WHEN: 7:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Delta Center - Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (10-10-4) goes head-to-head with the Dallas Stars (15-8-0) for the first time this season tonight at Delta Center. After wins in three of its last five games, Utah has climbed back to .500 and sits in fifth place in the Central Division while Dallas holds the third spot. Utah is fresh off a two-game weekend in which the team grabbed three out of a possible four points against the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas has won its last two games including a 3-1 victory over the league-leading Winnipeg Jets last night.
ONE-TIMERS
- Goaltender Jaxson Stauber picked up his first NHL shutout with 29 saves on Saturday against Vegas.
- Utah tied a franchise high with six goals against the Golden Knights.
- Captain Clayton Keller leads the team with 22 points (7G, 15A).
- Alexander Kerfoot and Logan Cooley have goals in back-to-back games.
- Utah has earned points for the standings in four of its last five games and is now four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Stars enter tonight as a well-rounded unit, ranking in the NHL’s top 10 both offensively and defensively. Dallas returns a seasoned core that features veterans like Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, and Tyler Seguin alongside newer contributions such as Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley. In the middle of the group, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen are all in their prime and firing on all cylinders. In total, 12 players for Dallas have skated in parts of at least three seasons with the Stars. This group has reached the Western Conference Finals but fallen short each of the last two seasons and is one of the favorites to compete for this year’s Stanley Cup.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #8 NICK SCHMALTZ - Schmaltz scored his first two goals of the season on Saturday against Vegas and now ranks fourth on the team with 19 points (2G, 17A). The former NCAA national champion with the University of North Dakota is in his ninth professional season and has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last three campaigns.
DALLAS: #24 ROOPE HINTZ - Hintz has goals in four of his last five appearances, including the game-winner against Winnipeg last night. The Nokia, Finland native has bagged at least 30 goals in each of his last three seasons and is now up to 10 on the current campaign, tied for second amongst Dallas skaters.
LOOK BACK
Utah claimed its most dominant win of the season on Saturday against Vegas at T-Mobile arena in 6-0 fashion. The game marked the first franchise shutout for Utah thanks to Jaxson Stauber’s 29 saves. It also marked the biggest win of the season for Utah, and the six goals tied a franchise high for goals in a game. Nick Schmaltz led the way with two scores while Clayton Keller, Alexander Kerfoot, and Logan Cooley all added a goal and an assist. Michael Carcone also netted his first tally of the season. Utah scored four goals in the first period and two in the second to take control of the game.
FIRST FRANCHISE SHUTOUT
In his first appearance with the Utah Hockey Club, goaltender Jaxson Stauber recorded his first NHL shutout with 29 saves against Vegas on Saturday. Stauber was called up to Utah from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on Nov. 20 after recording a 5-2-0 record, 2.29 goals-against average, and .930 save percentage to start the year in the minor leagues. The game at T-Mobile Arena was the first instance in the Golden Knights’ eight years of operation that they had been beaten by six goals at home.
HIGH OCTANE
Utah was one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL to start the season, and the club rekindled its offensive flame on Saturday against the Golden Knights. The six goals tied a season high for Utah set on Oct. 12 against the New York Rangers and on Nov. 23 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the four goals in Saturday’s first period also tied a franchise record set on Oct. 12 for goals in a frame. Utah scored a power-play goal, a shorthanded goal, and four 5-on-5 goals against Vegas. Head Coach Andre Tourigny’s group has now scored six goals three times, five or more goals six times, and four or more goals 10 times.
LOOK AHEAD
The Utah Hockey Club ventures east this weekend to face the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. MT and the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. MT.
