The Week Ahead: Mar. 23-29

There are three and a half weeks left in the regular season and the Utah Mammoth are in the middle of a close playoff race. Let’s take a look at the storylines surrounding Utah heading into the final week of March!

Main Storylines – Utah 

• Utah enters the week in the first wild card spot with 80 points. The Mammoth are five points ahead of the Nashville Predators who hold the second wild card spot with one more game played.

• The Mammoth have won three of their last four games, including some significant matchups. Utah beat the Dallas Stars, 6-3, the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-0, and the Los Angeles Kings in overtime, 4-3.

• This week, Utah faces two teams fighting for playoff spots in the Western Conference: Edmonton (third in the Pacific Division) and Los Angeles (two points out of the second wild card spot).

• Utah has four players who have scored 20 or more goals this season, and another two players within three goals of reaching this benchmark. Currently Dylan Gunether (34), Nick Schmaltz (26), Clayton Keller (22), and JJ Peterka (22) have reached this benchmark. Associate captain Lawson Crouse (19) and Logan Cooley (17) are closing in on 20 goals with 11 games left in the regular season.

Injury Updates – Utah 

• None currently

Let’s take a look at Utah’s matchups this week as the Mammoth have three games remaining in the month of March!

EDMONTON VS UTAH

MAR. 24 | 7:30 P.M. MT

WATCH: ESPN+, Hulu

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

This is the second of three games between Utah and Edmonton this season. It’s also the first of two at the Delta Center.

Edmonton won the first meeting on Oct. 28, 6-3. A five goal second period pushed the Oilers to their win. Cooley, Peterka, and Barrett Hayton scored for the Mammoth in the loss.

Season Series

• Oct. 28: UTA vs EDM – Game Recap

• Mar. 24: EDM vs UTA

• Apr. 7: EDM vs UTA

Main Storylines – Edmonton

• Edmonton is third in the Pacific Division with 77 points. The Oilers are four points ahead of the Kings who are fourth in the Pacific Division; however, Los Angeles has a game in hand.

• The Oilers have lost their last two games but have points in three of their last five contests (2-2-1).

• All three of the Oilers games this week are against teams fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Edmonton kicks off the week with their game against Utah before traveling to Vegas to face the Golden Knights. On Saturday, the Oilers round out their week against the Anaheim Ducks.

• Last week, Edmonton announced that star forward Leon Draisaitl will miss the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury.

• Former Utah goaltender Connor Ingram has earned his place as Edmonton’s starting goaltender. Ingram was traded to the Oilers on Oct. 1 and has played 24 games this season for his new club.

Injury Updates

• F Leon Draisaitl – lower-body, IR (out for remainder of regular season)

• F Colton Dach – undisclosed, IR

• F Mattias Janmark – undisclosed, IR out for season (surgery)

• F Curtis Lazar – undisclosed, IR

WASHINGTON VS UTAH

MAR. 26 | 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 game between the Mammoth and the Capitals this season. 

Utah won the first meeting, 3-2, on Mar. 3. Guenther, Mikhail Sergachev (PPG), and Peterka (PPG) scored in the win.

Season Series

• Mar. 3: UTA vs WSH – Game Recap

• Mar. 26: WSH vs UTA

Main Storylines – Washington

• As of Monday, Washington is sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points. The Capitals are six points behind the New York Islanders who hold the second wild card spot. 

• The Capitals have points in five-straight games and are coming off an overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2.

• All three of Washington’s games are on the road this week. The Capitals face the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, the Utah Mammoth on Thursday, and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

• Captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000^th career goal (regular season and postseason combined) on Mar. 22. He leads the Capitals with 26 goals and is one of four skaters who have 20 or more goals: Ovechkin (26), Tom Wilson (25), Jakob Chychrun (23), and Aliaksei Protas (23).

Injury Updates – Washington 

• F Ethen Frank – lower-body, out

• F David Kampf – personal, out

UTAH VS LOS ANGELES

MAR. 28 | 7:00 P.M. MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

This is the third and final time Utah and Los Angeles will play each other this season. It’s also the second game between these teams in the last week.

LA won the first game on Dec. 8, 4-2 while Utah won the second game in overtime, 4-3.

Season Series

• Dec. 8: LAK vs UTA – Game Recap

• Mar. 22: LAK vs UTA – Game Recap

• Mar. 28: UTA vs LAK

Main Storylines – Los Angeles

• Entering the week, Los Angeles is fourth in the Pacific Division with 73 points. Currently, the Kings are two points behind the Predators, who hold the second wild card spot, and seven behind the Mammoth with a game in hand over Utah.

• The Kings have points in three of their last four games and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak as they start the week.

• Los Angeles continues a three-game road trip with a game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday and the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Following, the Kings return home to host the Mammoth on Saturday.

• Last week, the Kings saw the return of forward Joel Armia to the lineup.Armia missed 10 games with a back injury.

Injury Updates – Los Angeles

• F Kevin Fiala – lower-body, out for remainder of regular season

• F Andrei Kuzmenko – knee, out for remainder of regular season