Recreation Preview, 1/2: Utah Hockey Membership vs. Calgary Flames – NHL.com

Recreation Preview, 1/2: Utah Hockey Membership vs. Calgary Flames
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, Alberta
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports activities Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Membership’s (16-14-6) tour of Alberta continues tonight in opposition to the Calgary Flames (18-12-7) at Scotiabank Saddledome. Utah is 5 factors behind Calgary who at present sits within the second wild card spot within the Western Convention with 43 factors. Utah and Calgary met beforehand at Delta Heart on Oct. 30, and Utah claimed a 5-1 victory. Tonight can be the third of a four-game street journey for Utah that may conclude on Jan. 4 in opposition to the Dallas Stars.
ONE-TIMERS
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
When Utah and Calgary final met on Oct. 30 at Delta Heart, the Flames misplaced their fourth consecutive recreation and gave up 5 targets for the third straight contest. Since then, Calgary has solely misplaced back-to-back video games in regulation as soon as, and the workforce has gone 13-8-6. The Flames hover close to the center of the league in most statistical classes and are at present in the course of the Pacific Division standings with 43 points- adequate to carry the second wild card spot within the Western Convention. Utah may need a bonus in the beginning of the sport as Calgary has scored the fewest first-period targets within the NHL this season with 22. Utah’s +10 differential within the first body is the fifth-best within the league.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #4 JUUSO VÄLIMÄKI – Välimäki, 26, was chosen sixteenth total by the Flames within the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Finnish defenseman performed components of three seasons with Calgary earlier than he was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes in the beginning of the 2022-23 marketing campaign. Välimäki has two targets and two assists for Utah in 31 video games this season.
CALGARY: #10 JONATHAN HUBERDEAU – Huberdeau has 5 targets in his final 5 video games for Calgary, and had eight whole tallies within the month of December, tied for the eleventh most within the league throughout that span. Huberdeau is in his third yr with the Flames after he was traded from the Florida Panthers, and he leads the membership with 29 factors (16G, 13A).
LOOK BACK
A 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers two nights in the past at Rogers Place gave Utah its fifth straight defeat. After Matias Ekholm began the scoring within the first interval, Jack McBain produced a fast response along with his tenth purpose of the yr to tie the sport at 1-1 simply 1:34 after Edmonton’s first tally. Later within the second interval, the Oilers struck twice inside 20 seconds to take a 3-1 lead on targets from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Troy Stetcher. Leon Draisaitl prolonged his level streak to 12 video games by scoring the empty-net purpose for Edmonton. Goaltender Jaxson Stauber was busy for Utah and stopped 34 of the 37 pictures he confronted.
LAST MEETING
Utah snapped a four-game skid with a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Oct. 30 at Delta Heart. Alexander Kerfoot scored his first purpose of the season 4:41 into the competition, Maveric Lamoureux scored his first NHL tally later within the second, and Olli Mӓӓttӓ made his Utah Hockey Membership debut. Goaltender Connor Ingram turned in a stellar outing with 30 saves on 31 Calgary pictures.
WORLD JUNIORS
Ottawa is at present internet hosting the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships, and 5 Utah Hockey Membership prospects are in motion. Cole Beaudoin (Canada, 2024 1st spherical), Michael Hrabal (Czechia, 2023 2nd spherical), Vojtĕch Hradec (Czechia, 2024 sixth spherical), Veeti Väisänen (Finland, 2024 third spherical), and Melker Thelin (Sweden, 2023 fifth spherical) are all representing their nations on the U20 match. 15 of Utah’s gamers have appeared at World Juniors beforehand:
PENALTY KILL
Utah’s penalty kill has been good within the final 4 video games, going 10-for-10 in that stretch, together with a 3-for-3 effort on New Yr’s Eve in opposition to Edmonton’s top-10 energy play. Utah is 40-for-44 on the kill over the past 14 video games (90.9%) and is tied for the second-best penalty kill proportion within the NHL over that span. For the season, Utah’s PK ranks fifteenth within the league at 80.9%.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah wraps up its four-game street journey in two day’s time on Jan. 4 in opposition to the Dallas Stars at American Airways Heart. Utah has performed Dallas twice at Delta Heart, and each have resulted in one-goal wins for the Stars.
UTA at EDM | Recap

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