Welcome to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in. Today we’re looking at the Utah Hockey Club against the Calgary Flames. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions every day there’s hockey this 2024-25 season.
NHL Predictions
Utah Hockey Club (16-15-6) vs Calgary Flames (18-12-7)
Time: 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: ESPN+; Utah16; SNW
Head-to-head: Utah leads 1-0
After moving to Utah from Arizona the aptly named Utah Hockey Club made some big offseason moves to accelerate their rebuild and contend sooner. Unfortunately for Utah, a combination of injuries and growing pains make it look like they may still be one year away from the playoffs. Calgary entered this season in year two of a rebuild with the objective of developing young players and maximizing assets. However, with a combination of strong goaltending and competitiveness, they currently find themselves battling for the playoffs.
Utah and Calgary faced off on October 30th, in Utah. This was one of Calgary’s worst performances of the year at that time and would be the start of some terrible play away from home. Since that game, a lot has changed on both sides and luckily for Calgary, this matchup takes place at the Saddledome. Let’s dive into the latest team storylines and predictions for tonight’s game.
Flames Looking to Stay in the Wildcard Race
Heading into tonight’s matchup the Calgary Flames currently find themselves in the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. However, every night changes whether they are in or out. The Flames will need to find a way to consistently win hockey games the rest of the year if they hope to make the playoffs. As we mentioned above, heading into this season many on the outside had Calgary missing the playoffs and more likely to find themselves in the draft lottery. However, this team has received above-average goaltending from Dustin Wolf and Daniel Vladar. They’ve paired strong goaltending with a gritty defensive style of play allowing them to keep games close. This style of play has resulted in more wins than expected to this point of the season, but this team does still have some problems.
Calgary has managed to score more than three goals in regulation just five times this season. They lack high-end offensive talent and struggle to score as a team. This isn’t unexpected for a rebuilding team. However, if the Flames hope to reach the playoffs they will need to create more offence. As of late veterans Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri have been consistently scoring and lead the team in scoring. Calgary will need this to continue if they hope to win more games. They are also getting some contributions from youngsters Connor Zary and Matthew Coronato, although they will need to step up even more for Calgary as the season continues.
Utah Battling Injuries
Utah is currently sitting three spots out of a Wildcard spot and eight points back of the third spot in the Central Division. Although there is technically enough time for Utah to make a run at the playoffs, their injuries to key players may be their undoing. Utah is currently without two top-four defencemen Sean Durzi and John Marino who are both several months away from returning. In positive injury news, their starting goaltender Connor Ingram is nearing a return after missing the month of December.
Although Utah may fail to make the playoffs in their first season in Salt Lake City, their fans should be excited about the future. Youngster Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley sit tied for second on the team in points. Just four points behind all-star captain Clayton Keller. With the continued growth of their young players and a season of full health Utah has a lot to look forward to.
Predictions
The Utah Hockey Club are in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Utah has been outscored 13-4 in their last three games and should come into tonight’s contest desperate for a win.
Calgary is coming off an eventful win against their rival the Vancouver Canucks. This could be a spot for a letdown game with a non-playoff team in the building. However, Calgary has been great on home ice this year and if they can stay out of the penalty box they should have the advantage against the struggling Utah Hockey Club.
Prediction: Flames Win 3-2
Prop Bets of The Night
The Flames are listed as a favourite with a +1.5 goal spread which is too tight to our prediction to add much value. So we’ll take a look at some player props for tonight’s matchup.
Dylan Guenther currently leads Utah with 16 goals on the season. He also leads the team with seven powerplay goals. He should generate some chances and could get more than a couple of chances on the powerplay. FanDuel currently has him at +210 to score which is worth taking a look at.
On the Flames side, Connor Zary scored last game and has looked dangerous as of late. This could be a chance for him to break out. With odds set at +340 to score, this could be worth a play.
Main Photo Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: Jan. 2 Utah Hockey Club vs. Calgary Flames appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.