Denver • Show up to a Utah Hockey Club practice 30 minutes early and Vladislav Kolyachonok is likely the only player on the ice.
The defenseman — who has been a healthy scratch for 15 of Utah’s 29 games this season — has been putting in the extra work while looking from the outside in at a nightly lineup spot.
Kolyachonok’s opportunity finally came Thursday in Utah’s 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena in which he scored his second goal of the season.
“It’s cool to be back in the game and just try to do the right things and get rewarded. We all got rewarded,” Kolyachonok said. “I just try to stay positive. My teammates supported me too. I’m very thankful for it.”
Kolyachonok skated on the third pair with Juuso Välimäki and logged 9:47 of total ice time which included a goal, two shots and one block. Despite not playing for three weeks, the 23-year-old kept pace throughout the night.
“He was really good, honestly. Credit to him,” head coach André Tourigny said. “Not just his goal … but he made good plays, he was solid without the puck, he made good breakout passes. … I didn’t feel he was a rusty guy or whatever.”
Tourigny said Kolyachonok will play again Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. Injuries to Maveric Lamoureux (out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury) and Robert Bortuzzo (day to day with a lower-body injury) have opened space in the lineup for Kolyachonok to prove he can make a consistent impact.
Kolyachonok’s goal on Thursday came in the second period to put Utah up 2-0. He received a cross-zone pass from Logan Cooley at the point and wristed the puck from the right side at 8:05.
“It’s always good to see the puck go in the net even when I’m not on the ice,” Kolyachonok said. “Everybody gets a bump and something good happens.”
Dylan Guenther was another guy who bumped the team to victory against the divisional opponent. The 21-year-old had three points (two goals, one assist), bringing his season total to a team-leading 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists).
Guenther got Utah on the board in the first period while off the rush. The forward picked up the puck by the offensive blueline, dashed into the zone and threw it on net where it hit off the Avalanche’s Artturi Lehkonen and in at 8:26.
Guenther’s second of the night came on the power play. He waited patiently by the left circle — a spot that’s become his office — and one-timed it past Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood after Nick Schmaltz dished it over to him for the 3-0 advantage at 9:52.
“Just a really nice play by Schmaltz and Cooley. Quick puck movement. My mom could’ve probably scored that one,” said Guenther whose mom Nadine is on the road trip with the team. “It’s pretty cool to have her here. I’ve actually had pretty good luck when she’s in the building, so might have to bring her again next year.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club right wing Dylan Guenther (11) brings the puck down the ice during the game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
With a secondary assist on Kolyachonok’s goal, too, Guenther hit the three-point mark just 30 minutes into Thursday’s game. That’s Guenther’s second three-point night of the season — the first was his two-goal, one-assist showing against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 23.
Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche in the third period before Kevin Stenlund’s empty-net goal at 15:49 sealed the 4-1 victory — it was his fourth goal in as many games, too.
Behind another strong offensive performance from Utah was a shut-down, 23-save night from Karel Vejmelka in net.
“Feeling better and better every game. Trying to do my best and really happy we did a great job, everybody…It’s a huge win for us today,” Vejmelka said. “We are on the right way and we just need to keep going.”
Connor Ingram — who has been sidelined with an upper-body injury — joined Utah for Thursday’s morning skate. It was his first time on the ice since getting pulled from the Nov. 18 game against the Washington Capitals. Despite his practice return, Tourigny said he is still at least a week away from playing.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) blocks a shot during the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Colorado Avalanche at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024.
Utah likely is not in a rush to get him in a game, though. Vejmelka has been beyond solid for his team since assuming the No. 1 role with a 2.45 goals against average and .915 save percentage in 15 games. Not to mention, AHL call-up Jaxson Stauber was steady in his two starts, posting a 1.00 GAA and .962 SV% — albeit, a small sample size.
Ingram struggled mightily to start the season; he had a 3.61 GAA and .871 SV% through 13 games before injury. Utah has been playing a stronger overall team game as of late – and that includes tighter defense to help the goaltender – but it has not, necessarily, missed Ingram. That makes an interesting decision for when Utah soon has three healthy netminders who want games.
“It’s 82 games,” Tourigny said. “There’s a lot of real estate in front of us. You need everybody.”
Utah will focus on the present, instead, which is Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
“I think right now we are playing good games and we have the urgency,” Tourigny said. “We don’t want to let that go. We are trying to keep going.”
