Pittsburgh Penguins (20-24-8) vs. Utah Hockey Club (21-21-7)
The 2024-25 NHL season continues Wednesday, January 29, with the Pittsburgh Penguins facing off against the Utah Hockey Club in the cross-conference battle at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT, so here’s our Penguins vs. Hockey Club prediction.
Pittsburgh and Utah close down their two-game regular-season set. Back in November, the Hockey Club trounced the Penguins 6-1 in Pittsburgh. Let’s take a closer look at this Pittsburgh vs. Utah prediction, which is one of our NHL picks for Wednesday night.
The Penguins continue to struggle
The Pittsburgh Penguins have gone 2-7-0 in their last nine games overall. They are winless in three consecutive outings, losing at the Anaheim Ducks 5-1, the Seattle Kraken 4-1, and the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in the process.
Last Monday, the Pens fell short as -185 road favorites at SAP Center at San Jose. They outshot the Sharks 30-28, and Sidney Crosby scored his 15th goal of the season. Bryan Rust returned from a one-game absence and notched his 20th assist in 2024-25, while Evgeni Malkin hit the sidelines with a lower-body injury.
Alex Nedeljkovic posted 26 saves against the Sharks. He’s now 9-9-4 with a 3.21 GAA and a .894 save percentage this season, while Joel Blomqvist is 3-7-0 with a 3.59 GAA and a .899 save percentage. The Pens allow 3.60 goals per game (31st in the NHL) and score 2.88 goals in return (19th).
Utah wants to snap a two-game skid
The Utah Hockey Club are back on the losing track. After three straight victories against the St. Louis Blues 4-2, the Winnipeg Jets 5-2, and the Minnesota Wild 4-0, the Hockey Club dropped consecutive games at the Jets 5-2 and the Ottawa Senators 3-1.
Utah is coming off Sunday’s loss in Ottawa. The Hockey Club outshot the Sens 35-27, but it wasn’t enough. Utah went 0-for-3 with the man advantage, and Clayton Keller scored his 18th goal of the season.
Karel Vejmelka posted 24 stops against Ottawa. He’s 11-14-3 with a 2.47 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 2024-25, while Connor Ingram is 8-6-3 with a 3.34 GAA and a .880 save percentage. Utah allows 2.96 goals per game (tied for 14th in the NHL) and tallies 2.84 goals in return (tied 21st).
Insiders Status:
Evgeni Malkin’s injury is a big blow for the Pens’ offense. On the other side, Utah misses winger Dylan Guenther. Utah is arguably a better defensive team than Pittsburgh, so I’m backing the Hockey Club to outlast the Penguins, who wrap up a seven-game road trip in Salt Lake City.
The Penguins’ defense has been terrible all season. Pittsburgh has only scored one goal in four of its last five outings, so it’s really hard to trust this Pens team at the moment. Utah has been inconsistent and unpredictable, but the Hockey Club’s defense has been decent for most of the season.
Connor Ingram is expected to guard the cage for the Hockey Club. He’s 2-2-0 with a 2.53 GAA and a .908 save percentage in January.
Insiders Status:
It’s tough to back the under when the Pens take the ice, given their awful defense. But as I mentioned, the Penguins’ offense has struggled a lot over the last five games, and each of those five contests has seen fewer than seven goals on the scoreboard.
Hereof, I will take the under. Utah will continue to lean on its defense and goaltending. Seven of Utah’s last 11 games overall have produced six or fewer goals in total. The Hockey Club sorely miss Dylan Guenther, who has amassed 16 goals and 18 assists across 40 games this season.
For another opinion on this game, check out Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Utah Hockey Club Prediction from Statsalt, our partner site.
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Viktor Allenson , “The Viking”
Viktor “The Viking” Allenson has been slaying the books for many years now. He has hammered the lines in all sports including basketball, football, soccer, MMA and baseball. The Viking’s strength is his versatility and research in all sports. He also has the ability to find soft lines that the public loves and goes the other way.
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