The Tampa Bay Lightning and Utah Hockey Club are set to face off at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. This marks the first-ever meeting between these two teams, with both squads fighting for critical points as the regular season nears its conclusion.
Team Overview
Tampa Bay Lightning (40-23-5)
- Current Form: The Lightning are riding a three-game winning streak, including a 3-2 shootout victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Rookie Gage Goncalves scored the game-winning goal in the shootout, showcasing Tampa Bay’s depth and resilience. The Lightning are in a tight race for the Atlantic Division title, sitting just two points behind the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, with a game in hand.
- Road Record: Tampa Bay has a 16-15-3 record on the road this season, and they’ll look to improve that mark as they continue their Western road trip.
- Key Players:
- Jake Guentzel: Leads the team with 33 goals and has been a consistent offensive force.
- Nikita Kucherov: Tops the Lightning with 67 assists and remains one of the league’s premier playmakers.
- Brayden Point: Adds depth with 25 goals and 40 assists, providing a balanced attack.
- Goaltending:
- Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to start. The former Vezina Trophy winner has a 25-15-4 record, a 2.63 GAA, and a .917 save percentage, making him a reliable presence in net.
Utah Hockey Club (31-27-11)
- Current Form: Utah is coming off a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, where Dylan Guenther scored the game-winning goal in the third period. The Hockey Club has won six of their last eight home games and remains in the hunt for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, sitting four points behind the St. Louis Blues with a game in hand.
- Home Record: Utah has a 14-13-7 record at home, making the Delta Center a challenging venue for visiting teams.
- Key Players:
- Clayton Keller: Leads the team with 76 points (24 goals, 52 assists) and has been the driving force behind Utah’s offense.
- Logan Cooley: The rookie forward has 19 goals and 32 assists, showcasing his potential as a future star.
- Mikhail Sergachev: The former Lightning defenseman has 13 goals and 32 assists, adding stability and offensive production from the blue line.
- Goaltending:
- Karel Vejmelka is expected to start. He has a 15-12-6 record, a 2.96 GAA, and a .910 save percentage, providing solid goaltending for Utah.
Head-to-Head Matchup
- Season Series: This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. They will face each other again on March 27 in Tampa.
- Key Stats:
- Tampa Bay averages 3.49 goals per game, ranking among the league’s best offensively, while allowing 2.63 goals per game.
- Utah averages 2.83 goals per game and concedes 2.96 goals per game, highlighting their need for defensive consistency.
- The Lightning’s power play is converting at 25.7%, while Utah’s penalty kill operates at 80.8%, setting up an intriguing special teams battle.
Projected Lineups
Tampa Bay Lightning:
- Forwards:
- Hagel – Cirelli – Kucherov
- Guentzel – Point – Gourde
- Bjorkstrand – Paul – Goncalves
- Girgensons – Glendening
- Defense:
- Hedman – Moser
- McDonagh – Cernak
- Lilleberg – Perbix
- Goaltender: Andrei Vasilevskiy (expected starter)
Utah Hockey Club:
- Forwards:
- Keller – Cooley – Schmaltz
- Carcone – Hayton – Guenther
- Crouse – McBain – Doan
- Kerfoot – Stenlund – Maccelli
- Defense:
- Sergachev – Marino
- Maatta – Durzi
- Cole – Kesselring
- Goaltender: Karel Vejmelka (expected starter)
Injury Report
Tampa Bay Lightning:
- No significant injuries reported.
Utah Hockey Club:
- Robert Bortuzzo (lower body): Out.
Storylines to Watch
- Mikhail Sergachev Faces Former Team: This will be Sergachev’s first game against the Lightning since being traded to Utah in a blockbuster deal last summer. Expect emotions to run high as he faces his former teammates.
- Playoff Implications: Both teams are fighting for critical points, with Tampa Bay chasing the Atlantic Division title and Utah battling for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
- Special Teams Battle: Tampa Bay’s elite power play will test Utah’s penalty kill, which has been solid but inconsistent at times.
- Rookie Impact: Utah’s Logan Cooley and Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves have both made significant contributions this season. Their performances could be pivotal in this matchup.
