A win against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday would put the Utah Hockey Club in a playoff spot.
While the fifth-worst team in the league seems beatable to fans, it’s important to never underestimate your opponent. That’s what the first-place Winnipeg Jets learned on Wednesday, falling in regulation during their visit to Southern California.
Likewise, Utah HC has lost to the Ducks once this season already — a 5-4 overtime decision in the second week of the season. Utah has come a long way since then, to the point it would be futile to rehash what went wrong for them at the time. It suffices to say that they need to treat Sunday like any other game.
A bright future
As mentioned, the Ducks are in the basement of the league. They have been for quite some time, which has landed them some top-tier draft picks.
Most recently, they shocked the hockey world by selecting Beckett Sennecke with the third overall pick in last year’s draft. For reference, NHL Central Scouting had him ranked 15th among North American skaters — and that doesn’t include Europeans or goalies.
In addition to Sennecke, the Ducks’ cupboards are overflowing with top-tier talent:
- Leo Carlsson, 2nd overall, 2023
- Mason McTavish, 3rd overall, 2021
- Cutter Gauthier, 5th overall, 2022 (acquired via trade)
- Trevor Zegras, 9th overall, 2019
- Pavel Mintyukov, 10th overall, 2022
- Stian Solberg, 23rd overall, 2024
- Olen Zellweger, 34th overall, 2021
It’s rare for all of a team’s prospects to turn into difference makers in the NHL, but if even a few of them turn into superstars, the Ducks could be back on top of the league in the next few years.
What do the stats say?
Relative to the other teams in the NHL, the Ducks have a hard time scoring, suppressing shooters, defending on the penalty kill and winning faceoffs.
They score at an average rate, but their power play is one of the worst in the league. Utah HC, meanwhile, draws a lot of penalties. With their top power play’s track record of late and the Ducks’ struggles on the penalty kill, look for the home team to strike more than once with the man advantage.
That being said, Ducks goaltender Lukáš Dostál has been among the league’s best. Even without a ton of defensive support, he has the fourth-best save percentage and the fourth-most goals saved above average of any goalie who has played at least 10 games this year.
At just age 24, Dostál might have one of the brightest futures on the team.
Where to watch Utah Hockey Club vs. Anaheim Ducks
The game, which is in Utah, will start at 3 p.m. MDT. It will be available for streaming through Utah 16 and Utah HC+. Additionally, Ticketmaster lists tickets for as low as $38 at the time of writing.