By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
The Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club meet at the Delta Center on Friday.
This is the second all-time meeting between both clubs. The Golden Knights won the first game, 4-3, home on Nov 2.
Utah is coming off a 4-1 home victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Nick Bjgustad scored two goals. Karel Vejmelka made 49 saves.
The Golden Knights came off a road victory 3-2 over the Anaheim Ducks. Nicolas Roy, Tomas Hertl, and Pavel Dorofeyev scored goals for the Golden Knights. Adin Hill made 22 saves.
The Golden Knights are favorites to win this game. Dorofeyev leads the Golden Knights in goals this season with nine. They have a 10-4-2 record.
Utah has a 7-6-3 record. Dylan Guenther leads the team with seven goals.
The goaltending matchup will be interesting to watch. Hill has seven wins and a 3.27 GAA, while Connor Ingram has six wins and a 3.40 GAA.
The Golden Knights are No. 1 in the NHL in penalty minutes, No. 2 in power play percentage (32.6) and assists (75), and No. 3 in shooting percentage (13.55).
Bjugstad has scored at least one goal in five of his last six appearances.
Clayton Keller has recorded at least one assist in his last four appearances against Pacific Division opponents.
Utah must take advantage of a pose play situation and avoid shutouts. In the last five games, the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets have shut them out twice.
In addition, Utah’s biggest Achilles heel has been the second and third periods. The defense must be aggressive all night long. Another thing to point out about Utah is that they struggle to get on a winning streak.
Utah has lately lost every game after picking up a victory against their opponent. The team must do a better job covering the puck line if it wants an edge over the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights have won nine of their last 11 night games against Western Conference opponents.
It’s understandable why the Golden Knights are favorites to win this game. They’re more consistent, have more weapons, and are more trustworthy. They know what it takes to win.
Injuries might have decimated Utah early in the season, and missing key players on defense, but when a team plays with fire and heart, it can make a difference in the game’s outcome.
A victory over the Golden Knights could be a confidence booster for the club.
Prediction: Vegas Wins 5-4
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com
X: @mmm_sportnfilms, Instagram: @miguel_passionforsports, TikTok: @miguelmikemedina