Canucks and Utah Seek Bounce-Back Wins in Sunday Night Clash

The Vancouver Canucks and Utah Hockey Club both stumbled in their first games after the 4 Nations Face-Off break, setting up a pivotal Sunday night showdown in Salt Lake City.

Vancouver saw its three-game winning streak snapped in a 3-1 road loss to Vegas on Saturday, while Utah fell 5-3 to the Los Angeles Kings despite Barrett Hayton’s historic hat trick. Both teams are looking for a strong response in the second leg of their back-to-back sets.

Canucks Adjusting After Break

Jake DeBrusk scored Vancouver’s only goal against Vegas, but the team struggled to find its rhythm after the extended layoff.

“Just getting the feeling of the puck, like off the boards,” DeBrusk said. “Like myself, I felt rusty.”

Despite the loss, Kevin Lankinen was sharp in net, making 32 saves after returning from international duty with Finland. However, forward Kiefer Sherwood admitted the team didn’t give him enough support.

“We got to make more plays,” Sherwood said. “I know Lankey’s world-class, but we left him out on an island too much.”

Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson played despite injury concerns, logging just under 16 minutes with one shot on goal. Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes remains out with an oblique injury that has sidelined him for all of February.

Utah Continues to Make History

Utah has been up and down in recent weeks, dropping two of its last three. However, Saturday was a special night for Barrett Hayton, who recorded the first hat trick in franchise history since the club relocated from Arizona.

“I like the fact he got rewarded,” head coach Andre Tourigny said. “He does everything right on and off the ice, has the right attitude, competes so hard. You cannot not cheer for him.”

Hayton nearly carried Utah to a comeback, pulling the team within 4-3 late in the third, but an empty-net goal sealed the loss. Despite the historic milestone, Hayton remained focused on the bigger picture.

“Right now it’s kind of just the sting of the game,” Hayton said. “At this point, it is frustrating losing that game. I feel like we kind of put our heart and soul into that game.”

Utah got a boost from the return of defenseman Sean Durzi, who played his first game since October after missing 52 games with a shoulder injury. He logged over 21 minutes of ice time, recording an assist, four shots, and two blocked shots.

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Key Matchup: Can Vancouver Find Its Offense?

The Canucks will need more firepower beyond DeBrusk to break through Utah’s defense. Meanwhile, Utah will look to continue capitalizing on special teams, as two of Hayton’s three goals came on the power play against Los Angeles.

Both teams are still adjusting post-break, setting the stage for a hard-fought battle in Salt Lake City. Can Vancouver shake off the rust, or will Utah secure another milestone win?