First Round Preview: Utah Mammoth vs Vegas Golden Knights

It’s the best time of the year, if you’re a hockey fan that is. It’s time for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the next two months, 16 teams will battle through four rounds of playoff hockey for a chance at lifting the Stanley Cup.

The Utah Mammoth are going to the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Entering the playoffs as the first wild card seed in the Western Conference, Utah will face the winner of the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights.

We’ll take a look at both teams, how they’ve matched up in the past, and more in your First Round Playoff Preview!

Reviewing the 2025-26 Season

UTAH MAMMOTH (43-33-6), 92 PTS

Fourth in the Central Division

Home Record: 22-16-3

Away Record: 21-17-3 

Month-by-Month Record Breakdown

October: 8-3-0

November: 4-8-3

December: 6-8-0

January: 10-4-1

February: 3-1-0

March: 7-6-2

April: 5-3-0

In Utah’s second season, the Mammoth finished fourth in the Central Division with 92 points. The team secured its first postseason berth in franchise history as WC1.

The Mammoth had six different skaters with 20 or more goals this year: Dylan Guenther (40), Nick Schmaltz (33), Clayton Keller (26), JJ Peterka (25), Lawson Crouse (24), and Logan Cooley (24). Four players have 50 or more points: Keller (88), Schmaltz (74), Guenther (73), and Mikhail Sergachev (59).

Goaltender Karel Vejmelka led the NHL in games played (64) while his 38 wins were second-most in the league. He finished the regular season with a 38-20-3 record and recorded two shutouts. He had a 2.75 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage, and two points (2A).

Vítek Vaněček makes up the second half of Utah’s goaltending tandem. He’s played 22 games, has a 5-13-3 record, a 2.93 goals-against average, and a .883 save percentage. He has one shutout this season and one point (1A).

Utah has a balance of veterans and younger players. The Mammoth’s average age 28.52 years old (14^th). With 10,687 combined games played, Utah’s roster is the 19^th-most experienced in the league.

Changes to the Team

The Mammoth added one player ahead of this year’s trade deadline, veteran defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames.

Team Leaders

GOALS: Dylan Guenther, 40

ASSISTS: Clayton Keller, 62

POINTS: Clayton Keller, 88

TIME ON ICE: Mikhail Sergachev, 24:18

POWER PLAY GOALS: Nick Schmaltz, 11 

SHORTHANDED GOALS: Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley, 2

GAME-WINNING GOALS: Nick Schmaltz, 9

OVERTIME GOALS: Clayton Keller, 4

Team Statistics

Wins: 43*, T-10^th 

Losses: 33, T-13^th 

Overtime: 6, T-27^th

Regulation Wins: 33, T-10^th

Points*: 92, T-15^th

Points Percentage: .561*, T-15^th 

Most Avg. Goals For per Game (GF/G): 3.27, T-10^th 

Fewest Avg. Goals Against per Game (GA/G): 2.93, T-10^th 

Power Play: 20.0%, 18^th 

Penalty Kill: 78.1%, 19^th 

Most Avg. Shots For per Game (SF/G): 27.7, 20^th 

Fewest Avg. Shots Against per Game (SA/G): 26.1, T-5^th 

Face-Off: 49.2%, 23^rd 

Longest Win Streak: 7 games, Oct. 15-26

*franchise record

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (39-26-17), 95 PTS

First in the Pacific Division

Home Record: 20-12-9

Away Record: 19-14-8

Month-by-Month Record Breakdown

October: 6-2-3

November: 5-4-5

December: 6-4-3

January: 8-5-3

February: 3-2-0

March: 5-9-2

April: 6-0-1

In Vegas’ ninth season, the Golden Knights finished first in the Pacific Division with 95 points. The organization has gone to the playoffs eight times.

The Golden Knights have six players with 20 or more goals: Pavel Dorofeyev (37), Mark Stone (28), Jack Eichel (27), Tomas Hertl (24), Mitch Marner (24), and Ivan Barbashev (23). Six skaters have 50 or more points: Eichel (90), Marner (80), Stone (73), Dorofeyev (64), Barbashev (61), and Hertl (58).

Adin Hill and Carter Hart make up Vegas’ current goaltender rotation. Hill has a 10-9-6 record, with a 3.04 goals-against average, and a .871 save percentage. Hart has a 11-3-3 record with a 2.71 goals-against average, and a .891 save percentage.

