The San Jose Sharks have set NHL history, notoriously becoming the first team in NHL history to open with nine straight losses in back-to-back seasons. While the Sharks can’t change that, the team can keep from further entrenching themselves in the record books tonight by beating the Utah Hockey Club.
Utah has had a so, so start to the season. The team came out on fire to start with three wins right off the bat. However, Utah has come back down to earth since then, winning just one game in its last six. The Utah Hockey Club has lost three in a row and is looking to turn things around.
Clayton Keller leads Utah with 9 points in 9 games. He and Dylan Guenther each have five goals this season. Utah welcomed Nick Bjugstad back to the lineup on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Bjugstad missed the first eight games of the season due to injury.
In net for Utah, Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka are splitting time. Ingram is the starter by all accounts and has a 4-2-1 record with a .862 save percentage and a 3.71 goals against average. Vejmelka has better numbers, though not a winning record. He’s 0-2-0 in three starts with a 3.04 goals against average and a .889 save percentage.
In other words, this is a winnable game for the Sharks.
San Jose Sharks lines versus Utah Hockey Club
It’s Mackenzie Blackwood’s turn to start in net and honestly, given how tough Saturday’s game was for Vitek Vanecek, it’s a good choice. Will Smith will again miss today’s game for a “development day.” The Sharks are back home to play the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow night, so the night off makes sense.
Here are the lines according to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng.
Forwards
Willaim Eklund – Mikael Granlund – Tyler Toffoli
Danil Gushchin – Alex Wennberg – Fabian Zetterlund
Barclay Goodrow – Luke Kunin – Carl Grundstrom
Givani Smith – Nico Sturm – Klim Kostin
Defense
Jake Walman – Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro – Jan Rutta
Henry Thrun – Matt Benning
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Vitek Vanecek
Utah Hockey Club lines for Oct. 28, 2024
As for Utah, this is what Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports the lines will look like.
Lines have been constantly changing for #UtahHC
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 28, 2024
Per Coach Tourigny, this is how the team will look tonight against San Jose.
Keller, Cooley, Guenther
Maccelli, Hayton, Schmaltz
Kerfoot, Bjugstad, Crouse
McBain, Stenlund, O’Brien
Sergachev & Kesselring
Cole & Lamoureux…
Forwards
Clayton Keller – Logan Cooley – Dylan Guenther
Matias Maccelli – Barrett Hayton – Nick Schmaltz
Alexander Kerfoot – Nick Bjugstad – Lawson Crouse
Jack McBain – Kevin Stenlund – Liam O’Brien
Defense
Mikhail Sergachev – Michael Kesselring
Ian Cole – Maveric Lamoureux
Vladislav Kolyachonok – Robert Bortuzzo
Goaltenders
Connor Ingram
Karel Vejmelka
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Utah Hockey Club tonight
The puck drops at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT at Delta Center in Utah.
For Sharks fans, you can watch the game on NBC Sports California or listen to the radio call on the Sharks and SAP Center app.
Utah fans can catch the game on SEG+, UtahHC+ and Utah 16. You can also listen to the radio call on KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, KZNS 1280 AM or the NHL app.
The game is also streaming on ESPN+ though blackout restrictions will apply.
Whether you’re at the game or watching from home, be sure to join the rest of the Fear the Fin community here at puck drop to talk about what’s happening on the ice and around the rest of the league.
