In the second and final game of the second day of the 2024 Rookie Faceoff, the Los Angeles Kings took on the Utah Hockey Club. Both teams suffered their first losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks respectively, but now one of them would get on the board with a win.
Both made a few changes to their lineup after their match the day before. Sam Lipkin, Kyle Crnkovic, Will Gavin, and Oscar Plandowski entered to make their Utah tournament debuts. Meanwhile, Jake Wise, Oliver Tulk, Ethan Neutens, Parker Berge, Jack Millar, and Jared Woolley were playing for the Kings for the first time. Between the pipes, it was a battle of the Western Hockey League as the Kings went with Kolby Hay of the Edmonton Oil Kings and Reid Dyck of the Swift Current Broncos getting the medal for Utah.
Hay was forced to make a couple of big saves in the first minute of the game, as Utah kept a lot of pressure on the offensive end. The first five minutes were back and forth, but not in the traditional sense. One team will face heavy pressure for about a minute, and then the same thing happens on the other side. Aatu Jamsen scored his first goal of the tournament five minutes before the start of the game, giving Amakhosi a 1-0 lead.
Despite trailing, Utah played well in the first 10 minutes. They were creating quality shots, playing a physical type of hockey and being set up in the attacking zone on a regular basis, they just couldn't get past Hay. John Parker-Jones was called for holding with just over nine minutes left in the first half, giving Utah their first power play of the night, and a great chance to tie things up. Los Angeles would kill it, and Matthew Mania took a penalty kick of his own minutes later to give Utah another man advantage.
Cole Davis' stick broke early on the power play, but he made a great effort to clear the puck with his feet, earning a standing ovation from the crowd. The post denied Utah a chance to score on the power play, but after the penalty expired, Gavin was able to get past Hay and tie the game at one goal. Cole Beaudoin took Utah's first penalty of the night with 1:44 left in the period. The final 16 seconds of the penalty will carry over into the second half, but it will be executed without problems for Utah.
Jamsen left the ice with some difficulty after blocking a shot a minute and a half into the period. He looked like he was struggling to put pressure on his leg. Miko Matikka hit a crossbar on the mound that almost gave Utah a 2-1 lead, but the puck deflected off the play. Moments later, Matikka would get another chance, and this time he put it away to give Utah the lead. Parker-Jones was sent to the penalty box again, this time for a check six and a half minutes into the period. The Kings were able to finish it off, and Hay did a great job as the penalty ended. After coming off the bench for a while, Jamsen returned to the game in the middle of the season. Hay produced another spectacular glove save just over 10 minutes into the period, pulling away a near-equal goal.
Beaudoin hit the crossbar on a breakaway a minute later, it was an amazing display of speed and skill on the penalty kill but in the end the score remained 2-1. That was the first shot of the game that Jackson Parsons faced, as Hay entered the center of the game. Utah would hold onto its lead the rest of the way. Drew Elliott was called for a foul less than two minutes into the second half, giving the Kings a chance to tie things up. Liam Greentree will be penalized for sticking too hard for 50 seconds on the power play, but he makes it to no avail and gives Utah an abbreviated opportunity when Elliott's penalty expires. Davis broke his stick in defense and was thrown at Noel Nordh afterwards but was unable to stop the Swedish striker from hitting a cross. Utah now led 3-1 with less than 17 minutes left in regulation.
With 2:13 left, Greentree managed to bury a shot in the slot, bringing the Kings within one goal again. It wouldn't take long for them to tie it up from there, as Arvid Caderoth put it back with less than a minute and a half to go. As a result, we saw extra time for the first time in the competition. Jakub Dvorak was called for fouling a minute and a half into overtime, and Utah took a timeout before their 4-on-3 power play. Beaudoin hit the crossbar again to the right as the penalty expired. Owen Allard's slap shot up the middle gave Utah a 4-3 victory.
Fatigue Is Not a Thing for Kings, Utah
Without both teams playing the night before, you wouldn't be able to tell based on the energy they brought into the first half. It was a physical affair right away, with both teams scoring big and there being a few big scrums in the opening frame. Things didn't change too much in the second or third half, there was a game of change that often showed fatigue but both teams still seemed strong. Overtime was a different story, as it seemed to be when the teams finally started to show signs of wear and tear.
Cole Beaudoin Gets More Responsibility
As one of the Utah Hockey Club's first-round picks, it's no surprise that the organization thinks highly of Beaudoin. It became clear that their trust in him has increased as he has been given the position of captain in the second game of the tournament. As a player participating in his first Rookie Faceoff, that's a bold move for the franchise but it makes it clear how much faith they have in him. And he was getting time on both the power play and penalty kill. Looking at his performance so far in this tournament, it's hard to blame the coaching staff for increasing his level of commitment. He's been consistent with his effort levels, and while it's rare for a late first-round pick to make the NHL immediately, if he does the same in training camp it's possible.
Hay Making an Impact
As an undrafted prospect, Hay is trying to find a place to play long-term. He played in an amazing way for Makhosi even though he got points. His history with the Oil Kings leaves a lot to be desired, which is the main reason he wasn't drafted in his rookie year, but if he can sustain the same level of play in the near future, he might be worth a try. -outside the American Hockey League level but may have to settle in the ECHL. It is important to note that decisions are not made based on just one game; he will have to put in these types of plays consistently for the next month to get paid work. However, until now, he is doing the right things. He only played the first half of the game, so it was a very small sample size.
Related: Takeaways From Sharks' 3-2 Victory Over Utah Hockey Club at Rookie Faceoff
The Kings remain winless in their home opener, while Utah got a win on the board before their day off on Sunday. The Kings and Utah will both return to action on Monday to face the Anaheim Ducks and Golden Knights respectively.
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