Sport Preview, 12/20: Utah Hockey Membership vs. Minnesota Wild – NHL.com

Sport Preview, 12/20: Utah Hockey Membership vs. Minnesota Wild
WHEN: 6:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Xcel Vitality Heart – Saint Paul, Minnesota
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports activities Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
For the second time this season, the Utah Hockey Membership (15-11-5) has gained three straight video games, and Head Coach Andre Tourigny’s squad carries that momentum with them to Xcel Vitality Heart tonight for a Central Division matchup with the Minnesota Wild (20-8-4). After an exciting 3-2 comeback win in extra time towards the Vancouver Canucks, Utah has earned factors in six straight video games and turns its consideration to a Minnesota workforce that has handled a rash of accidents and now has misplaced three of its final 4. The 2 groups met 10 days in the past at Delta Heart the place the Wild claimed a 5-4 shootout victory.
ONE-TIMERS
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Wild have had a wonderful begin to the marketing campaign and sit second within the Central Division with 44 factors. Accidents have riddled Minnesota’s lineup, and the Wild have needed to play with out a number of key gamers over the past month. Three video games in the past, ahead Mats Zuccarello returned to the lineup for Minnesota and has three factors (0G, 3A) in his first three video games again from harm. By way of 19 video games this season, Zuccarello has 17 factors (6G, 11A) whereas largely enjoying on the Wild’s high line. Minnesota is top-5 defensively within the NHL at 2.63 targets allowed per sport, and the Wild are third-best at 5-on-5 with a scoring ratio of 1.38 at even energy.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #11 DYLAN GUENTHER – Guenther now has targets in three straight video games after the game-tying purpose on the facility play Wednesday night time towards Vancouver. The streak, which accommodates 4 targets complete, matches his season lengthy purpose streak that he set within the first three video games of the season with 5 crimson lights in three contests. Guenther leads Utah and all NHL skaters 21 or youthful with 14 targets this season.
MINNESOTA: #97 KIRILL KAPRIZOV – Kaprizov has 4 targets in his final three video games together with multi-goal efforts towards the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 14 and the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 15. He’s tied for fifth in league scoring with 48 factors (22G, 26A) and second in targets. Kaprizov scored one in every of Minnesota’s 5 targets towards Utah on Dec. 10 at Delta Heart, and he is likely one of the frontrunners for the Hart Trophy this season.
LAST MEETING
Utah got here inches away from knocking off the workforce that then held the most effective file within the NHL on Dec. 10 at Delta Heart. The Minnesota Wild claimed a 5-4 shootout victory after Matt Boldy was the one skater to transform within the expertise competitors. Clayton Keller rose to the event within the third interval and netted two power-play targets to tie the sport on two events earlier than Juuso Välimäki gave Utah a 4-3 lead later within the third. Minnesota’s Marco Rossi ultimately tied the sport at 4-4 with 43 seconds left in regulation, and neither facet may produce a purpose in extra time. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 34 saves as Utah picked up a standings level for the third straight sport.
LOOK BACK
A full home at Delta Heart was handled to one of the entertaining video games of the season on Wednesday when Utah erased a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in extra time. Mikhail Sergachev scored his second extra time purpose of the season after Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther scored within the third interval to tie the sport and drive the additional interval. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made a number of vital stops all through the third interval and extra time, and the netminder picked up his seventh win of the season with 24 saves on 26 pictures.
POWER PLAY
Utah’s energy play has offered well timed targets over the past a number of weeks, and the specialty unit has now related in 5 straight video games, going 7-for-17 (41.2%) in that span. The facility play for Utah sits at 21.6% for the season and ranks fifteenth within the NHL. Dylan Guenther leads the workforce with six power-play targets and 14 power-play factors (6G, 8A). The previous first-round choose has factored into 14 of Utah’s 19 complete power-play targets this season with both a purpose or an help.
CLAYTON KELLER
Utah’s captain has come by way of within the clutch over the past a number of weeks. Keller has 4 targets in his final 4 video games, together with two tallies on Dec. 10 towards Minnesota, and a purpose Wednesday night time towards Vancouver. The eighth-year professional has targets in back-to-back video games for the primary time this season after netting the game-winner on Dec. 14 towards the San Jose Sharks with 44 seconds left in regulation and scoring a vital purpose towards the Canucks on Wednesday within the third interval to kickstart a comeback win. Every of Keller’s final 4 targets have come within the third interval for Utah. The captain is tied for the workforce lead in scoring with 30 factors (11G, 19A) this season.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah welcomes within the Holidays at dwelling with a pair of pre-Christmas video games towards the Anaheim Geese on Sunday, Dec. 22 and the Dallas Stars on Monday, Dec. 23. Sunday’s sport towards Anaheim is scheduled for 3 p.m. whereas Monday’s affair is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
UTA at SJS | Recap

source