Vegas has a veteran heavy team as the Golden Knights have the highest average age in the NHL, 30.15 (1^st) and are the most experienced team with 15,108 combined games played (1^st).

Changes to the Team

The Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Mar. 29, 2026. Veteran coach John Tortorella was hired for the remainder of the regular season and this year’s playoffs. 

Vegas made three trades this season. The team acquired veteran defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18, 2026. On. Mar. 3, Vegas traded for forward Cole Smith from the Nashville Predators. The Golden Knights’ final trade this season was on Mar. 5, when the team traded for center Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals.

Team Leaders

GOALS: Pavel Dorofeyev, 37

ASSISTS: Jack Eichel, 63

POINTS: Jack Eichel, 90

TIME ON ICE: Rasmus Andersson, 23:12

POWER PLAY GOALS: Pavel Dorofeyev, 20

SHORTHANDED GOALS: 6 players, 1 goal

GAME-WINNING GOALS: Jack Eichel, 6

OVERTIME GOALS: Jack Eichel, 3

Team Statistics

Wins: 39, T-12^th   

Losses: 26, T-24^th  

Overtime: 17, 2^nd 

Regulation Wins: 30, T-16^th 

Points: 95, T-12^th 

Points Percentage: .579, T-12^th 

Most Avg. Goals For per Game (GF/G): 3.22, 14^th 

Fewest Avg. Goals Against per Game (GA/G): 2.95, 12^th 

Power Play: 24.6%, 6^th 

Penalty Kill: 8.14%, T-7^th 

Most Avg. Shots For per Game (SF/G): 29.0, 8^th 

Fewest Avg. Shots Against per Game (SA/G): 24.4, T-2^nd 

Face-Off: 51.0%, T-10^th 

Longest Win Streak: 7 games, Jan. 6-17

UTA vs VGK 2025-26 Season Series

Utah and Vegas played each other three times this season. The Mammoth won two of three matchups, while the Golden Knights won once. Below is a recap of each of these meetings

GAME 1: Nov. 20, 2025 – VGK vs UTA – Vegas 4, Utah 1

A three-goal second period propelled the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth.

Scoring Breakdown:

2nd Period:

3:09: Jack Eichel (Pavel Dorofeyev, Shea Theodore). 1-0 VGK

3:28: Ben Hutton (Cole Reinhardt). 2-0 VGK

6:38: Nate Schmidt (Ian Cole, Clayton Keller). 2-1 VGK

16:51: Jack Eichel (Braeden Bowman, Shea Theodore). 3-1 VGK

3rd Period:

0:45: Braeden Bowman (Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore). 4-1 VGK

GAME 2: Nov. 24, 2025 – VGK vs UTA – Utah 5, Vegas 1

Logan Cooley’s four-goal performance lifted the Utah Mammoth to a 5-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Scoring Breakdown:

1st Period:

14:54: Dylan Guenther (Logan Cooley, Nate Schmidt). 1-0 UTA

16:11: Logan Cooley (Dylan Guenther, Nate Schmidt). 2-0 UTA

2nd Period:

5:24: Ivan Barbashev (Jack Eichel, Braeden Bowman). 2-1 VGK

3rd Period:

4:19: Logan Cooley (unassisted). 3-1 UTA

15:41: Logan Cooley (Ian Cole). 4-1 UTA

17:43: Logan Cooley (unassisted). 5-1 UTA

GAME 3: Mar. 19, 2026 – UTA vs VGK – Utah 4, Vegas 0

A strong performance by goaltender Karel Vejmelka and a ‘bend, not break’ mentality helped the Utah Mammoth shutout the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-0.

Scoring Breakdown:

1st Period:

2:52: Clayton Keller (John Marino, Nate Schmidt). UTA 1-0

6:05: Clayton Keller (Lawson Crouse, Nick Schmaltz). UTA 2-0

8:13 Jack McBain (Barrett Hayton, Mikhail Sergachev). UTA 3-0

3rd Period:

19:12 Barrett Hayton (Kevin Stenlund). UTA 4-0.

The First Round of the 2026 Playoffs kick off this weekend! Utah begins its series against Vegas on Sunday, Apr. 19. Game time is 8:00 p.m. MT.