The Utah Hockey Club debuted in front of the home crowd at Delta Center on Monday night ahead of its inaugural season in the NHL.
Facing the Los Angeles Kings, Utah secured a 3-2 overtime victory to continue their successful start to the pre-season.
It was winger Clayton Keller who played hero, scoring the game-winner 19 seconds into overtime to give his team its first win on home ice.
Utah also won its first-ever pre-season game on Sunday, defeating the St. Louis Blues, 5-3. That game was held at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
Forwards Lawson Crouse and Alexander Kerfoot scored Utah’s two other goals on Monday night. In net, goaltenders Connor Ingram and Matt Villalta split time, with Ingram making 18 saves on 20 shots and Villalta stopping all nine shots he faced.
For the Kings, forwards Jeff Malott and Alex Turcotte recorded tallies. Their net was shared by Erik Portillo, who made 14 saves on 16 shots, and Carter George, who stopped six of seven.
Post-game, Utah forward Liam O’Brien told reporters the home crowd’s “energy was unreal.”
“I think the fans were a big part of that,” he added. “We had a blast and the energy was unbelievable. It was a great time out there.”
Utah will be back on the road for their next three pre-season games before returning to Salt Lake City on Oct. 5 to face the Colorado Avalanche.
Their regular season opens at home on Oct. 8 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
from Sportsnet.ca https://ift.tt/6qONtWE
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