National Hockey League
Utah 6, Tampa Bay 4
When: 5:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 22, 2025
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Referees: Gord Dwyer, Graham Skilliter
Linesmen: Tyson Baker, Ben O'Quinn
Attendance: 11131

Logan Cooley had two goals and an assist and Alex Kerfoot also scored twice to lead the Utah Hockey Club to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City.

Nick Schmaltz added a goal and two assists, John Marino had two assists and Josh Doan scored for Utah (32-27-11, 75 points), which won for the seventh time in its last nine home games.

Karel Vejmelka -- making his 13th consecutive start in goal -- finished with 22 saves for Utah HC, who remain four points behind St. Louis for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Brayden Point scored two goals, Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists and Anthony Cirelli also scored for Tampa Bay (40-24-5, 85 points), which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

In his first NHL start and second career appearance, Brandon Halverson stopped 19 of 24 shots for the Lightning.

Utah jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Doan, who rammed in a Jack McBain pass from behind the net, and Cooley, who tapped in a rebound after Halverson made a pad save on a Michael Kesselring breakaway.

Tampa Bay cut the deficit to 2-1 near the end of the period when Point, left alone in front of the net, slammed in a Guentzel pass for his 14th power-play goal of the season.

The Lightning tied it, 2-2, at the 5:22 mark of the second period on a one-timer from the slot by Cirelli, but Utah regained the lead just 36 seconds later when Kerfoot, alone by the right post, tapped in a Kevin Stenlund crossing pass.

Tampa Bay tied it up, 3-3, late in the second period when Guentzel deflected Nick Perbix's shot from the right circle. But Utah once again answered quickly, this time just 30 seconds later, when Cooley redirected a Marino shot to give the home team a 4-3 lead.

Schmaltz extended the Utah lead to 5-3 early in the third period with a rebound goal, but Point answered with his second goal of the game, redirecting Ryan McDonagh's shot from the left point.

Utah picked up a penalty for too many men with 2:09 to go and Halverson was pulled for another extra attacker to give the Lightning a 6-on-4 power play, but Kerfoot sealed the win with a short-handed empty-netter with 56 seconds to go.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Tampa Bay   Utah
Jake Guentzel 3 Points Logan Cooley 3
Brayden Point 2 Goals Logan Cooley 2
Jake Guentzel 2 Assists Nick Schmaltz 2
Brayden Point 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals Alexander Kerfoot 1
Brandon Halverson .792 Save Percentage Karel Vejmelka .852
Brandon Halverson 19 Saves Karel Vejmelka 23
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Tampa Bay 27 4 1-3 1-1 7 31
Utah 25 6 0-1 2-3 11 34
Upcoming Games
  • Utah will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Hockey Club have a W/L % of .406 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Tampa Bay will play their next game on the road against Vegas. The Lightning have a W/L % of .575 after a win and .586 after a loss.