The Utah Hockey Club (23-22-9) travel to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes (32-19-4) on Saturday, February 8th. This game will be played at Lenovo Center in Raleigh and televised on ESPN+. The Hurricanes are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Hockey Club are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Golden Knights. Puck drop is set for 1:00 ET.

Hockey Club vs Hurricanes

The Utah Hockey Club Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Utah Hockey Club fell to 23-22-9 with a 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the teams combined for 7, surpassing that mark. Utah, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover.

Utah led 2-0 before the Golden Knights scored four straight goals. Three different players scored for Utah in the loss.

The Carolina Hurricanes Are Coming Off A Win

With a 4-2 win over the Capitals, the Hurricanes moved to 32-19-4 this season. Carolina covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.

The Hurricanes scored first, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. Carolina tied it up in the second and added another goal in the third, plus an empty-netter to seal the win.

Utah Offense Breakdown

Utah Hockey Club took 19 shots on goal in their 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights, scoring three times. Alexander Kerfoot netted his 2nd goal of the season, while Ian Cole scored for the first time this year. Logan Cooley added his 2nd goal and also picked up his 8th assist.

Nick Bjugstad contributed with two assists, bringing his total to two for the season. Utah’s goals came in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd periods, but they were unable to capitalize on any power play opportunities.

Hurricanes Offense Breakdown

Carolina fired 45 shots on goal in their 4-2 victory over the Capitals, with Dmitry Orlov finding the net twice, bringing his season total to three goals. Martin Necas, who scored his sixth goal of the year, also added two assists, giving him 12 assists for the season.

Andrei Svechnikov scored his sixth goal on an empty net with 9 seconds left. Carolina’s offense had 14 giveaways and got on the board at 5:59 in the first period.

Utah Team Defense

Utah’s defense gave up the first goal at 15:06 in the 2nd period, followed by another with just one second left in the period. They then allowed two more, one at 5:37 in the 3rd and the game-winner at 2:15 in OT. Connor Ingram made 31 saves with an 88.6% save percentage, while Utah’s defense added 8 takeaways and 21 hits.

Carolina Team Defense

Despite giving up two late goals in the first period, Carolina’s defense held firm the rest of the way, leading to a 4-2 win over the Capitals. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves with a 90.5% save percentage, while the Hurricanes’ defense added 7 takeaways, 10 hits, and 11 blocks.

Hockey Club vs Hurricanes Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Utah has an puck line mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• Across the Hurricanes last five home games, the team averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-4, while going 3-2 straight-up.
• Carolina has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 puck line in their last five games.
• As the betting favorite, the Hockey Club have an puck line mark of just 0-5 in their last five games. Utah posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.

Hockey Club vs Hurricanes Prediction

If you’re looking for a straight moneyline bet, then the Hurricanes are the way to go. However, with a payout of -232, you might consider using this bet as a leg of a parlay.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Hockey Club to cover. Even in the event of a Hurricanes victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Hockey Club should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.