Utah Faces New Jersey in Saturday Showdown

THE DETAILS

WHO: Utah (19-19-3) vs New Jersey (21-17-2)

WHEN: Jan. 3, 2026 – 1:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Prudential Center

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

RADIO: Mammoth App, NHL App, NHL.com, KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM), KSL Sports App

MORNING SKATE NOTES

• Head coach André Tourigny shared on Friday after practice that there would be no changes to the lineup.
• This is the second of three-straight in the New York Metro Area.

Facing the Devils

As Utah faces New Jersey, the Mammoth will look to build off recent success to be strong against a fast, skilled team.

“They’re a good team, but I think that the pace we play defensively, the pressure we apply, plus the reload we have to not give odd-man rush, all of that will be key. Their defensemen are up in the play, so we need to get above them as well. They have a tight gap, so creating (a) race behind them and doing the basics of hockey, our fundamentals will be really important for us.”

A strong first period will also be key as the Mammoth want to have a stronger opening frame than they did two days ago.

“More assertive with the puck early on,” Tourigny shared. “Against the Islanders, (we were not) making enough plays, they created a lot of turnovers, they were on us and we were not as physical as well … we need to do that right from the get-go.”

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah is 19-19-3 this season and 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. Currently, the Mammoth are fourth in the Central Division with 41 points.
• The Mammoth beat the New York Islanders, 7-2, in their most recent game.
  • Dylan Guenther’s first career hat trick paced the team, and the forward had his second career four point night. Nick Schmaltz (2), Mikhail Sergachev (PPG), and Clayton Keller (PPG) also scored in the win.
  • In his first game back from injury, Karel Vejmelka stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced.
• Guenther leads the Mammoth with 20 goals, and he is the first player on the team to reach that benchmark. Guenther, Keller, and Schmaltz are tied for the team-lead with 36 points. Keller and Sergachev are tied for the team-lead with 23 assists.
• Vejmelka, Utah’s starting goaltender, has a 17-10-2 record, a 2.68 goals against average, and a .896 save percentage. Former Devil Vítek Vaněček makes up the second half of the goaltending tandem. He has a 2-9-1 record, a 2.92 goals against average, and a .879 save percentage.
• Saturday is the second of three-straight in the New York Metro area. The Mammoth end the road trip against the Rangers on Monday night.

New Jersey

• New Jersey is 21-17-2 this season and 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Currently, the Devils are sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 44 points.
• The Devils beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in their most recent game.
  • New Jersey scored three unanswered goals in the third period to secure the win. Nico Hischier (PPG), Arseny Gritsyuk, and Luke Hughes scored for the Devils.
  • Jake Allen stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced in the win.
• Timo Meier, Hischier, and Jack Hughes are tied for the team-lead with 11 goals each. Jesper Bratt leads New Jersey with 23 assists. Bratt and Hischier are tied for the team-lead with 31 points each.
• Jacob Markstrom and Allen make up New Jersey’s goaltending tandem. Markstrom has a 9-9-1 record, 3.32 goals against average, and a .884 save percentage. Allen has an 11-8-1 record with a 2.52 goals against average, and a .912 save percentage.
• The Devils face the Mammoth in the front half of a back-to-back. New Jersey will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night before four-straight on the road.

By the Numbers

• It’ll be a strong special teams matchup as the Mammoth have the seventh-best penalty kill (82.2%) and the Devils have the 10th best power play (21.4%).
• The Mammoth are allowing the 12th fewest goals against per game (2.88) while the Devils are allowing the 13th fewest (3.00).
• Guenther’s five game-winning goals are tied for second most in the NHL. The forward is also tied for most overtime goals in the NHL (3).

Against New Jersey This Season

• This is the second and final game between the Mammoth and the Devils this season.
• In the first game, the Mammoth fell 2-1 to the Devils. Daniil But scored his first NHL goal in the loss.

Season Series

• Dec. 19: NJD vs UTA – Game Recap
• Jan. 3: UTA vs NJD

Upcoming Schedule

• Jan. 5: UTA vs NYR
• Jan. 7: OTT vs UTA
• Jan. 9: STL vs UTA