, 4 pictures, two blocks, two giveaways and a takeaway.
–Discipline Stage Media
