Arizona Coyotes vs Anaheim Ducks Picks and Predictions March 12th 2025

Ducks and Utah Clash as Young Talent Fuels Playoff Push

As two of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks and Utah Hockey Club are experiencing a playoff race for the first time. The stakes are high as both teams fight for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference when they face off on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

Who’s Favored to Win the Central Division? – Get the latest odds & insights

Utah Hanging Close in Wild-Card Race

Utah has been resilient in recent games, earning points in three straight outings (1-0-2) and six of its past seven (4-1-2). Despite a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and a 4-3 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, Utah remains just three points behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card spot.

Coach Andre Tourigny has been impressed with how his young squad handles the pressure of meaningful games.

“We talk about the youth of our team — we’re the second-youngest team in the league — there’s a growing curve for us,” Tourigny said. “The way the guys embrace it and the way they learn and progress, it’s amazing. That’s why we want to play those kinds of games, meaningful games. They’re in it.”

Utah has made a habit of comebacks, rallying from 3-1 and 3-0 deficits in its past two games to force extra periods. However, closing out games remains a challenge.

Michael Kesselring, one of Utah’s rising stars on defense, believes the team is on the right track:

“Really good effort. We need to build on it,” Kesselring said. “We need to keep playing that way into Anaheim because we need the two points.”

Anaheim Looking to Bounce Back

The Ducks’ playoff hopes took a hit Tuesday night in a 7-4 loss to the Washington Capitals. Anaheim fought back from three separate one-goal deficits before allowing three unanswered goals in the third period.

“It’s terrible that we lost the game,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “For me, it’s one of those games you can build on as a coach. We still will, but it adds more confidence to it when you win the game. But we’ll learn from it and move forward. We have no time to really lick our wounds; we’ve got to get ready for Utah.”

Anaheim has lost four of six games since a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Feb. 27 pulled the team within six points of a wild-card spot. Now, the Ducks sit seven points back and desperately need a win against Utah to keep their hopes alive.

On a positive note, Anaheim received strong contributions from its defensemen against Washington:

• Jacob Trouba scored his first goal since being traded from the New York Rangers on Dec. 6.
• Pavel Mintyukov and Drew Helleson also found the net.

Free NHL Picks & Betting Analysis! – Find the best bets for tonight’s games.

Playoff Implications: A Must-Win for Both Teams

With more than a month left in the season, both Anaheim and Utah still have time to make a push. However, a loss on Wednesday could be costly for either team, making this a must-win matchup.

Utah sits just three points behind Calgary in the wild-card race, while Anaheim is seven points back and running out of time.

Both teams have shown resilience in tight games, but now they need to turn close calls into crucial victories. Expect a high-energy, fast-paced game as these two young squads battle for their playoff dreams.