SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 30: Lawson Crouse #67 of the Utah Hockey Club skates against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena on December 30, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
DETROIT – The Utah Hockey Club needed a win on the road and that motivation showed in the third period against the Detroit Red Wings.
Tied at 2-2 when the period started, Kevin Stenlund and Lawson Crouse each lit the lamp to give Utah a two-goal advantage.
No goalie is stopping that.
Spectacular shot from Stenlund. https://t.co/f9DSlihq7I
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 7, 2025
Stenlund was first up.
Off an assist from Michael Kesselring, he loaded up from the right face-off circle and drilled the top left corner.
Less than five minutes later, it was Crouse’s turn. Off of a deflection, Jack McBain perfectly set up Crouse in the slot and he did the rest.
Heads up play from Crouse to recognize where the puck was going and go right to the net.
Beautiful pass. Great finish. https://t.co/hUQWQprRzZ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 7, 2025
Down the stretch of the third period, you would have never guessed that Utah was leading based on the stats.
Detroit had more than twice as many shots, fewer giveaways, and more blocked shots. With that said, goals define games. Utah was just more timely at Little Caesars Arena.
The Utah Hockey Club will begin a massively important two-game road trip against the Detroit Red Wings tonight.
At this point of the season, every game is do-or-die for Utah. The postseason is not out of the question but they will need big wins, and big losses from the competition, if they hope to secure a Wild Card spot.
Detroit finds itself in a very similar situation. They are currently on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture looking in. However, they trail the Wild Card teams by less than three points. As things stand through 61 games, Utah needs to make up four points.
Before the first matchup between Detroit and Utah, the teams have a very similar outlook on the final stretch of the NHL season.
With a 27-25-9 record, Utah sits sixth in the Central Division and 11th in the Western Conference. At 30-25-6, Detroit holds the fifth spot in the Atlantic Division and the 10th spot in the conference.
The Hockey Club has a 15-12-3 record on the road while the Red Wings are 16-14-3 at home. Utah comes in having won three of its last four while Detroit has lost three in a row.
Utah Hockey Club games can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on the KSL Sports app or 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
Find sports.ksl.com coverage of the Utah Hockey Club here.
