SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Hockey Club never trailed after getting first-period goals from Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller and held off a late rally to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday night.
Guenther finished with two goals after adding an empty netter in the final minute. Barrett Hayton added a second-period goal and an assist for Utah. Lawson Crouse capped the scoring with 22 seconds remaining.
Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno each scored for Chicago to help trim a 3-0 deficit.
Guenther scored the first goal in Utah’s franchise history after blasting a slap shot down the middle five minutes into the first period.
Hayton’s tip-in made it 3-0 for Utah before the Blackhawks rallied. Foligno drew Chicago within a goal after tipping in the puck with 15:12 left in the third. Connor Ingram made 25 saves for Utah and Petr Mrazek had 20 for Chicago.
Takeaways
Blackhawks: Chicago turned up the heat offensively in the second period after a listless first period, generating 11 shots on goal. The Blackhawks couldn’t capitalize on enough of those chances.
Utah HC: Utah fared well on power-play defense, denying the Blackhawks with three penalty kills.
Key moment
Hayton flicked the puck over Mrazek’s shoulder near the middle of the second period. It gave Utah just enough of a cushion until Guenther sealed a win with an empty-net goal with 41.9 seconds left.
Key stat
Keller has eight career points (four goals, four assists) in season-opening games. He’s the only Utah player with a 30-goal season under his belt, reaching that mark in each of his final two seasons in Arizona.
Up Next
The Blackhawks continue their season-opening four-game road trip at Winnipeg on Friday while Utah Hockey Club starts a four-game road swing at the New York Islanders on Thursday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
John Coon, The Associated Press