Utah Faces Tampa Bay to Start Back-to-Back

THE DETAILS

WHO: Utah (27-20-4) vs Tampa Bay (32-14-4)

WHEN: Jan. 26, 2026

WHERE: Benchmark International Arena

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

MORNING SKATE NOTES

• Check back after the Mammoth’s morning skate at 11:30 a.m. ET.

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah enters Monday’s game with a 27-20-4 record. The Mammoth are on a five-game win streak and a nine-game points streak. Currently, Utah is fourth in the Central Division with 58 points.
• In their most recent game, the Mammoth beat the Nashville Predators, 5-2.
  • Utah scored three goals in the second period and two in the third to secure two divisional points.
  • Clayton Keller, Michael Carcone, Kailer Yamamoto, Barrett Hayton (PPG), and JJ Peterka (AWD, EN) scored in the win.
  • Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced in his 25th win this season.
• Dylan Guenther’s 24 goals lead the Mammoth, and his 45 points are third on the team. Keller’s 34 assists and 50 points are team-highs. Nick Schmaltz and Peterka are tied for the second most goals on the team (18), while Schmaltz has the second most points with 46. Mikhail Sergachev’s 29 assists are second on the Mammoth.
• Vejmelka, Utah’s starting goaltender, has a 25-11-2 record with a 2.57 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček has a 2-9-2 record with a 2.92 goals against average and a .883 save percentage.
• The Mammoth continue their road trip with a game against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. The four-game trip wraps up on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lightning

• Tampa Bay enters Monday’s game with a 32-14-4 record. The Lightning had a 15-game points streak snapped on Saturday. Currently, Tampa Bay is second in the Atlantic Division with 68 points.
• In their most recent game, the Lightning lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 8-5.
  • Jake Guentzel scored twice while Darren Raddysh (PPG), Nikita Kucherov, and Anthony Cirelli each scored once in the loss.
  • Jonas Johansson stopped 23 of the 29 shots he faced.
• Kucherov’s 26 goals, 52 assists, and 78 points lead the Lightning. Brandon Hagel’s 25 goals are second on the team. Guentzel’s 24 goals are third while his 30 assists and 54 points are second on Tampa.
• Andrei Vasilevkiy is Tampa Bay’s starting goaltender. He has a 22-7-3 record with a 2.13 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. Johansson, the other half of the tandem, has a 10-7-1 record, a 2.91 goals against average, and a .890 save percentage.
• Monday is the first of five-straight games in Tampa before the Olympic break. The Lightning will host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

By the Numbers

• Utah is allowing the fifth-fewest goals per game (2.76) and the fourth-fewest shots against (25.6).
• Tampa Bay is allowing the second-fewest goals per game (2.56) while scoring the second-most goals per game (3.48). The Lightning also have the second-best penalty kill in the league and have kept opponents from scoring on 84.1% of their power play opportunities.
• Vejmelka’s 25 wins lead the NHL. Vasilevskiy is second with 22 wins.

Against Tampa This Season

• This is the second and final game between the Mammoth and the Lightning this season.
• Tampa Bay won the first game, 4-2. Lawson Crouse and Kailer Yamamoto had Utah’s goals in the loss.

Season Series

• Nov. 2: TBL vs UTA – Game Recap
• Jan. 26: UTA vs TBL

Upcoming Schedule

• Jan. 27: UTA vs FLA
• Jan. 29: UTA vs CAR
• Jan. 31: DAL vs UTA