WHEN: 6:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Enterprise Center - St. Louis, Missouri
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM 1280 AM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (5-5-3) arrives at the Gateway to the West to take on the St. Louis Blues (7-6-0) at Enterprise Center in the third contest of a four-game road trip. Tonight also marks a milestone for Utah center Nick Bjugstad, who is set to play in his 700th career NHL game this evening.
ONE-TIMERS
- Utah has played more overtime games than any team this season with six.
- Captain Clayton Keller leads the team with 12 points (6G, 6A).
- Utah is 2-3-2 on the road this season.
- Current Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo won a Stanley Cup Championship with St. Louis in 2019.
- The Utah Hockey Club is the third best faceoff team in the NHL at 55.2%.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Blues have won each of their last two games and sit one spot above the Utah Hockey Club in the Central Division at fourth 14 points. Eight of St. Louis’ 13 contests have been decided by one goal so far, with the Blues earning a 5-3-0 record in those games.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #17 NICK BJUGSTAD - Bjugstad is set to play in his 700th career NHL game tonight. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher is in his 12th full NHL season and has produced 313 points (149G, 164A) in his previous 699 games. Bjugstad will become just the second player on Utah’s roster to have hit the 700-game mark in his career.
ST. LOUIS: #25 JORDAN KYROU - Kyrou leads St. Louis with 11 points (4G, 7A) in 13 games to start the season. The 26-year-old has produced at least 30 goals in each of his last two seasons and represented the Blues at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game.
LOOK BACK
The Winnipeg Jets, the top team in the NHL, took down the Utah Hockey Club 3-0 on Tuesday at Canada Life Centre. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck recorded his 39th career shutout with 21 saves against Utah, and Nino Niederreiter scored two goals for Winnipeg in his 900th NHL game.
STRONG STARTS
When goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped all 12 Winnipeg shots in the first period on Tuesday, it marked the fifth consecutive game that Utah had not allowed a first-period goal. Utah has a +2 goal differential in the first period this season, ranking 10th in the NHL. Goaltender Connor stopped 35 of the first 36 shots on goal from the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 28, the first 14 shots against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 30, the first 20 shots from the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 2, and Karel Vejmelka stopped the first 19 shots on Tuesday against Winnipeg.
1,500 BLOCKS
Veteran defenseman Ian Cole recorded his 1,500th blocked shot in the NHL on Tuesday against Winnipeg. According to MoneyPuck.com, Cole has stepped in front of 28 shots this season to lead the team, and his total is tied for the 18th most in the NHL this season. The Ann Arbor, Michigan native will skate in his 840th NHL game tonight against the team that selected him 18th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. Cole played in parts of five seasons with St. Louis before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015 for current Utah teammate Robert Bortuzzo and a 2016 7th round pick.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah’s four-game road trip concludes in Music City on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators at 6 p.m. MT. Utah then returns home to face the Carolina Hurricanes inside Delta Center at 7 p.m. MT on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
