The Utah Hockey Membership seeks a 3rd straight win on Thursday evening when the Minnesota Wild journey to Salt Lake Metropolis.
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Utah has gained its final two contests by equivalent 2-1 scores, and in related style. Lawson Crouse netted the game-winner on Tuesday with 7:48 left within the third interval to assist Utah defeat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. Two days earlier, Dylan Guenter’s power-play aim with lower than six minutes remaining pushed Utah previous the visiting Vancouver Canucks.
In each situations, Utah rallied from down 1-0.
The wins come at a pivotal time for Utah. With 61 factors, the staff sits three factors behind the Calgary Flames for the Western Convention’s last wild-card berth. Nonetheless, coach Andre Tourigny’s facet has two fewer video games remaining on the schedule than the Flames and Canucks .
After Tuesday’s win, Tourigny informed reporters the back-to-back wins communicate volumes in regards to the staff.
“They want it,” he defined. “I think there’s a good feel on the bench right now, and there’s a feel of competitiveness. There’s a feel of care. There’s a feel of passion, and I like the way it feels.
“The blokes are all in on successful. They do not give a rattling about who. It is us.”
Karel Vejmelka started in goal for both games, making 36 total saves to help Utah secure four points.
Center Clayton Keller, tied for the team lead with 21 goals, paces Utah with 43 assists and 64 points. He enters Thursday’s contest on a five-game point streak after tying the game against the Blackhawks with a goal in the final minute of the second period, and assisting on both goals in the win over the Canucks.
Since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Wild have split two games with the Detroit Red Wings. On Saturday, they won 4-3 on the road in overtime before coughing up a 2-0 lead on Tuesday to drop a 3-2 decision.
Minnesota’s superstar sniper Kirill Kaprizov has been dealing with a lower-body injury that’s kept him sidelined since Jan. 26. The winger has only been available for three games since Christmas. Despite only playing in 37 of the Wild’s 58 games, Kaprizov leads the team in goals and points .
The Wild are 5-3-0 in the eight games since Kaprizov last skated. Left winger Matt Boldy, second on the team with 51 points , and center Marco Rossi, third with 50 have posted six points apiece in those eight games.
The injury bug bit again this week when center Joel Eriksson Ek suffered a lower-body injury during Monday’s practice. The Swede has 24 points in 42 games this season. According to The Athletic, he could miss an extended period for Minnesota, which is sitting third in the Central Division standings.
Coach John Hynes said the injuries aren’t changing the way his team plays.
“It would not change the id of how the staff needs to play,” Hynes said after Tuesday’s loss. “Now, when you do not have these two guys within the lineup, there’s totally different ability units there. However I believe for those who take a look at tonight’s sport there’s not a lot that we did not do effectively. We did plenty of issues effectively. We simply did not discover a technique to win.”
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