Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Utah Hockey Club will make their first-ever visit to the legendary Bell Centre to take on the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens are concluding a four-game home stand, during which they have convincingly defeated both the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets with a combined score of 8:1.
Montreal Canadiens
In November, the Canadiens tightened up their even-strength defence. They allow just 2.1 xG per hour of play, ranking seventh in the league. While maintaining this might be challenging in the long run, it should be enough against the Utah Hockey Club for the hosts to capitalise on their chances. The Canadiens’ shooting efficiency is quite commendable, placing them in the top ten with a shot conversion rate of 11.6%. Impressively, seven of their main rotation forwards have a goal conversion rate of 15% or higher. The Utah Hockey Club, by contrast, only have three players achieving that mark.
Utah Hockey Club
Injuries to key defenders John Marino and Sean Durzi have significantly impacted the Utah Hockey Club's season plans. The team from Salt Lake City had a promising start but quickly fell back to earth. It's difficult to maintain success when players like 35-year-old Ian Cole and Olli Määttä are on the ice for over 20 minutes per game. Over the past two weeks, the Utah Hockey Club have managed just two wins against four regulation losses.
Montreal Canadiens vs Utah Hockey Club Prediction
The Montreal Canadiens have already shown they can outplay teams of similar level. They have defeated the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Typically, when teams of equal standing face off, the one that best utilises their chances emerges victorious. In this regard, the hosts have the upper hand—we are backing their win.
