GamePreview 16x9

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. MT

WHERE: Delta Center - Salt Lake City, Utah

TV: TNT, truTV, Max(HBO) | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App

The Utah Hockey Club (21-21-7) returns to the Wasatch Front tonight for a tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins (20-24-8) at Delta Center. This evening kicks off a four-game homestand for Utah as the team jockeys for playoff positioning in a crowded Western Conference. Utah is currently six points out of the postseason picture and seeks two more points tonight against a Pittsburgh team that Utah beat 6-1 when the teams last met in Pennsylvania.

ONE-TIMERS

  • Barrett Hayton was named the NHL’s Third Star for the week ending Jan. 26.
  • 11 different Utah players recorded a point when Utah and Pittsburgh last met on Nov. 23.
  • Logan Cooley is a Pittsburgh native.
  • Only Pittsburgh (8) and the Vancouver Canucks (10) have more overtime/shootout losses than Utah (7).
  • Utah’s penalty kill has only allowed three power-play goals in the last 11 games (20-for-23).

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

The Pens have lost three straight on a western swing and have only scored one goal in each of their last three contests against the Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and San Jose Sharks. Despite ranking second to last in the Eastern Conference with 48 points, Pittsburgh is still only seven points out of a wild card spot. The Penguins have struggled defensively this season and allow the second most goals at 3.60 per game. Star forward Evgeni Malkin was placed on injured reserve Monday, leaving Pittsburgh without one of its top players. Sidney Crosby leads the team in scoring with 53 points (15G, 38A), and Rickard Rakell paces the Pens with 23 tucks.

WHO TO WATCH

UTAH: #28 IAN COLE - Cole spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins and won two Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 alongside current Utah teammate Olli Määttä. The defenseman has 13 points (1G, 12A) and ranks second in the NHL with 135 blocked shots.

PITTSBURGH: #87 SIDNEY CROSBY - The future Hall-of-Famer has goals in three of his last four contests, including in each of his last two games. Crosby is now up to 1,649 points (607G, 1,042A) in 1,324 career games and has more career points than Utah’s top eight scorers in the 2024-25 season have totaled in their careers combined.

LOOK BACK

Utah dropped its last game of a three-game road trip on Sunday in 3-1 fashion against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Ridley Greig opened the scoring in the second period with a shorthanded goal for the Senators. Moments later, Clayton Keller tied the game at 1-1 after his pass redirected off an Ottawa player and into the Senators’ net. Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk scored in the third period for Ottawa to hand the Sens a two-goal victory. Utah’s penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3, and Utah outshot Ottawa 35-27 in the game, but Ottawa’s Leevi Merilainen was stalwart with 34 saves.

LAST MEETING

Utah snapped a three-game losing streak with a convincing 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 23 at PPG Paints Arena. Utah jumped out to a 2-0 start after goals from Jack McBain and Mikhail Sergachev in the first period, but then Sidney Crosby scored his 600th career NHL goal on a 5-on-3 power play to start off the second. Utah answered with four straight goals of their own, including three power-play goals and two tallies from Dylan Guenther. Karel Vejmelka proved steadfast in net once again with 27 saves on 28 shots. Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley picked up two assists in the win, and captain Clayton Keller grabbed three assists.

BARRETT HAYTON - THIRD STAR OF THE WEEK

The National Hockey League announced today that Utah Hockey Club forward Barrett Hayton has been named the NHL’s Third Star for the week ending Jan. 26.

The 24-year-old Hayton registered four goals and two assists and scored two game-winning goals in four games to help Utah win two of three games against Central Division opponents. Three of Hayton’s four goals came within the opening two minutes of a period and helped Utah tie the game or take the lead. Hayton also won 63.6% of his faceoffs, which ranked eighth in the NHL among players taking at least 20 draws during that stretch.

The Peterborough, Ontario native has recorded 26 points (12G, 14A) in 49 games this season and leads the team with five game-winning goals. He also has a 54.9% face-off win percentage which is the second-highest on the team and ranks 27th in the NHL.

STRONG STARTS

You’d better get to your seats early at Delta Center, because Utah has been an excellent first period team this season. Andre Tourigny’s squad has a +13 goal differential in the first period- the sixth best mark in the NHL. Utah has scored multiple goals in four of its last seven first periods and has allowed just one total goal across its last four first frames.

Utah has only trailed after the first 20 minutes a total of eight times this season, tying the team with the Los Angeles Kings for the fewest games trailing after one period.

LOOK AHEAD

Utah continues a four-game home stand on Friday night with a tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Delta Center. The meeting with Columbus on Friday night will be the first ever between the two sides.

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