Sport Preview, 4/14: Utah Hockey Membership vs. Nashville Predators – NHL.com

WHEN: 6:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Bridgestone Area – Nashville, Tennessee
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports activities Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Membership (37-30-13) continues its last street journey of the season tonight within the Volunteer State in opposition to the Nashville Predators (29-43-8). The groups met simply 4 days in the past on Apr. 10 at Delta Heart when the Preds handed Utah a 4-3 shootout loss.
ONE-TIMERS
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Nashville took some large swings on free brokers within the offseason and landed names that might mild up a Broadway marquee: Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. Regardless of the additions, the Predators are useless final in league scoring at simply 2.55 objectives per recreation and have the third fewest standings factors within the league with 66.
Nashville has made 10 trades for the reason that begin of the season with six of them affecting the staff’s wage cap. One fixed for the Predators during the last 11 seasons has been Filip Forsberg. Forsberg leads the staff in scoring with 73 factors (31G, 42A) and has pieced collectively his fifth 30-goal season. Three of his 31 tallies this 12 months have come in opposition to Utah, and he scored the shootout-winner final Thursday at Delta Heart.
Utah misplaced to Nashville 4-0 on Nov. 9 at Bridgestone Area after which once more 4-3 in a shootout on Apr. 10 at Delta Heart. The Predators may grow to be the seventh staff to comb the season sequence in opposition to Utah in 2024-25 (Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, Toronto).
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #91 JOSH DOAN – Doan has objectives in back-to-back video games for Utah, together with the game-winner on Saturday in opposition to Dallas. The 23-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona has factors in 4 of his final 5 video games (2G, 2A).
NASHVILLE: #9 FILIP FORSBERG – Forsberg has torched Utah for 3 objectives by means of the earlier two conferences, not together with his shootout-winner final Thursday. The 30-year-old has six factors (3G, 3A) in his final six video games and is Nashville’s all-time chief in objectives with 318.
LOOK BACK
Utah earned its first win in opposition to the Dallas Stars on Saturday evening in a 5-3 last at American Airways Heart. A 4-for-4 power-play effort piloted Utah to victory and set a staff document for many power-play objectives in a recreation.
The primary 4 objectives of the sport all got here on particular groups with Utah placing twice on the man-advantage and Dallas scoring a power-play aim and a shorthanded aim. Tied at 2-2, Logan Cooley netted his twenty fourth aim of the season at even power to place Utah forward within the second interval. Josh Doan scored on the ability play later within the second, and Utah cemented its win with one other power-play aim from Nick Schmaltz within the third.
Utah outshot Dallas 34-24, and Karel Vejmelka earned his twenty sixth win of the season with 21 saves.
LAST MEETING
Utah closed its 2024-25 house schedule with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday evening at Delta Heart. The Mountain Blue completed with an 18-15-5 house document and factors in 12 of its final 15 in Salt Lake Metropolis.
Nick Bjugstad and Josh Doan led off the scoring for Utah within the second interval to place the hosts up 2-0. Nashville then tied the sport at 2-2 with power-play objectives from Nick Blakenburg late within the second and from Filip Forsberg 1:19 into the third. Ryan O’Reilly stashed a rebound for the Preds simply 1:58 after Forsberg’s aim to provide Nashville their first lead of the sport.
Dylan Guenther scored his twenty seventh aim of the season on the 5:42 mark of the third body to knot issues up at 3-3, however Utah fell within the shootout after Forsberg scored the one aim of the abilities competitors.
POWER PLAY
Utah set a brand new franchise document with 4 power-play objectives on Apr. 12 in opposition to Dallas.
CAREER HIGHS
A number of Utah skaters have skilled profession bests whereas carrying Mountain Blue. 11 skaters have set new private highs in a scoring statistic, and Karel Vejmelka is on tempo to have a profession 12 months in internet. Under are the brand new profession highs set by Utah:
LOOK AHEAD
Utah concludes its Inaugural Season tomorrow in opposition to the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Heart.

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