A busy Saturday night in the NHL features a first-time matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Utah Hockey Club. Welcome to NHL Predictions here on Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we examine upcoming games, providing predictions and analyzing head-to-head matchups. In today’s predictions article, Sidney Crosby and his Penguins visit the Delta Center to take on the brand new Utah Hockey Club. Be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for all the games on this busy Saturday night in November.
NHL Predictions
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Utah Hockey Club
Head-to-Head: Penguins 0-0 Utah HC
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: NHL Network; Sportsnet Pittsburgh; Utah16
With the NHL season chugging along, both teams in this matchup are looking to build some momentum. Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets last night. An unimpressive showing against the top team in the league is hardly the backdrop the Penguins were hoping for against Utah. Meanwhile, Utah’s first season in the NHL has not gone well, which was to be expected. With the roster largely being built of the former Arizona Coyotes, Utah’s 7-9-3 record is unsurprising. Both Pittsburgh and Utah are currently in the bottom 10 in the standings going into this game.
The Penguins’ Story
The Penguins have hit rock bottom in the Sidney Crosby era. Crosby himself has 20 points in 22 games, with Evgeni Malkin tying him in the scoring category. The team is lacking in offensive depth past this point, with a lack of primary scoring beyond these two. Pittsburgh has also faced defensive struggles, being the highest scored on team in the league. Their abysmal 3.95 goals against per game has been a large reason they are in the bottom tier of the NHL.
Goaltending continues to be a concern, as Tristan Jarry allowed four goals on 30 shots against Winnipeg. He is 1-3-1 with a .869 save percentage this season. It is likely Alex Nedeljkovic gets the start however as this is the back-half of a back-to-back. He has not fared well either this season, with a 3-3-3 record and .886 save percentage. Defending against Utah or any team’s offence is difficult for this Penguins team.
The Utah Hockey Club’s Story
The Utah Hockey Club, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, relocated to Salt Lake City for the 2024–25 season. In their inaugural season, they have faced the typical challenges of a new team, especially one inheriting the Coyotes roster. Young guns Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther lead the team in scoring with 16 and 14 points in 19 games, respectively. Behind them, veteran forward Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley have provided support to the scoring leaders on the team. Utah also boasts a solid defensive weapon in Mikhail Sergachev. A cap-casualty of Tampa Bay’s, as they decided to reacquire Ryan McDonagh, Sergachev, has looked good in his expanded role with Utah.
Goaltending has been an interesting story for Utah. Starter Connor Ingram boasts a 6-4-3 record. However, his save percentage is just.871. Meanwhile, back-up Karel Vejmelka has gone 1-5 with a .922 save percentage. Ingram has shown he can shut down games with his winning record, while Vejmelka’s save percentage threatens an anemic Penguins offence. Utah’s veteran blueline will be key in this game against the Penguins.
Prediction
Pittsburgh is in a freefall. Meanwhile Utah is on home-ice with something to prove in their inaugural season. Their offensive weapons including Guenther and Cooley far outmatch the defence of the Penguins. Expect a Utah win in this one.
Prediction: Utah Hockey Club wins 3-1
Prop Bets of the Night
A 60 Min Correct Score of 3-1 at a +3100 is an interesting option. With the Penguins anemic offence and struggling defence, we would recommend this option over at FanDuel.
Main photo by: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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