SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 10: Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Utah Hockey Club looks on before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Delta Center on March 10, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
KSL Sports
SALT LAKE CITY—The Utah Hockey Club took a bite out of Calgary’s playoff chances while boosting its own in a 3-1 home win. The victory gives Utah a three-game sweep over the Flames this season.
Utah HC (34-29-12, 80 points) is hosting the Flames (35-27-12, 82 points) at Delta Center on Tuesday, April 1. Utah is 16-14-7 at home, and Calgary is 16-15-7 on the road.
With seven regular-season games left for the inaugural franchise, Calgary is five points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second Western Conference Wild Card. St. Louis has won nine straight games to take a stranglehold on the final playoff spot. Utah is 5-4-1 in its past ten games, while the Flames are 5-3-2.
The race to be the franchise’s first single-season goals title continues between Captain Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Guenther currently leads, lighting the lamp 26 times. His 26 goals and 25 assists are career-highs for the third year forward.
Keller has 24 goals and a career-high 55 assists for 79 points. Keller is 17th in the NHL in scoring.
RELATED: Tourigny Addresses Karel Vejmelka’s 18 Straight Starts
Between the pipes, head coach André Tourigny has leaned heavily on Karel Vejmelka. Tonight’s game marks the eighteenth consecutive start for Vejmelka as the club makes a playoff push. The former fifth-round draft pick is 22-20-7 this season, and his 2.59 goals against is the 13th best mark in the league.
Calgary features a balanced offense with six players topping the 30-point plateau. Nazem Kadri (30 goals, 28 assists) and Jonathan Huberdeau 27 goals, 31 assists) lead the team with 58 points. Ten Flames skaters have ten or more goals this season.