SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Barrett Hayton scored the go-ahead goal with just 1:32 remaining in the third period to secure a 2-1 victory for the Utah Hockey Club over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night at the Utah Hockey Arena. Nick Schmaltz also found the back of the net for Utah, while goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 18 crucial saves to help clinch the win. This marked only the third home victory for Utah in 12 games.
San Jose’s lone goal was tallied by Fabian Zetterlund, his 12th of the season, with a wrist shot just 58 seconds into the first period. Alexandar Georgiev guarded the net for the Sharks, making 23 saves despite the loss, as San Jose dropped their second consecutive game. Utah managed to equalize at 6:57 of the second period when Schmaltz scored with a 30-foot snap shot.
Utah seemed poised to take the lead at 3:22 in the third period when Clayton Keller fired a 50-foot snap shot into the net. However, the goal was disallowed after a replay review initiated by the Sharks, who contended that Schmaltz had interfered with Georgiev prior to Keller’s shot. The score remained deadlocked until Hayton’s long-range shot eluded Georgiev’s grasp, putting Utah ahead late in the third period.
In terms of takeaways, the Sharks struggled to generate offense on the road, failing to score more than one goal in a game for the first time in a month. Conversely, Utah’s strong defensive play allowed them to stay competitive and ultimately secure the win despite conceding an early goal.
The key moment in the game came when Hayton netted his eighth goal of the season, sparing Utah from potentially heading to overtime for the second time against the Sharks this season. An important statistic from the game was San Jose’s limited offensive output in the second period, managing only three shots on goal during that frame.
Looking ahead, San Jose is set to host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, while Utah will continue their seven-game homestand by facing the New York Islanders on the same day.
For more NHL coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/nhl.
