Deadspin | Utah backhands Blackhawks to keep playoff push going

Feb 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club center Jack McBain (22) looks for a rebound from Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Lawson Crouse’s third-period goal led the Utah Hockey Club to a 2-1 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

Utah outshot Chicago 36-22, including a 14-6 edge in the third period. The offensive flurry paid off 12:12 into the final frame, when Crouse fired a backhanded shot from just inside the circle dot to break a 1-1 tie.

Utah is 5-2-0 in its last seven games, keeping the team afloat in the crowded Western Conference playoff race. Utah sits three points behind the Calgary Flames for the final wild-card slot.

Utah backhands Blackhawks to keep playoff push going | Reuters

Clayton Keller scored Utah’s first goal, equalizing the score at 19:16 of the second period. Keller has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a five-game points streak.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 21 of 22 shots to earn his 15th win in 36 games this season.

The Blackhawks are on a four-game losing streak and have just three victories (3-9-5) in their last 17 games. Chicago is second-last in the NHL with 41 points.

Arvid Soderblom stopped 34 of 36 Utah shots, playing well in the losing effort.

Seth Jones scored Chicago’s only goal, giving the Blackhawks the lead 13:34 into the first period. During a power play, the defenseman cannily worked his way into the circle and then converted a nicely placed snap shot.

Jones’ goal came on the Blackhawks’ only man advantage of the night, as the red-hot Chicago power-play unit is 6-for-11 over its last six games. The Blackhawks added to the special-teams dominance Tuesday by going 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Chicago’s lead stood until the final minute of the second period. Michael Kesselring’s long-range shot hit Keller in front of Chicago’s net, and Keller then deposited the loose puck past Soderblom.

The late dagger of a goal swung the game’s momentum, leading to the Utah Hockey Club’s dominant third period. Soderblom did his best against the pressure, making several big saves before Crouse finally tallied the go-ahead goal.

Seth Jones Sounds Off on Blackhawks Amid Trade Plea

Seth Jone’s patience on the Chicago Blackhawks has grown so paper-thin, he is saying anything he can to skip town at this point.

The Blackhawks lost 2-1 to the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday. They were outshot 36-22 and overall shot attempts were 93-39 in favor of Utah.

Jones scored Chicago’s only goal in the defeat, which was the team’s fourth straight loss and seventh in its last eight games.

Chicago is buried by six points into last place of the Central Division with 41 points, which is the lowest total in the NHL aside from the San Jose Sharks.

“This is in almost four years of, you know, bottom of the league,” Jones said after Tuesday’s game. “So, it’s not just this year for me, at least.”

Following a 23-53-6 season last year, the Blackhawks added some veteran pieces, such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi and Pat Maroon, to accommodate Connor Bedard. But 58 games into this season, there has been no progress in the team’s development.

“We’re the exact same team right now as we were game 1. It’s pretty evident out there. We haven’t made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team, and it shows.”

“We’re the exact same team right now as we were game 1. It’s pretty evident out there. We haven’t made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team, and it shows.”

Seth Jones didn’t hold back on the Blackhawks difficulties this season. pic.twitter.com/vbP5zIEsMd

— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) February 26, 2025

Jones requested a trade from Chicago as he recently told The Athletic that his agent, Pat Brisson, is working with management to get something finalized before the March 7 trade deadline.

The 30-year-old defenseman faces some obstacles, however. Jones is locked into an eight-year deal with a full no-move clause and a $9.5 million cap hit through 2029-30. While trade speculation is ongoing, moving his contract is going to be a tricky challenge.