Utah Hockey Club forward Dylan Guenther has been a key contributor as of late. During the 21-year-old’s 12-game absence with a lower-body injury, Utah posted a 4-6-2 record.
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When he is in the lineup, Utah holds a 20-17-7 record. Furthermore, the team has three of its past four games thanks to Guenther’s back-to-back game-winning goals in overtime on Feb. 4 and Feb. 6. How valuable has the 20-goal scorer been to Utah’s success this season? Let’s take a look.
Guenther’s Guiding Light in the Clutch
The Arizona Coyotes’ 2021 first-round pick’s five game-winning goals tie for the team’s best with forward Barrett Hayton. These five markers tie Guenther and Hayton for fifth-best in the NHL in game-winning goals. Guenther is also the second-youngest player in the league’s top five for game-winning goals. (He is several months older than Carolina Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake, who has five game-winning goals and is also 21.)
If that wasn’t enough, Guenther’s three overtime goals slot him for second best in the NHL. The right-shooter has netted eight power-play goals, which leads Utah in that category. Yes, he has done all this despite missing more than 10 games this season.
Guenther Becoming One of the NHL’s Best Snipers
The 6-foot-1, 191-pounder’s 16.5 shooting percentage (S%) ranks third-best on Utah behind defensemen Vladislav Kolyachonok (who had 12 shots for Utah) and forward Jack McBain (who has fewer than half of Guenther’s total shots.) His S% places him in the NHL’s 79th percentile.
In comparison to Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, who leads in the league in goals with 40, Guenther’s 42.9 S% from the middle slot area ranks above the NHL’s average. In addition, it doubles Draisaitl’s 21 S% from the same area. Here’s a better look at the shooting percentages between both players in the offensive zone:
While Draisaitl’s 6-foot-2, 209-pound stature makes him more of a net-front-presence scorer, Guenther’s dominance in the middle slot area and comparative S% around the in-tight areas of the goal are surprising. Being remotely close to a 50 S% from the middle slot area is impressive for any player, never mind someone…
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