Penguins vs Hockey Club Picks and Prediction – 1/30/2025

The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-24-8) travel to face the Utah Hockey Club (21-21-7) in a matchup between two teams looking to break recent struggles. The Penguins are on a two-game losing streak, most recently falling 4-1 to Seattle, while Utah is also coming off a loss, dropping the last game 3-1 to Ottawa. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

The Penguins’ offense has been inconsistent, averaging 2.88 goals per game, led by Sidney Crosby with 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists). Rickard Rakell has been the main goal scorer with 23 goals, including five on the power play. However, the special teams have been a mixed bag, with a solid 26.2% power play success rate but a mediocre 79.3% penalty kill. In goal, Alex Nedeljkovic has struggled, posting a 3.21 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. 

Defensively, the Penguins have been porous, allowing 3.60 goals per game, which has been exacerbated by injuries to key players like Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, both listed as day-to-day. Depth remains a concern as Pittsburgh navigates through a challenging schedule.

Utah’s offense has been slightly less productive at 2.84 goals per game, spearheaded by Clayton Keller, who has tallied 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists). Keller is supported by Matias Maccelli, but injuries to Keller and other key contributors like Mikhail Sergachev could hinder Utah's attack. 

Defensively, the Hockey Club has been more reliable than Pittsburgh, allowing 2.96 goals per game and benefiting from Karel Vejmelka’s strong play in net, with a 2.47 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. Utah’s penalty kill operates at an 81.6% success rate, giving them a slight edge in special teams. However, the power play has underperformed at just 21.9%, something they’ll need to improve against Pittsburgh.

Utah’s superior defensive stats and home-ice advantage give them the edge in this matchup. With Pittsburgh’s goaltending struggles and injury issues, Utah should capitalize on its opportunities to secure a narrow win. Final Score Prediction: Utah Hockey Club win 3-2.