Stars look for second straight win against Utah Hockey Club after 36 saves from DeSmith

The Dallas Stars look to bounce back from two straight losses when they take on the Utah Hockey Club on the road. It will be the Stars’ second game at Utah’s new arena and they proved the height difference didn’t matter as they won 2-1 in regulation time.

It was a surprisingly great performance from backup Casey DeSmith, who stepped up in Oettinger’s absence with one of the best performances of his career with 36 saves on 37 shots. He’ll get the nod again in this matchup and could very well miss another 37 shots as Utah has been on fire lately with an 8-1-3 record in their last 12 games.

On the other side of the ice, Utah starter Karel Vejmelka will enter Monday with plenty of momentum as he’s also caught fire with an 8-4-2 record and 2.18 goals against average in his last 15 appearances has.

It’s a low-scoring affair where every goal becomes that much more important. Dallas is hoping center Roope Hintz plays a crucial role as he has recorded a point in 12 of his 16 career games against the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Hockey Club, totaling eight goals and six assists for 14 points.

The Utah Hockey Club’s offense averages 3.03 goals per game, which puts it in the middle of the pack, but since they’ve been hot they’ve improved to a 3.58 average. Their offense can be lethal, especially forwards Clayton Keller and rookie sensation Dylan Guenther, who shoot at full speed.

The pair have scored a combined 29 goals in 33 games and continue to have their fans hot with 11 of those goals coming in 14 home games. They have to be kept in check if the stars want to win.

It’s going to be a great game between two elite teams and if you want to watch the game at 8 a.m. CT on ESPN+ or Victory+, you can also listen on Sportsradio 96.7 and 1310 The Ticket. If you’re in the Salt Lake City area, Stars vs. Utah HC tickets are very affordable, with the lowest pair selling for around $46.