The Week Ahead: Oct. 27-Nov. 2

It’s been a busy start of the season for the Utah Mammoth with 10 games in 18 days. However, despite the busy schedule, the team is on a seven-game win streak heading into the week. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest storylines around the team:

Main Storylines – Utah

• The Mammoth enter the week with an 8-2-0 record and seven-straight wins. The team just wrapped up four-straight games against Central Division opponents and picked up all eight points in that stretch. Currently, Utah is at the top of the Central Division standings and are tied for most points in the NHL (16) with the New Jersey Devils.
• There’s a lot of things factoring into the Mammoth’s success. Utah has seen goals from up and down the lineup, including the team’s blueline which has contributed a goal in four straight games. The team is riding momentum waves throughout games and using the bend, not break mentality.
• Utah is allowing the second-fewest goals against per game (2.40) while scoring the fourth-most goals per game (3.70). The Mammoth are allowing the fourth-fewest shots against per game (24.9) while averaging the sixth-most shots per game (30.2).
• Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley are tied for the team-lead in goals with seven each. Schmaltz leads the team with assists, nine, and points, 16. Currently the Mammoth have 14 skaters who have scored at least one goal through the first 10 games. Out of the 21 skaters who have played a game for the team this year, 19 of them have at least a point.
• Karel Vejmelka has been Utah’s starting goaltender this season. Through seven games, Vejmelka has a 6-1-0 record. He’s averaging 2.43 goals against and .905 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček has played three of the first ten games this year, including the Mammoth’s 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Vaněček has a 2-1-0 record, is averaging 2.00 goals against, and has a .913 save percentage.

Injury Updates – Utah

• F Alexander Kerfoot – lower-body injury, IR
• D Sean Durzi – upper-body injury, out for approximately four weeks (per 10/13/25)
• D Terrel Goldsmith – undisclosed, injured non-roster
• D Juuso Valimaki – lower-body injury, injured non-roster
• G Anson Thornton – lower-body injury, injured non-roster

The Mammoth have only two games this week, let’s take a look at the matchups!

UTAH AT EDMONTON

OCT 28 | 7:30 p.m. MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

This is the first of three matchups between the Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers this season. It’s the only game in Alberta this year.

Season Series

• Oct. 28: UTA at EDM
• Mar. 24: UTA vs EDM
• Apr. 7: UTA vs EDM

Main Storylines – Edmonton

• The Oilers enter Tuesday’s game on a two-game losing skid after dropping both games in Edmonton’s weekend back-to-back: 3-2 loss to Seattle, 4-3 overtime loss to Vancouver. The Oilers have a 4-4-2 record and are tied for fourth in the Pacific Division with 10 points.
• Edmonton continues to have a top power play, as they have in seasons past. Currently the Oilers score on 31% of their man-advantage opportunities which is fourth-best in the league. Edmonton is the eight-best faceoff team in the league, as the group wins 51.6% of its draws. In addition, Leon Draisaitl (61.3%) and Adam Henrique (61.1%) have the third and fourth highest win rates in the NHL.
• Draisaitl leads the Oilers with seven goals while Connor McDavid’s 11 assists and 12 points are team-highs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl are one point behind McDavid.
• The Oilers have a balanced goaltending tandem with Stuart Skinner playing six of the first 10 games and Calvin Pickard playing four of them. Skinner has a 2-3-1 record, a 2.31 goals against average, and a .903 save percentage. Pickard has a 2-1-1 record, a 3.50 goals against average, and a .846 save percentage.
• Tuesday’s game starts a three-game homestand for the Oilers who will also host the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks as well.

Injury Updates – Edmonton

• F Mattias Janmark – undisclosed, IR
• F Zach Hyman – wrist
• F Kasperi Kapanen – undisclosed, IR
• D Alec Regula – undisclosed, IR

UTAH VS TAMPA

NOV 2 | 1:30 p.m. MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

This is the first of two matchups between the Mammoth and Lightning this season, and the only game in Utah.

Season Series

• Nov. 2: UTA vs TBL
• Jan. 26: UTA at TBL

Main Storylines – Tampa

• The Lightning enter the week on a two-game win streak with a 3-4-2 record. Tampa is seventh in the Atlantic Conference with eight points. The team’s most recent game was a 2-1 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights.
• Tampa’s penalty kill is successful 90.3% of the time which is the fourth-best kill rate in the NHL. The roster is loaded with veteran firepower including forward Nikita Kucherov and Captain Victor Hedman. Kucherov became the second player in franchise history to hit 1,000 NHL points, which he achieved on Oct. 25. Hedman also recorded his 800th NHL point that same night.
• Anthony Cirelli leads the Lightning with five goals, Hedman’s eight assists are a team high, and Jake Guentzel’s 10 points are the most on the roster. Guentzel is also second on the team in goals (4) and assists (6).
• Andrei Vasilevskiy is Tampa’s starting goaltender, and he has played in six of the team’s first nine games. He has a 1-3-2 record, is averaging 3.00 goals against, and has a .892 save percentage. Jonas Johansson is backing up Vasilevskiy this season. He’s played in three games and has a 2-1-0 record. He’s averaging 3.04 goals against and has a .913 save percentage.
• Sunday’s game is the first of three on the road for the Lightning. Tampa will go to Colorado and Las Vegas before returning to the Sunshine State.

Injury Updates – Tampa

• F Scott Sabourin – undisclosed, day-to-day