The Utah Hockey Club suffered its worst loss of the season on Tuesday night, a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. Realistically, Utah's chances of making the playoffs at this point shrink with every loss, requiring the team to play virtually mistake-free the rest of the way.

SLC Puck host Austin Facer, however, feels this season has already been a success regardless of how the standings look at the end of the regular season. Utah General Manager Bill Armstrong said at the beginning of the season the team's goal was to play meaningful games late in the year. As it stands now, the Club still is. It's just a matter of continuing to do that for as long as the team can.

That, and an explainer on the latest on trademark applications for Utah's permanent name, make up this episode of SLC Puck!

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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The Utah Hockey Club played and won its biggest game of the season, a 3-1 road win over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night. Jockeying with Vancouver for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference playoffs, Utah's win essentially saved its postseason chances. Needing a win to stay alive, the Club found a tremendous win thanks to a strong team outing.

SLC Puck host Austin Facer salutes Utah's effort, calling Sunday's win the most important of the season. However, to remain in the hunt for a postseason appearance, he cautions that Utah must remain focused and bring a similar effort to each of its remaining 15 games. Any let downs — including Friday's loss to Seattle, a team comfortably out of the playoff picture — could detail Utah's chances to extend its inaugural season.

To Facer, Utah's biggest test from here on out: Finding a way to win a few of its remaining games when goaltender Karel Vejmelka needs a night off. His start against the Canucks marked his 10th straight, a career high.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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This week, the Utah Hockey Club came up with three critical points in a two-game stretch with a shootout loss to Toronto on Monday and a victory over Anaheim on Wednesday. Above all, SLC Puck host Austin Facer has been impressed with the character of this team— and its fans — as they pursue a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

But the hunt continues. Utah faces a potential trap game against one of the NHL's worst clubs, Seattle, on Friday before a potential make-or-break game against Vancouver on Sunday. With 17 games left to play, Utah needs to make every game count to crack the postseason in its inaugural season.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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GRAB SOME ICE GIVEAWAY: https://www.slcpuck.com/p/giveaway-grab-some-ice The Utah Hockey Club made waves at the trade deadline, not for acquiring or sending out any players, but rather with a slew of contract extensions. Most notably, the Club inked goaltender Karel Vejmelka to a 5-year deal. SLC Puck host Austin Facer thinks it was a move worth celebrating for Utah, and also notes that each transaction the Club makes is done with a bigger picture in mind.

Utah has depended on "Veggie" a lot this season, and will have to do so even more down the stretch. The team announced on Sunday that fellow goaltender Connor Ingram would be stepping away for mental health treatment via the NHL Player Assistance Program. Facer explains what that is and why it matters.

With Ingram away, each game continues to be critical for the Utah Hockey Club's playoff hopes. Facer explains that the team still has a fighting chance, but will have to play nearly perfect hockey to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That means keeping an eye out for every opponent, regardless of record.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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The NHL's trade deadline is this Friday, March 7. Safe to say, general managers around the league are working the phones like crazy, cooking up deals and contract extensions glore as the home stretch of the regular season looms. Utah has been rumored as a possible destination for one of the deadline's biggest prizes, superstar forward Mikko Rantanen, who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes. While it may make sense on paper, SLC Puck host Austin Facer doesn't see it happening.

However, Utah did make some moves by resigning a few players, including defenseman Olli Maatta, who inked a 3-year deal with the Hockey Club. Facer thinks this was great move for the team, rewarding a player who came in and by many accounts, had a large role in saving the season.

That and an update on Utah's high school hockey scene, including a recap of this year's state championship games, make up this episode of SLC Puck.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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The Utah Hockey Club kept itself in the playoff race by winning 3 of 4 at Delta Center over the most recent homestand. However, SLC Puck host Austin Facer notes that each loss — including Saturday's defeat to New Jersey — pushes the Club further out of the picture. With 21 games to go, Utah will have to play nearly perfect hockey to make the postseason, Facer says.

Leading the push has been captain Clayton Keller. With all the excitement surrounding Utah's budding stars, Dylan Guenther and Dylan Guenther, Facer thinks Keller has been a bit overlooked. A snub from the Team USA roster at the 4 Nations Face-off, Keller hits among the NHL's scoring leaders this season, while also shouldering the weight of the captaincy.

With all the excitment on the ice, another storyline has emerged, the possibility of Utah hosting an outdoor NHL game. But where and when? Facer offers his thoughts on what could be one of the state's most memorable sporting events ever.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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With 23 games to play heading into Thursday's home tilt against Minnesota, the Utah Hockey Club finds itself caught in the middle. As the trade deadline approaches, the question lingers; will Utah be buyers or sellers? General Manager Bill Armstrong, however, believes in a third option; neither. SLC Puck host Austin Facer explains why, noting that this team is becoming stronger right at the perfect time.

Still, making a postseason push will require the team to play at its best. Facer notes of the Club's remaining games, only nine come against teams with worse records. Needing to win 16 or 17 more to give itself the best chance of breaking into the postseason, Utah is going to need to win a few thrillers and pull off a few upsets.

That, and an update on the University of Utah hockey program, which is headed to the ACHA National Tournament in March, make up this episode of SLC Puck!

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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The Utah Hockey Club kept itself in the playoff hunt with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at the Delta Center. In a "must-win" situation, Utah's young core came through with goals by Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley to complement a solid performance in net by Karel Vejmelka.

But even with a big win over a team Utah needs to catch in the standings, the Club can't afford to let its foot off the gas. As SLC Puck host Austin Facer puts it, the team needs to treat every game for the rest of the season like a playoff game. The math says Utah can only afford to lose a few more games in regulation before the Club is out of the playoffs. Fortunately, Utah also has one of the easiest schedules in the NHL to finish the season and with the return of Cooley and defenseman Sean Durzi, this is where things get interesting.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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After an extended absence due to injury, Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi is reportedly back in the line. He'll step on the ice on Saturday for his first appearance after missing 52 games due to an upper body. That, along with the rest of the Utah Hockey Club's improved health, gives the team their healthiest group all season.

That, SLC Puck host Austin Facer says, is huge, especially as the team enters a crucial point in the season. Still within striking distance of the playoffs but with just a few games to play before the trade deadline, it's "do or die" time as defenseman Michael Kesselring put it.

But before the Utah Hockey Club resumes play, the 4 Nations Face-off will conclude with Thursday's championship matchup between the United States and Canada. Facer believes Thursday's title bout, with all its many storylines, could be the most anticipated hockey game of all-time, thanks in large part to social media.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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Competing with the NBA All-Star Weekend’s Saturday Night festivities, hockey took the sports world by storm with an electric start to the 4 Nations Face-off matchup between the United States and Canada. Players from both sides dropped the gloves three times within the first nine seconds of game action, kicking off a big night for the sport.

However, Utah Hockey Club did not have a representative in the game, but as SLC Puck host Austin Facer notes, that may not be a bad thing. The team will need to be fully healthy and ready to hit the ice running as soon as the NHL resumes regular season action if Utah intends to make a playoff push.

But, should the Club’s playoff chances fade quickly, Utah may need to make a few tough decisions prior to the NHL trade deadline on March 7. Facer names a few of the players that could make for interesting trade targets, including one that may surprise some fans of the team.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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