WHEN: 5:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, Florida
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
The Utah Hockey Club (32-29-11) takes on the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers (43-25-3) tonight at Amerant Bank Arena. Utah enters the matchup after suffering their worst defeat of the season, an 8-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida, battling for the top seed in the Atlantic Division, is just one point behind the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs.
ONE-TIMERS
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Kevin Stenlund returns to face the team with which he won the Stanley Cup last season.
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Florida has reached the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the last two years.
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Seven Utah players have either matched or set new career-high goal totals.
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All five of Josh Doan’s goals this season have come against Eastern Conference teams.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Similar to Tampa Bay, Florida excels in almost every area. The Panthers rank in the top 11 for scoring offense (3.15 goals per game – 11th), scoring defense (2.72 goals against – 9th), power play (24.3% – 10th), and penalty kill (80.9% – 11th).
Despite missing Matthew Tkachuk for the last 14 games due to injury, Florida has managed to stay competitive. They had a six-game winning streak from Feb. 25 to Mar. 8 but have since gone 3-4-0. The Panthers made notable moves at the trade deadline, acquiring defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago, center Nico Sturm from San Jose, and winger Brad Marchand from Boston.
STANDINGS UPDATE
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WC1: Minnesota Wild – 87 points
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WC2: St. Louis Blues – 85 points
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Vancouver Canucks – 80 points
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Calgary Flames – 79 points
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Utah Hockey Club – 75 points
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Anaheim Ducks – 70 points
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #82 KEVIN STENLUND – Stenlund returns to Florida, where he helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup last season. The versatile centerman has matched his career-high with 11 goals and set a new high with 20 points (11G, 9A) this season with Utah.
FLORIDA: #63 BRAD MARCHAND – After a trade to Florida on Mar. 7, Marchand has been recovering from an upper-body injury but could be in the lineup tonight. The winger has 47 points (21G, 26A) in 61 games this season.
LAST MEETING
In their last encounter on Jan. 8 at Delta Center, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers defeated Utah 4-1. Utah attempted a third-period comeback, cutting Florida’s lead to 2-1, but empty-net goals sealed the win for the Panthers. Jesper Boqvist scored twice for Florida, including the game-winner.
LOOK BACK
Utah suffered a crushing 8-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night at Amalie Arena. The Lightning’s offense was potent, with Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scoring two goals. Goaltender Andrej Vasilevskiy earned a shutout with 25 saves.
Former Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev received a tribute during the first period. Additionally, Tampa Bay’s Ryan McDonagh reached his 1,000th career game in the contest.
BOUNCING BACK
Though last night’s loss was Utah’s worst of the season, the team has proven resilient. After losses allowing four or more goals, Utah is 13-11-0 in their next game. They’ve also shown strength in comeback efforts, with 16 comeback wins this season, including seven in the third period.
ROAD GAMES
Tonight marks the second of a three-game road trip in Florida. Utah holds a 17-15-4 record on the road this season, ranking 13th in the NHL for road wins. Their special teams are also strong, with the eighth-best road power play (26.9%) and the fifth-best penalty kill (82.5%).
Clayton Keller leads Utah with 35 points (13G, 22A) in 35 road games. Several players, including Dylan Guenther, Kevin Stenlund, and Jack McBain, have been especially productive away from home.
LOOK AHEAD
Utah will continue its stretch of three games in four days with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday. Last time they visited Chicago, Connor Bedard secured an overtime win for the Blackhawks on Mar. 7.
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