WHEN: 6:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, Tennessee
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL News Radio 102.7 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (6-5-3) concludes a four-game road swing with a tilt tonight against the Nashville Predators (4-6-1) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Utah has picked up standings points in four of its last five games and has improved defensively by allowing three or fewer goals in three of its last four contests.
ONE-TIMERS
- Utah won its last game 4-2 against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
- Dylan Guenther leads the team with seven goals.
- Rookie Maveric Lamoureux picked up his first career fighting major on Thursday in St. Louis.
- Utah is now fourth in the Central Division with 15 points.
- Michael Kesselring’s goal at 0:18 of the first period on Thursday was the fastest goal in the NHL this season.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Predators will be hungry to get back into the win column tonight after three straight losses. General Manager Barry Trotz made several big splashes in free agency over the summer with the acquisitions of veteran forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei. In total, Nashville committed over $180 million in new contracts to new and returning players over the next several seasons. Along with the newcomers, the Preds are headlined by goaltender Juuse Saros who boasts a 2.85 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage this season.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #39 CONNOR INGRAM - Should Ingram return to the crease tonight, he will be facing the team that he made his NHL debut with in 2021. Ingram appeared in three regular season and four postseason games for Nashville in the 2021-22 season before he was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes in October of 2022. The 6-foot-2 netminder picked up his sixth win of the season on Thursday in St. Louis with 13 saves on 15 Blues shots.
NASHVILLE: #91 STEVEN STAMKOS - After an unusually slow start, Stamkos has found some rhythm with his new team and has goals in back-to-back games. Through 14 contests, the former Stanley Cup Champion with Tampa Bay (and former teammate of Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev) is tied for fourth in scoring amongst all Nashville players with seven points (4G, 3A).
LOOK BACK
Utah grabbed its first win of the road trip with a 4-2 decision in St. Louis on Thursday night. Michael Kesselring scored just 18 seconds into the first period, and Utah never trailed in the contest. Matias Maccelli gave Utah a 2-1 edge late in the second, and after St. Louis tied the game in the third, Dylan Guenther netted his seventh tally of the year to give Utah a 3-2 advantage. Utah outshot St. Louis 31-15 in the contest.
