Heading into a Thursday night matchup, the New York Rangers are in a similar boat as the Utah Hockey Club: on the outside of the playoffs, looking in, hoping there’s still a chance for them. Both teams have 43 points. The Rangers are five points out of an NHL playoff spot, while Utah HC needs six more.

Finding success at home has turned into a persistent struggle for the Utah Hockey Club. Utah beat San Jose for its lone win in the first four games of a January home stand and has lost to Florida, Montreal and the New York Islanders.

After benefitting early from a flurry of Montreal penalties, Utah was up 2-1 going into the second period, but it wouldn't last. Utah would be outscored 4-1 the rest of the game as Montreal took advantage of Utah's slow defensive rotations along with many opportunities in transition.

The Montreal Canadiens celebrate together on the ice after scoring a goal during an NHL game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Montreal Canadiens at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.

The Utah Hockey Club hosted the Montreal Canadiens for the first time since their move from Arizona and it quickly became a physical affair. Utah and the Canadiens combined for 42 penalty minutes and the NHL Department of Player Safety decided to step in regarding one particular instance.

Watch the Game Highlights from Utah Hockey Club vs. Montréal Canadiens, 01/14/2025. Home; NFL; NCAAF; NBA; NHL; NCAAB; NCAAW; MLB; Daily Draw; Fantasy Sports; Soccer; Tennis; Gol

Utah head coach André Tourigny said after practice on Monday that the game plan will be the same this time around as it was in November, but he expects Montreal to be better at everything that they were seven weeks ago.

Another bad second period spelled doom for the Utah Hockey Club as they lost 5-3 to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Despite getting players back from injury, Utah’s costly mistakes led to them losing their second straight game.