The Utah Hockey Club hopes to make it four straight wins when the New Jersey Devils visit Salt Lake City on Saturday night.
Utah began play Friday 10th in the Western Conference and two points back of the Vancouver Canucks in the wild-card race.
Utah is coming off a 6-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Thursday night and is 6-3-2 over its last 11 games.
Captain Clayton Keller had a career-best five points (one goal, four assists), and Nick Schmaltz scored and added two helpers,. Barrett Hayton, Dylan Guenther, Sean Durzi and Logan Cooley also found the back of the net for Utah, which has won four straight at home and six of eight overall.
“Ever since the break, even the game against (Los Angeles on Feb. 22, a 5-3 defeat), we’ve just had a different feel in our game,” Keller said. “We’ve had more confidence. We’re playing for each other. We’re playing the right way. And this is the time of year that you want to do that.”
Keller has a team-leading 47 assists and 69 points in 59 games and points in six straight (four goals, eight assists). Keller and Guenther share the team lead with 22 goals apiece.
Cooley has points in four straight (two goals, three assists).
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 15 saves on Thursday for his fourth consecutive win. Vejmelka is 16-15-4 in 37 games this season, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.44 goals-against average.
In six career appearances against the Devils, Vejmelka is 3-3-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
Saturday is the second and final meeting this season between New Jersey and Utah. The host Devils blanked Utah 3-0 on Oct. 14.
Seamus Casey, Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier scored the New Jersey goals, while Jake Allen made 20 saves for the shutout.
New Jersey travels to Utah as part of a five-game road trip, looking to avoid back-to-back losses.
The Devils, third in the Metropolitan Division, are 5-5-0 over their last 10 and 17-12-2 on the road this season. They will enter the game with a four-point lead over the fourth-place Columbus Blue Jackets.
New Jersey dropped a 5-1 decision to the Avalanche in Colorado on Wednesday night.
“I thought we had our share of chances, especially in that second period. But even in the first period, we had a couple, and the game’s right there,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. “The game just kind of gets away at the end there, but we’re right there all the way throughout despite being outplayed a little bit.”
Jack Hughes had the lone Devils goal. The New Jersey forward has points in 11 straight road games and nine goals in his last 10 games. Hughes has a team-leading 27 goals and 69 points in 60 games this season.
Allen made 32 saves but left the contest with 1:42 remaining in the third due to cramping and was replaced by Nico Daws.
In 23 games this season, Allen is 9-13-1 with a .906 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA.
Jesper Bratt paces the Devils with 51 assists in 60 games.
New Jersey continues its road trip in Vegas on Sunday before wrapping in Dallas on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
