Jets Visit Utah Looking to Bounce Back

The Winnipeg Jets are hitting the road for the first time in 2025, and their destination is Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Hockey Club. After a frustrating 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Winnipeg is looking to rebound and keep their dominance over Utah alive.

Jets: Time to Regroup

The Jets had a solid eight-game homestand, going 4-2-2, with a five-game points streak (4-0-1) and a three-game winning streak during that stretch. But Saturday’s loss to Calgary stung a little, especially since Winnipeg outshot the Flames 39-22. Calgary’s goalie Dustin Wolf was the difference-maker with an incredible 38-save performance.

Now, the Jets are turning the page and focusing on getting back to their winning ways. Connor Hellebuyck, one of the best goalies in the league, is expected to return to the net. He leads the NHL in wins (28), save percentage (.929), goals-against average (1.97), and shutouts (6). Hellebuyck also blanked Utah earlier this season with a 3-0 shutout.

On offense, Kyle Connor continues to shine, leading Winnipeg with 60 points (26 goals, 34 assists). Captain Adam Lowry, who scored the Jets’ only goal on Saturday, said the team needs to do a better job of creating chaos in front of the net: “I know we threw up a lot of shots, but we’ve got to generate more traffic.”

Utah: Searching for Consistency

It’s been a tough season for Utah, especially at home, where they’ve managed just 7 wins in 22 games. But they’re coming off a confidence-boosting 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, so they’ll be looking to build on that momentum.

Clayton Keller has been the team’s standout player, racking up 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) this season. He had a monster game against the Blues, tying his career-high with four points (one goal, three assists). Nick Schmaltz is on a roll too, with a five-game points streak (three goals, three assists). Add in Logan Cooley, who chipped in a goal and two assists in their last game, and Utah’s offense is starting to show signs of life.

In goal, Connor Ingram looked sharp in his second game back from injury, but with his workload being managed, Utah could turn to Karel Vejmelka for this one. The team also has some question marks on defense, with Mikhail Sergachev questionable after missing Saturday’s game due to an upper-body injury.

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What to Watch

1. Jets’ Road Start: After a strong homestand, how will Winnipeg fare in their first road game of the year?
2. Utah’s Home Woes: Can the Hockey Club build on their recent win and finally find some consistency at home?
3. Goaltending Battle: With Hellebuyck dominating for Winnipeg and Utah’s netminders finding their rhythm, this could come down to who makes the key saves.
4. Offensive Stars: Kyle Connor and Clayton Keller are the go-to guys for their teams. Who will have the bigger impact?

The Bottom Line

The Jets are coming in as favorites, with elite goaltending and a deep roster giving them a clear edge. But Utah showed fight in their last game and will be looking to give their home fans something to cheer about. If the Jets execute their game plan and keep up the pressure, they’ll likely walk away with another win. For Utah, it’s all about turning effort into results and finding a way to slow down Winnipeg’s stars.