Game Preview, 2/27: Utah Hockey Club vs. Minnesota Wild
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Delta Center – Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (26-24-9) rides back-to-back wins into a matchup with the Minnesota Wild (34-20-4) tonight at Delta Center. Utah has enjoyed a positive swing recently, and the Mountain Blue has picked up wins in five of its last seven games. Tonight is also the third contest in a four-game homestand for Utah that concludes on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.
ONE-TIMERS
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Minnesota Wild are back in town for the fourth and final matchup of the regular season between the two clubs. Utah has earned points in all three games against the Wild, falling 5-4 in a shootout at home on Dec. 10, winning 2-1 in St. Paul on Dec. 20, and shutting out Minnesota 4-0 at Xcel Energy Center on Jan. 23.
The Wild have won three of their last four and six of their last nine entering tonight. Currently at third place in the Central Division, Minnesota allows the 10th fewest goals in the NHL at a rate of 2.81 per game.
The injury bug has decimated Minnesota’s lineup, and it has hit hardest among its top players. Star forward and leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov has missed the last eight games due to injury and is now on injured reserve. Top center Joel Eriksson Ek sustained an injury in practice and is on injured reserve as well.
In net, Filip Gustavsson has been sensational for Minnesota this season. His .914 save percentage and his 2.65 goals-against average are both the sixth best in the NHL.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #67 LAWSON CROUSE – Crouse had the game-winning goal in Utah’s 2-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. He also became the first player in Mountain Blue to record a goal, five shots on goal, and five hits in a single game this season.
MINNESOTA: #12 MATT BOLDY – Boldy has points in three straight games for Minnesota (3G, 3A) and leads all active Wild skaters with 51 points (21G, 30A) in 58 games. The former 12th overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft is currently in his fourth NHL season after two campaigns at Boston College.
LOOK BACK
Utah won its second straight game at home on Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. After giving up a power-play goal to Chicago’s Seth Jones in the first period, Clayton Keller tied the game at 1-1 in the final minute of the second. Lawson Crouse scored the game-winning goal with 7:48 to go in regulation.
Utah outshot Chicago 37-22 and dominated at the faceoff dot, winning 61.5% of the draws. Every Utah forward registered a shot, and Utah finished with 10:17 worth of offensive zone possession time- the second most in a game this season.
LAST MEETING
Karel Vejmelka picked up the second shutout in Utah’s NHL history with 26 saves against the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 23 in a 4-0 road win at Xcel Energy Center. Barrett Hayton scored two goals for Utah, both on tipped Nick DeSimone shots, while Clayton Keller added a power-play tally, and Lawson Crouse bagged his seventh goal of the season. Hayton led off the scoring just 1:46 into the first period, and Utah never looked back in their second win of the season over the Wild.
JOSH DOAN
Doan provided the primary assist on Lawson Crouse’s game-winning goal on Tuesday night and now has 10 points (4G, 6A) in 28 games this season. The line of Doan, Crouse, and Jack McBain dominated against Chicago, out-attempting the Blackhawks 23-1 and outshooting Chicago 7-0 in 8:59 of time on ice, according to Sportlogiq. Doan’s 17:12 of ice time on Tuesday marked his most in a game that ended in regulation this season.
COMEBACKS
Each of Utah’s last two wins have been comeback victories, and the Mountain Blue has now completed 14 total comeback wins this season, tied for the 12th most in the NHL. Seven of Utah’s comeback wins have come in the third period, tying Utah for the second most third-period comeback wins in the league.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah faces one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference when the New Jersey Devils come to town on Saturday, Mar. 1. New Jersey sits at third in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points, and the Devils beat Utah 3-0 on Oct. 14 when the teams last met.
