SALT LAKE CITY — There was a buzz, or maybe you'd call it some electricity, at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night that hasn't been felt in a long time.

Maybe it was the home team playing well coming in or maybe it was the visit from the Los Angeles Galaxy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Whatever it was, the building had not had that kind of buzz or feeling since the Jason Kreis era and their last run at the MLS Cup.

Real Salt Lake fed off the 21,000+ in the stands and, for a second consecutive week, scored six goals, beating the Galaxy 6-2. That makes it three straight wins and now 44 points in the West, which is good for fourth place all alone. Real Salt Lake is the first team in Major League Soccer history to score six goals in back-to-back matches.

Real Salt Lake was minus nine in goal differential heading into Colorado a week ago. After Saturday night they are plus three for the year.

Here are my hat trick of thoughts on Real Salt Lake and the Los Angeles Galaxy

Damir dominant

Damir Kreilach tallied his first Major League Soccer hat trick on Saturday night, and has four goals in the last two matches. For a second straight week, he played the No. 9 spot and looked at home there. Kreilach's emergence in the RSL attack has made a difference up top for Mike Petke's team. His movement off the ball and runs have been outstanding and more than difficult to defend. His experience overseas and leadership will be very important for Real Salt Lake as the playoff push continues over the next month and a half.

Big night for the back four

Petke said his young back four played like "men" Saturday night. Herrera, Glad, Besler and Lennon, who have an average age of about 22 years old, stood up big against one of the best offensive attacks in Major League Soccer. Time after time when Zlatan, Kamara, Dos Santos, Alessandrini and the rest of the LA attack pushed, the Real Salt Lake backline had an answer.

Outside of the first goal of the night, 41 seconds into the match, the "boys in back," along with goalkeeper Nick Rimando, turned the Galaxy attack away. It's a real sign of growth and where the team has come from at points as recently as a month ago giving up soft goals.

Edgy Albert Rusnak

If there has been a turning point in the Real Salt Lake season it may have come two weeks ago in Houston when Albert Rusnak called out his team's effort out at halftime trailing 1-0 to the Dynamo. Rusnak went on to score twice in stoppage time that night — once in Colorado last week and two more times in Saturday night's win over LA. That's five goals in three matches. But more than that, it's his fire and leadership on the pitch that's been huge for Real Salt Lake's run of nine points in three weeks.

Rusnak is the engine that drives Real Salt Lake's offensive attack and his fire drives them emotionally. Three and a half months ago, Rusnak sounded like a guy that wanted out of Utah and a transfer back to Europe. Right now he looks like a man on a mission to prove that he's ready to lead this team now and into the future, however long that future might be.

Real Salt Lake will be off next weekend and back in action at home on September 15 against Minnesota United FC. You'll be able to hear that match on Rewind 100.7 FM.

Related topics