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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club got closer to being healthy on Tuesday.
Defenseman John Marino, who the team traded for in the summer, made his Utah debut against the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately for Utah, the move didn't change its recent fortunes.
Montreal topped Utah 5-3 Tuesday at the Delta Center, continuing The Club's less-than-stellar home season. Utah has won a league-low six home games this season.
"I don't know why we've been struggling at home in front of our fans that have shown a lot of support for us — feel for them," Nick Bjugstad said. "And I just think we'll find a way but it's going to take some digging and looking in the mirror."
Accountability was the main point following yet another disappointing loss. Utah has won just twice in its last 10 games, and just twice at home in the last two months. No, that latter part is not a typo — it's been that bad.
That accountability speak came from everyone — players and coaches alike.
"It's time for all of us — coaches, players — to take responsibility, and we need to be better than that," head coach André Tourigny said.
So what happened on Tuesday? Well, you can point to the second period.
That's when Montreal outscored Utah 2-0 as the Hockey Club committed five penalties, leading to three Montreal penalties and one four-on-four session — a session where Montreal scored.
It was a complete flip of the script from the opening 20 minutes where Utah took a 2-1 lead and spent most of the time in the offensive zone.
"We had a great first period," Tourigny said. "You need to show up in the second and to be even better, because you know the other side, they will push. They've been one of the best teams in the NHL in the last 12 games. … What do you expect? You expect you'll have 60 minutes you roll them and they won't push back? No, they will push back."
They pushed back and then some.
The second period was mostly spent entirely in the Montreal offensive zone as Utah couldn't stay out of the box, and got hemmed in its defensive zone when things were at full strength.
That led to long shifts and tired legs, and the Canadiens took full advantage.
"They look like the Red Army. You play against a tired team, that's that's how it looks," Tourigny said. "So you need to manage the game better than that."
Bjugstad agreed.
"You get tired, and you got to find ways to get off the ice," he said. "So we've talked about it. We have to be better as players. We know what we have to do. And it's frustrating losing a game like that, especially where we came out in the first. I thought we lost our composure a bit."
Logan Cooley provided some hope in the third when he fired in a Clayton Keller pass to tie the game at 3-3, but it wasn't long before Montreal was up again. With the defensive issues, Utah needed another superb outing by Karel Vejmelka, but he wasn't on top form. Montreal scored on its first shot and Vejmelka finished with just an 80% saving percentage.
But he was also under attack for much of the final 40 minutes — even when he should have had a bit of a breahter. In the third, the Canadiens got a penalty shot on a penalty kill after a breakaway chance that was upended by a hooking call by Mikhail Segachev. Vejmelka was able to stop that one, but the dagger goal came a couple minutes later on yet another Montreal rush.
"It's frustrating, because I know we know we can do better," Bjugstad said. "We know we could have a better record and it's not going the way we want right now. So it's time for everyone look in the mirror."
