Utah goals to deal with jersey-clad crowd to win over Golden Knights

The wait to buy official Utah Hockey Club jerseys finally ends Friday, a few hours before the team hosts the Vegas Golden Knights in Salt Lake City.

Long lines are expected at the team store at the Delta Center for the first jersey drop for a franchise that moved in from Phoenix on April 18. Only a handful of player jerseys, including Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz, will be available, but fans will be able to customize blank jerseys of the club playing its inaugural season.

Don’t be surprised to see a few No. 70’s for Utah backup goalie Karel Vejmelka dot the stands for Friday’s game.

Vejmelka, making just his fourth start of the season, finished with a career-high 49 saves to help lead Utah to a 4-1 victory over visiting Carolina on Wednesday. He was serenaded with chants of “Veggie, Veggie, Veggie” as he circled the ice after earning No. 1 star of the game honors.

“It’s unreal,” the normally reserved Vejmelka said after wildly fist-pumping the crowd. “This is a moment I’ll remember for sure. This is a night to remember for me and for everybody. This is a huge game for us.”

“Unbelievable,” forward Nick Bjugstad, who scored his first two goals of the season Wednesday, said of Vejmelka’s performance. “We’re thankful for him. He had an amazing night.”

Utah had to kill off 11 minutes of Hurricanes’ power plays in the third period, including a 5-on-3 portion, as Carolina pumped 18 shots on goal. Utah also blocked 26 shots in the contest, including six each by defensemen Ian Cole and Mikhail Sergachev.

“Hopefully we don’t get used to defending too much on the (penalty kill),” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “Veggie was good, the guys were blocking shots, we defended the slot pretty good in our own zone.”

Vegas comes to Salt Lake City leading the Pacific Division with 22 points following a 3-2 win at Anaheim on Wednesday. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his team-high ninth goal early in the third period for what proved to be the game-winner.

Adin Hill, pulled in his previous start against Carolina after allowing four goals on 21 shots, bounced back to turn away 22 of 24 shots from the Ducks.

It was just the second road win in seven games (2-3-2) for the Golden Knights, who improved to 25-7-1 all-time against Anaheim, including 11-4-1 at the Honda Center.

The contest was the start of a November stretch that will see Vegas play seven of eight games on the road. It also kicked off a two-game, four-day Fathers Trip for the Golden Knights. Vegas improved to 10-0-1 in such games.

“It’s always fun,” Hill said. “The records kind of speak for themselves during Fathers Trips. It’s always nice when we can find a way to get the two points.”

Players were met with a long line of fathers in jerseys giving them high-fives as they left the ice after the contest en route to the locker room. The players’ fathers went whale watching at Newport Beach before Wednesday’s game and were going to spend Thursday on a team outing at the ski resort of Park City, Utah.

“(The dads are) happy,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Their team won, and they’re part of it. … This is the bonding side that father and son go through. That’s what they’re earned, and I’m happy for them.”

This will be the second of three meetings this month between the Golden Knights and Utah. Vegas won the first one on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, 4-3, on Brett Howden’s overtime goal.

–Field Level Media