Frozen Frenzy is officially here. Ottawa Senators (3-2) vs. Utah Hockey Club (4-1) is one of many games that will be part of Frozen Frenzy. Utah and Ottawa's game will be tonight at 8 pm EST.
Utah and Senators are coming off of big wins this past weekend.
The Senators are heading off to their first U.S. trip of the season. Utah is trying to earn its fifth win of the season and is currently in third place in the Western Conference.
Senators recently beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-4. Meanwhile, Utah beat another good team in the East, the Boston Bruins, 2-1 in overtime, thanks to a game-winning goal by Michael Kesselring.
Utah Hockey Club vs Ottawa Senators Preview
Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller leads the team in points (8). He’s been a tremendous leader for this team.
One of the Senators' best players, Tim Stutzle, leads the team in points (7) and goals (3). He’s in his fifth season with the club, and he continues to produce. He is a highly consistent player for the Senators.
Utah must keep an eye on Stutzle and team captain Brady Tkachuk. The Senators have a habit of scoring many goals. Utah’s defense needs to neutralize the Senators’ offense and stay away from the penalty box.
Dylan Guenther is playing like an MVP-caliber player for Utah thus far, leading the team in goals (5).
The goaltender matchup is intriguing. Connor Ingram is having a superb season. He has a perfect 4-0 record and has made at least 20 saves or more in five games for Utah. It’s early in the season, but he should be considered for the Vezina Trophy Award.
Ingram hasn’t recorded a shutout yet, but he has a 3.29 GAA and a .881 save percentage. He’s third among the best goals this season after Jake Oettinger and Connor Hellebuyck, some of the game's elite goalies.
As for the Senators, they have used two goalies: Anton Forsberg and Linus Ullmark.
Forsberg is 1-1 with a 4.16 GAA and a .863 save percentage. Ullmark is also 1-1 with a 2.58 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Ullmark could return to the Senators’ lineup after missing nearly two weeks with an injury.
Utah needs to improve its powerplay opportunities. Ottawa has the upper hand in the special teams matchup. The Senators are converting at a 38 percent rate, compared to Utah, which only scores on 23.5 percent of its powerplay chances.
Utah has won 52 percent of its face-offs, compared to the Senators' 48 percent.
The Senators enter this season with a “playoff or bust” mentality. On paper, this team is talented.
Utah might be a new franchise, but the team wants to make the playoffs in its first season, and it could come to fruition if they keep playing great hockey and stay healthy.