When: Sunday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. CT
Where: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App
QUICK HITS
BLUES The St. Louis Blues (23-25-4) are seeking revenge against the Utah Hockey Club just two weeks after their last meeting, when Utah earned a 4-2 victory in the Blues’ first-ever trip to Delta Center.
Since the Blues and the Utah HC last met, the Blues have posted a 1-4-0 record and have been outscored 20-9 by their opponents in the past five games. Despite playing a more physical game with a 37-15 edge in hits and winning 28 of 50 faceoffs, the Blues fell 5-0 to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
Following a hard three days of practice, Head Coach Jim Montgomery expressed frustration with the result.
“It’s more disappointing than surprising would be the way I would word it,” Montgomery said. “We haven’t had the right frame of minds right now with everything that’s happened in the last week. And we need to get back to thinking about being on our toes and being in an aggressive mindset instead of thinking about what’s transpired in the past or what can go poorly.”
Defenseman Colton Parayko was a late scratch against the Avalanche due to illness; this marked the first time since Nov. 19, 2022, that Parayko missed a game. He is sixth on the team in points with 28 (11 goals, 17 assists) and ranks fourth in the league in blocked shots with 122.
Matthew Kessel entered the lineup for Parayko after being recalled from the Springfield Thunderbirds earlier in the day. In 17 games with the Thunderbirds, Kessel had 11 points (four goals, seven assists).
The Blues have a chance on Sunday to earn their first win against Utah and start February on a good note. They follow up this road trip with a three-game homestand.
UTAH HC The Utah Hockey Club (21-21-9) enters Sunday’s matchup with 51 points, one spot and point above the Blues in the standings.
Since the two teams last met on Jan. 18, the team has posted a 2-2-2 record, most recently falling 3-2 in overtime to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the past six games, Utah has found momentum in the second period, with seven of its last 16 goals coming in this frame. Additionally, they have found success with its power-play unit, capitalizing in five of their last six games.
On Sunday, Utah HC will be without forward Logan Cooley, who suffered a lower-body injury during their 3-2 OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and is out indefinitely. Cooley is second on the team in points with 43 (15 goals, 28 assists). In 132 career games, the former No. 3 overall pick in 2022 has 87 points (35 goals, 52 assists).
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