Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Dylan Guenther returned to Edmonton, assisting Utah Hockey Club's only goal in a 4-1 loss.
- Utah suffered its fifth consecutive defeat, missing key player Clayton Keller due to illness.
- Coach Tourigny praised the team's resilience despite lacking offensive energy and playoff position slipping.
EDMONTON, Alberta — There was at least some good news for Utah Hockey Club forward Dylan Guenther on Tuesday during his homecoming to Edmonton: He saved some money.
"My family bought (tickets) themselves, which is nice," he said. "I heard that they're pretty pricey, so I got lucky."
His team, though, was a little less so.
With captain Clayton Keller sidelined with an illness, Utah lost its fifth straight game, falling to the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Tuesday at Rogers Place.
The Oilers scored twice in 20 seconds in the second period to break a 1-1 tie, and then added an empty-net tally at the end.
"I liked our mindset in the game," coach André Tourigny said. "We played the right away. We defended with a lot of pride. We were resilient all night long. Obviously, I don't think we had the energy and the wheels to generate a lot of offense, but I love the fight in our guys a lot."
Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev hit the post twice from the point. Mattia Macceli was robbed after former Oiler Michael Kesselring's fake shot gave him an open net. Liam O'Brien, playing in his first game since Oct. 28, made an immediate push with two scoring chances in the first period.
"We hit a crossbar, we had an empty net there on the one play," O'Brien said. "We kept it tight, once again, but we got to find ways to win games."
Especially if it wants to stay in the playoff chase. The Club was on the verge of jumping into a wildcat spot last week and is now in 11th in the West.
"We didn't have the fuel in the tank to really spark the offense, but the way we played, I think that's a step," Tourigny said. "If we'll sustain success with that mindset. So, for me, it's a positive."
And there was at least a positive moment for Guenther who was playing in his hometown rink.
In the first period, Guenther set Jack McBain's 10th goal of the season with a slick backhand pass to free him up in front of the net.
"It's pretty cool," Guenther said about playing at home. "I mean, I've played a lot of games here, so it's always nice to be back and play against, some guys that grew up watching and also have some friends and family in the building."
Guenther is quite familiar with Rogers Place. He played for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League, leading them to the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2022.
Does it feel different playing there as an NHLer?
"I'm warming up on the other side, there's a bit of a bigger crowd, but, yeah, played a lot of games in this building, and had a lot of really good memories, too," he said.
Tuesday probably won't be too high on that list.
But for one Utah Hockey Club forward it was a chance to finally get back on the ice. After playing in 75 games in 2023-24, O'Brien played in just his fourth game of the season.
"I'm really proud of him. I texted him at 5, 5:05 to make sure he was showing up because Keller did not look good," Tourigny said. "He showed up and he was ready to go. He played a solid game and brought emotion and physicality like he always does. Those are the kind of guys that sometimes need a break to prove their value."
O'Brien had two shots, including having the team's best chance in the early minutes, and a team-high six hits. He skated on a line with Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse. Maccelli took over Keller's spot on the first line.
"My job is to always be ready," O'Brien said. "And these are the types of situations that you stay ready for. And I was ready to play — I even got a nap in this afternoon, so I was ready to play. I knew we had some guys that were sick and stuff. You obviously don't want Clayton Keller not in your lineup, but I was happy to fill in."
