Utah Hockey Club vs New York Rangers Picks and Predictions January 16th 2025

Rangers Look to Keep Momentum Going Against Struggling Utah HC

The New York Rangers will try to build on their recent improvement when they visit the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

Both teams enter the game sitting at .500 and chasing a wild-card spot in their respective conferences. The Rangers (20-20-3) are five points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference, while Utah (18-18-6) trails the Calgary Flames by six points in the Western Conference.

Rangers Trending Upward

After a rough 4-15-0 stretch in November and December, New York has started to stabilize, going 4-1-2 in its last seven games. The Rangers have collected points in five straight contests (3-0-2), including a 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

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New York held a late 2-1 lead against Colorado before surrendering the tying goal with 1:13 left in regulation and then failing to capitalize on two overtime power plays before falling in the final seconds.

“The guys competed and did everything we wanted to do for 58 minutes,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s really difficult walking away not getting that extra point.”

Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom scored in the loss, while Adam Fox expressed frustration with the outcome despite the team’s solid play.

“It’s the way you lose,” Fox said. “I mean, if you don’t play well, you don’t play well. But not coming away with two points in that game is definitely frustrating.”

Utah Looking to Reverse Recent Struggles

Utah opened the season 3-0-0, including a thrilling 6-5 overtime win over the Rangers in New York on Oct. 12. The club reached 16-11-5 in December before hitting a rough patch, going 2-7-2 in its past 11 games.

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Utah has struggled at home during this stretch, going 1-3-0 on its current seven-game homestand. The latest setback was a 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, where the team took five penalties in the second period and allowed four goals over the final two frames.

“From myself and everyone, I think we’ve got way more,” Utah’s Nick Bjugstad said. “I don’t really have more of an explanation. It’s frustrating because we know we can be better. We know we could have a better record.”

Key Players to Watch

One of Utah’s biggest issues has been the lack of production from leading scorer Clayton Keller and third-leading scorer Dylan Guenther.

• Keller had an assist against Montreal but has just one goal in his past nine games.
• Guenther has not scored in nine straight contests after netting goals in four consecutive games earlier in the season.

For the Rangers, Artemi Panarin remains their most consistent offensive threat, while goaltender Igor Shesterkin will likely get the start as New York looks to extend its recent positive stretch.

With both teams in desperate need of a win to keep pace in their respective playoff races, Thursday’s matchup could be a pivotal moment in their seasons.