Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, our team here at Last Word on Hockey breaks down head-to-head matchups and other key elements that may influence the outcome of each game. This NHL Predictions article analyzes the first matchup between the Dallas Stars and the Utah Hockey Club on Monday.
NHL Predictions
Dallas Stars vs. Utah Hockey Club
Time: 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: Victory+; ESPN+; Sportsnet
The Dallas Stars travel to Utah for the first time in team history to face the newly relocated Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) in a Central Division clash. While Utah is a relocated team, NHL records are treating it like a new franchise this season.
The Stars won all four meetings with Arizona rather decisively last season with only one game closer than a two-goal margin. Still, Dallas has had its struggles on the road and cannot overlook this game. These teams will play again in Utah on December 23, and the remaining games in Dallas will be played in 2025.
The Stars are playing back-to-back games for the third time this season. They won back-to-back games on home ice in mid-October and kicked off November with games in Finland—dropping both to the Florida Panthers. This is the first time this season they will play at home one day and on the road the next.
Utah had a day off on Sunday after playing six games in nine days to close November.
Dallas Stars Story
Dallas (15-8-0) has had a pretty firm grasp of third place in the Central Divison all season and came up with a crucial 3-1 win over first-place Winnipeg on Sunday. The Stars are an astounding 10-1-0 on home ice this season and have won two games in a row. However, their struggles on the road have been apparent this year, and they have lost their last two away games while allowing six goals in each.
Forward Mason Marchment has continued his great season during the win streak. The 29-year-old has four points (three goals and an assist) over the last two games, including an impressive spinning goal to put the Stars ahead of Winnipeg for good on Sunday. Fellow forward Wyatt Johnston has also been on fire since reclaiming a spot on Dallas’ first line. He has at least one point in each of the last six games.
However, Dallas has struggled to get going on the power play, ranking 20th in the NHL at 18.6%. Special teams have been a massive x-factor for the Stars, leading to more victories when things click while adding insult to poor performances in losses. Utah leads the league in penalty minutes and the 23rd-ranked penalty kill, providing a great opportunity to get things on track.
Utah Hockey Club Story
In its first season in Salt Lake City, the Utah Hockey Club has a 10-10-4 record. It has played well recently, coming off a 6-0 win over Pacific Division leader Vegas, winning three of its last five games, and taking Edmonton to overtime.
Utah has a good young nucleus of forwards in Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley and added some good veterans like defenceman Mikhail Sergachev in the offseason. They only score 2.88 goals per game yet are perfectly capable of an offensive explosion on any given night.
Guenther is the top scorer with 10 goals this season. He and Keller each had 11 points in November while Cooley added 12. Nick Schmaltz has also stepped up, scoring two goals in the last game. Goaltender Connor Ingram is on injured reserve, but Jaxson Stauber pitched a shutout in his NHL debut, and Karel Vejmelka ranks among the best in goals against and save percentage.
Whoever takes the net will have a remarkable challenge in front of him.
NHL Prediction
The goalie situations make this difficult, especially since Stauber has only played one game and Dallas has turned to backup Casey DeSmith for the second leg of its previous back-to-backs. DeSmith has lost four consecutive starts and allowed 3.77 goals per game in that span, so Utah will have a better chance if he plays Monday. Dallas cannot overlook Utah or it could suffer another blow similar to last week’s 6-2 loss in Chicago. The offence will need to continue to perform, and it should manage just enough to pull this one out.
Prediction: Stars win 4-2
Prop Bets of the Night
Stars forwards Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin have been getting plenty of quality scoring chances lately. Hintz has scored in consecutive games, while Seguin has yet to convert. Bet365 lists both players at +210 to score at any time. Marchment’s point streak is also tempting, and it might be a good time for him to come through on the power play given the matchup (+375). I also like the over 2.5 shots on goal (+150) for Utah’s Nick Schmaltz.
Main Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: December 2 with Dallas Stars vs Utah Hockey Club appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.