Clayton Keller recorded two goals and two assists in a dominant performance as the Utah Hockey Club cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night. The win marked Utah’s sixth in their last eight games, showcasing their late-season surge.
Logan Cooley continued his strong rookie campaign with a goal and two assists, while Michael Kesselring added a goal and an assist. Nick Schmaltz, Nick Bjugstad, and Kevin Stenlund also scored for Utah. Alexander Kerfoot chipped in two assists, and Matt Villalta made 27 saves to earn his first career NHL win in just his second start.
For Nashville, Ryan O'Reilly opened the scoring with his 20th goal of the season early in the first period. Luke Evangelista and Michael Bunting added second-period tallies, but the Predators couldn’t contain Utah’s high-powered offense. Juuse Saros made 29 saves in the loss.
Utah Takes Over After Early Deficit
After O'Reilly gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 6:10 of the first period with a power-play snipe, Utah responded quickly. Kesselring tied the game with 7:30 left in the opening frame, and Bjugstad gave Utah a 2-1 lead just before the intermission.
Cooley struck early in the second period with his 25th of the season, and Schmaltz followed with a power-play goal just over a minute later to make it 4-1. Although Nashville clawed back with goals from Evangelista and Bunting, Keller's third-period strike and empty-netter put the game out of reach. Stenlund added the finishing touch in the final minute.
Key Highlights
- Clayton Keller: 2 goals, 2 assists in his 600th career game. Now at a career-best 60 assists on the season.
- Logan Cooley: Continues breakout rookie year with his 25th goal and two helpers.
- Matt Villalta: Earns first NHL win with 27 saves.
- Nick Schmaltz: Nets 20th goal on the power play.
Team Notes
- Utah Hockey Club: Now 6-1-1 over the last eight games, with a chance to finish just seven points shy of a playoff berth in their inaugural season.
- Nashville Predators: Have dropped eight of their last 10 games — all in regulation — and will end the season nearly 30 points out of playoff contention.
Up Next
- Utah Hockey Club: Travels to face the St. Louis Blues in Tuesday’s season finale.
- Nashville Predators: Conclude their 2024-25 campaign at home against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.
