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Utah Hockey Club Already Top Team in NHL

They may be the new kids on the block, but the Utah Hockey Club is already a force in the NHL.

Nick Horwat

Oct 10, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his goal against New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40) with teammates during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 10, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his goal against New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40) with teammates during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Maybe all it took was a new location for the Utah Hockey Club to find a good groove. In their first three games since relocating away from the Arizona Coyotes, the Utah Hockey Club is a perfect 3-0-0.

Not only is Utah off to an undefeated start, they’ve scored 16 goals in three games. Led by future franchise centerpiece Dylan Guenther, who already has five tallies, the Utah Hockey Club seems unbeatable.

They got things going as a franchise with a picture-perfect home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks. Guenther scored a pair of goals, including the first goal in franchise history, en route to a huge 5-2 win.

The official attendance count for Utah’s home opener is listed at 11,131, but that only counts unobstructed seats. It’s well known that the Delta Center has quite a few obstructed seats, but that didn’t matter on opening night.

Utah fans packed the house, making sure there wasn’t an empty seat to speak of.

Following their home opener, Utah embarked on a four-game road trip, and so far, success has followed.

Utah defeated the New York Islanders 5-4 in overtime, with Guenther playing the hero. A few nights later, Utah again had overtime magic, this time against a Stanley Cup favorite in the New York Rangers.

By a score of 6-5, newly minted captain Clayton Keller notched the OT winner. With their victory over the Rangers, Utah became just the second team in NHL history to win each of their first three games, joining the Vegas Golden Knights.

Utah’s great start can be credited, in part, to Guenther’s goal-scoring ability, but he hasn’t been alone in finding the back of the net. Guenther has been joined by Barrett Hayton in scoring in each of the first three games of the season.

Hayton has gone a solid goal-per-game with three tallies in three games, while Guenther is leading the team with five through the organization’s first week.

Utah will need to work on their defense and goaltending, but there are easy ways to solve that problem. While they’ve scored 16 goals in their first three games, they’ve also allowed 11.

Connor Ingram has been in goal for each game and is a perfect 3-0, but sits with a .874 save percentage and 3.54 goals against average. The reigning Masterton Trophy winner will want to hone that in a bit to really make Utah a lethal team in the West.

Their perfect start gives them six standings points, good for an early-season tie for the league lead. The New Jersey Devils also have six points with a 3-1-0 record.

It’s early in the season, but Utah is a team to keep an eye on. With some organizational stability, a boisterous fanbase, and a team ready to compete at a new level, Utah isn’t going to be easy competition in its inaugural season.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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