SALT LAKE CITY — Michael Kesselring was a little miffed.

The Utah Hockey Club defenseman had beaten Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman cleanly. His rocket off an odd rush flew past one of the best netminders in the game; it just didn’t find the back of the net.

However, most people didn’t notice that part. The Delta Center (well, the non-Boston fans at least) erupted and pillars of fog shot up.

There was just one problem: the puck hadn’t actually crossed the line. Kesselring’s shot clattered against the inside of the post and drifted through the crease to safety.

“I was a bit frustrated after that. You don’t often hit that goalkeeper clean,” he said of his near equalizer.

But the frustration would soon enough turn to jubilation.

With 2:14 left in overtime, Kesselring took a pass from Logan Cooley and shot from about the same spot. No posts stood in his way this time as he lifted Utah to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Boston Bruins on Saturday at the Delta Center. Utah improved to 4-1-1 this season.

“The most important thing with Kess is to get that chance,” said head coach André Tourigny. “I think he passes two or three shots a night. I think at some point he will understand with a shot like that: you don’t pass, you find a way to get more.”

Saturday evening more than proved that. And the victory had extra significance for the defender, who has been moved up to the top pair due to injuries. Kesselring grew up a Boston fan and even played hockey at Northeastern University.

If you had told his younger self that he would have scored a game winner against the Bruins, well…

“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I got a little chills,” he said. “It was a cool feeling.”

Even better that he silenced a large group of Boston fans who had filled the Delta Center.

“Far too many black and gold jerseys in the stands,” he said. “It’s okay, our crowd was loud when we won.”

Kesselring’s heroics came only after Vladislav Kolyachonok tied the score with 5:09 remaining – a goal that felt like it was a long time coming.

First, there was Kesselring’s near miss in the second period. Then Kailer Yamamoto, playing in his first game this season, deflected a sick shot and found the back of the net. However, the euphoria of that late equalizer was short-lived. Boston challenged the play and the goal was overturned after a review found Utah to be offside.

“All those moments give us energy and we wanted to push even more,” Kolyachonok said.

That push paid off when Kolyachonok got behind the defense and beat Swayman with a slick backhand to level things up

That resulted in another overtime for Utah, which has now played an extra session in four of the six games (the team emerged victorious in three of them).

“We’re fighting, we’re in it,” Tourigny said of the OT games. “I like that. The Bruins are a really good team, and we found a way to get the big goal in the third and stay with it.”

And the team celebrated that too.

Schaboozey – who quickly turned into a victory song – darted out of the team’s locker room as the team cheered loudly. Utah has now defeated three of the Original Six teams in the first two weeks of the season. Not a bad way to start the first year.

As for Kesselring, he may have to filter through some texts to find the celebratory ones.

“I’m sure I got a few angry texts, but also a few congratulations,” he said. “So we’ll see what happens.”

He probably angered some old friends with his winner on Saturday.