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 (18-17-7) aims to defend Delta Center against a streaking Montreal Canadiens (20-18-4) team tonight in downtown Salt Lake City. Utah is in the middle of a seven-game homestand and is looking for its second win of the home stretch. Montreal has seen four straight games go to overtime, and the Canadiens have won six of their last eight. Tonight is the second meeting of the season between the two teams after a Nov. 26 rendez-vous when Utah won 3-2 in overtime.
ONE-TIMERS
- Four Utah skaters have 10+ goals this season: Dylan Guenther (16), Clayton Keller (14), Logan Cooley (11), and Jack McBain (10).
- Nick Schmaltz has goals in back-to-back games.
- Utah has 43 points, six points behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
- Mikhail Sergachev scored the OT-winner in a 3-2 win for Utah when the team last faced Montreal on Nov. 26.
- Utah’s penalty kill has allowed just one power-play goal in the last four games.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
When Utah last saw the Canadiens on Nov. 26, Montreal was 7-11-2 and tied for last in the league with only 16 points. Since then, “Les Habitants” have gone 13-7-2 and stormed back into the Eastern Conference’s playoff conversation. They have earned points in seven of their last eight games, along with each of their last four. Each of Montreal’s last four contests have reached overtime, and the Canadiens have won three of those.
Sniper Patrik Laine did not play against Utah earlier in the season due to a knee injury but has been excellent for Montreal when healthy. Laine has nine goals in just 14 games for the Habs and ranks fifth in the league with 0.64 goals per game played behind Alex Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, Kirill Kaprizov, and Brayden Point.
Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson has entrenched himself in the conversation for the Calder Trophy and leads all rookies with 32 points (3G, 29A). The artistic defenseman is only 20 years of age and is running Monteal’s top power play.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #8 NICK SCHMALTZ - Schmaltz has goals in back-to-back games after a second-period strike against the New York Islanders on Saturday at Delta Center. The winger likes to score in bunches, and six of his eight goals this season have come within one game of another goal.
MONTREAL: #13 COLE CAUFIELD - Caufield was held goal-less on Saturday against the Dallas Stars, snapping his goal streak at five games. The fourth-year pro out of the University of Wisconsin is on pace for a mammoth year with 23 tallies already. 16 of those goals have come on the road, good for the second most amongst all NHL skaters.
LOOK BACK
Utah’s offense sputtered on Saturday against the New York Islanders in a 2-1 loss at Delta Center. Connor Ingram made a successful return to the crease for Utah and stopped 30 of 32 Islanders shots. Nick Schmaltz scored the only goal for Utah in the second period to give him tallies in back-to-back games. In the third frame, Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal each scored for New York to bring the Isles their third straight win.
LAST MEETING
Utah came back to claim a 3-2 overtime victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 26 at Bell Centre. Mikhail Sergachev scored the game-winner after Jack McBain tied the game in the third period. The win ended a four-game road trip for Utah in which the group secured four out of a possible eight points. Dylan Guenther also scored for Utah, giving him three goals in his last three games. Utah was excellent defensively and allowed a season-low 13 shots by Montreal.
MIKHAIL SERGACHEV
Originally selected by Montreal ninth overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Mikhail Sergachev has become one of the premiere defensemen in the NHL. The blueliner won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 (defeating Montreal, the team that drafted him, in the finals) and 2021. During the 2024 NHL Draft on June 29, Utah Hockey Club General Manager Bill Armstrong acquired Sergachev from the Lightning for J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, a 2024 7th round pick, and a 2025 2nd round pick. This season, Sergachev leads all Utah rearguards with 29 points (8G, 21A) and ranks fifth on the team in scoring. His 29 points are tied for 12th amongst all NHL defensemen, and his eight goals place him in a tie for fifth. He is also the only defenseman in the NHL this season with multiple overtime-winners, with one coming against the Canadiens on Nov. 26. Only Columbus’ Zach Werenski averages more ice time (26:33) than Sergachev’s mark (25:52).
LOOK AHEAD
Utah’s seven-game homestand continues on Thursday, Jan. 16 against the New York Rangers. When the two sides last met on Oct. 12 at Madison Square Garden, Clayton Keller scored in overtime to hand Utah a thrilling 6-5 victory.
