Utah Hockey Club can now laugh at blunder after 5-3 win over Blues

DES MOINES, Iowa — Officially, the first preseason goal in Utah Hockey Club franchise history was scored by Michael Carcone.

Anyone watching, though, knew that wasn't entirely accurate.

Early in the second period, Utah pulled its goalie to get an extra skater after the Blues committed a delayed penalty. This should have been a risk-free move.

Should have been …

A pass got by Dylan Guenther at the blue line and slid the length of the ice right into Utah's empty net. Yeah, the franchise's first (unofficial) goal was scored on themselves.

It's a good thing the Hockey Club got plenty in the right net, too.

With 87 seconds left in the game, Logan Cooley scored on a penalty shot to break a late tie and help give Utah its first win as a franchise.

Utah HC came back from the self-inflicted two-goal deficit to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 Sunday in a game played in Des Moines, Iowa.

A win made the empty net miscue simply a funny footnote in team history, especially since there was plenty to like about in Utah's first array into NHL play.

The team only took one of its main forward lines to Iowa — Cooley, Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain — and it shined most of the evening. The three created scoring chances early and often with McBain, even dinging the post in the first period as Utah scored on a wide-open look.

After Carcone got Utah HC on the board for the first time (for real this time) on a 2-on-0 break, and Kevin Connauton tied the game up after getting a hold of a loose puck in front of the net, it was that trio that brought the game home for Utah.

Early in the third period, Cooley sent the puck wide to McBain, who crossed it in front of the net where Guenther was waiting. The winger, who just signed a long-term deal with the club on Friday, quickly fired it past the goalie to break a 2-2 tie.

That group wasn't done yet, either.

With the score tied again late, Cooley crashed the net and was pulled down from behind. That gave the second-year rising star a penalty shot to win the game.

Cooley skated out left before cutting back inside and patiently waited for an opening. As soon as the goalie made a move down, Cooley fired in a top-shelf goal to give Utah the late lead.

Carcone added an empty netter for his second goal of the night. Ben McCartney had two assists for the Hockey Club, who will play its first home preseason game on Monday at the Delta Center.

The Cooley and Guenther-led victory could serve as a glimpse of the future (and present). There's a reason Utah HC gave Guenther an eight-year contract on Friday, and Cooley may be in line for an even more lucrative deal next season when he becomes extension eligible.

"I think both of them are really high IQ players," head coach Andre Tourigny said. "Both of them play with a lot of pace. They have the same vision of how it should be played. They're guys who quick strike and attack after rush with a lot of speed. Cools is a pass-first guy, Gunner is a shoot-first guy, so it's a good combo."

It certainly was on Sunday.

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