Kesselring, Utah Hockey Club rally, top Bruins in OT
Wins it at 2:46 after Kolyachonok ties game late in 3rd for Utah
Bruins at Utah Hockey Club | Recap
SALT LAKE CITY — Michael Kesselring scored 2:46 into overtime, and the Utah Hockey Club rallied for a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins at Delta Center on Saturday.
Kesselring scored on a wrist shot from the right face-off circle off a pass from Logan Cooley to give Utah its first overtime victory at home in franchise history.
“They’re a good team over there, [it was a] tight-checking game,” Kesselring said. “I thought everybody brought their ‘A’ game today, it was a pretty complete game.”
BOS@UTA: Kesselring snaps puck into the net to win it for Utah in overtime
Kesselring’s goal came after Vladislav Kolyachonok tied it at 14:51 of the third period, skating in from the left circle off a cross-ice pass from Nick Schmaltz and beating goalie Jeremy Swayman on the backhand.
“It feels good,” Kolyachonok said. “It’s a good team effort, a good pass, and all five guys on the ice did a great job.”
Utah coach Andre Tourigny said, “[Kolyachonok] has all the attributes, he just needs to keep growing. He’s shown greatness in every game… I think he played a really good game tonight.”
Connor Ingram made 22 saves for Utah (4-1-1), which had lost two in a row. Utah, which has gone to overtime in two straight games (5-4 loss at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday) and in four of its past five, has won three of four games in the extra period this season.
“I think we played a really solid game on both sides of the puck,” Tourigny said. “Our four lines were rolling and were about the same.”
BOS@UTA: Kolyachonok makes terrific move to his backhand to tie it up in 3rd
Cole Koepke scored the lone goal for the Bruins (3-2-1), who were playing the second game of a three-game road trip. Swayman made 30 saves.
“I thought they started faster than us,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “I thought they were more determined than we were, they were more relentless. I didn’t think we managed pucks very well because of their sticks.”
Koepke gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 12:49 of the second period, scoring on a wrist shot from the right circle on the rush for his third goal of the season.
“I knew [Brad Marchand] was coming out on his down stick side,” Koepke said. “I just tried to get it far side and either have it go in like it did or hopefully a rebound pop onto his side.”
BOS@UTA: Koepke goes five-hole to get the Bruins on the board in the 2nd
Utah appeared to tie the game at 6:48 of the third period when Kailer Yamamoto scored off a rebound, but the Bruins challenged for offside, and the goal was overturned following video review.
Six players, including four forwards, had a point for Utah in the win.
“I think that’s a strength of our team up front, we have depth,” Tourigny said. “There’s four lines that can score every night or can play against everybody.”
NOTE: Utah became the 10th franchise in NHL history to win each of its first two home games. It had not been done since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992-93.