The Week Ahead: Feb. 2-8

The Utah Mammoth have two more home games before the Olympic break. Let’s take a look at the storylines surrounding the Mammoth entering the week!

Main Storylines – Utah

• Utah had a successful January as the team went 10-4-1 and had a nine-game point streak and a five-game win streak. The Mammoth outscored their opponents 54-38 in the first month of the year.
• The Mammoth will play six-straight games at home: three before the Olympic break and three after.
• Kailer Yamamoto is heating up with four goals in his last two games, and seven points in the last five (5G, 2A). JJ Peterka recorded his 100th and 101st career NHL assists in the Mammoth’s most recent game. He has five points over the last six games (3G, 2A).
• Karel Vejmelka is tied for the most games played this season (42; Juuse Saros) and is tied for the league-lead with 25 wins (Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL).
• Forwards Logan Cooley and Alexander Kerfoot both participated in the Mammoth's morning skate on Monday in non-contact jerseys.

Injury Updates – Utah

• F Logan Cooley – lower-body injury, IR
• F Alexander Kerfoot – lower-body, IR
• G Anson Thorton – lower-body, injured non-roster

Let’s take a look at Utah’s two opponents this week and the upcoming matchups.

VANCOUVER VS UTAH

FEB. 2 | 7:30 P.M. MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+

LISTEN: KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM/1280AM), KSL Sports App, NHL App, NHL.com

This is the second of three games between Utah and Vancouver this season.

The Mammoth won the first game, 4-1. Mikhail Sergachev (PPG), Nick Schmaltz, Kevin Stenlund, and John Marino (SHG, EN) scored for the Mammoth in the first game of the series while Karel Vejmelka stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced.

Season Series

• Dec. 5: UTA vs VAN – Game Recap
• Feb. 2: VAN vs UTA
• Apr. 4: UTA vs VAN

Main Storylines – Vancouver

• Vancouver enters February looking to improve from a 2-11-3 record in January. The Canucks enter the week with a 18-31-6 season record, and the team is 2-7-1 over the last 10 games.
• Entering the week, the Canucks have six players with 10 or more goals and nine players with 20 or more points. Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson, and Drew O’Connor are all tied for the team-lead with 13 goals each. Filip Hronek’s 27 assists lead the group while Pettersson’s 34 points are most on the Canucks.
• Pettersson’s five points, all assists, lead Vancouver over the last five games. Teddy Blueger’s three goals lead the team over that span.
• The Canucks are on the road for their final two games before the break. The first stop is against the Mammoth and the second is in Vegas against the Golden Knights.

Injury Updates – Vancouver

• F Nils Hoglander – lower-body, day-to-day
• F Brock Boeser – concussion, IR
• F Marco Rossi – lower-body, IR
• D Zeev Buium – face, IR
• D Guillaume Brisebois – month-to-month
• D Derek Forbort – undisclosed, IR
• G Thatcher Demko – hip, IR

DETROIT VS UTAH

FEB. 4 | 7:00 P.M. MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+

LISTEN: KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM/1280AM), KSL Sports App, NHL App, NHL.com

This is the second and final matchup between Utah and Detroit this season.

In the first game, the Mammoth beat the Red Wings, 4-1. Clayton Keller, Jack McBain, Dylan Guenther, and Kevin Stenlund all scored in the win while Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced.

Season Series

• Dec. 17: UTA vs DET – Game Recap
• Feb. 4: DET vs UTA

Main Storylines – Detroit

• Detroit was 8-4-3 in January, and the Red Wings enter the week looking to snap a three-game losing skid. The Red Wings have a 32-18-6 record this season and are 5-3-2 over their last 10 games.
• Alex DeBrincat’s four goals and five points over the last five games lead the Red Wings. DeBrincat’s 30 goals lead the Red Wings.
• Entering the week, Detroit has the eighth-best power play (23.3%) and the 14th best penalty kill (79.6%). The Red Wings have the ninth-highest face-off win percentage in the NHL (51.1%).
• The Red Wings have two road games before the Olympic break. The first is Monday night against the Colorado Avalanche and the second is against the Mammoth on Wednesday.

Injury Updates – Detroit

• D Simon Edvinsson – lower-body, IR