Utah Hosts Columbus for Sunday Showdown

THE DETAILS

WHO: Columbus (18-19-7) vs Utah (22-20-3)

WHEN: Jan. 11, 2026 – 7:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Delta Center

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

MORNING SKATE NOTES

• Head coach André Tourigny discussed facing the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the Mammoth’s game at 5 p.m.

Staying Strong Defensively

The Blue Jackets enter into Sunday’s game eager to get back into the win column after a loss in the first half of a back-to-back. It’ll be key for the Mammoth to stay strong defensively against their opponents. Tourigny wants to see his team clean up from the last game.

“I think we need to tighten it up a little bit defensively,” Tourigny explained. “We need to be a little bit more aware in our coverage. Which we’ve been really good at, having pace on the puck carrier, having head on a swivel and having good coverage.”

Stopping the Rush

As Columbus is a strong team off the rush, here’s what Utah is focused on for tonight’s game:

“Their (defensemen) are really good puck movers, all six of them, they’re really skilled at moving the puck,” Tourigny shared. “So their transition in neutral zone, their transition of breakout, the transition from their d-zone coverage, that is where they get a lot of either odd-man rush or good rush.

“For us it will be to be aware of 200-foot and make sure we manage the puck well in their zone, but as well, we get above them really quickly,” Tourigny continued. “It will not be a job of three or four guys. We need five guys to get above, because like (I) said, their (defensemen) are not just involved in the rush, they lead the rush on a lot of them, they’re extremely involved.”

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah enters Sunday’s game with a 22-20-3 record, and the team is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. The Mammoth are on a three-game win streak and have four wins in their last five games. Currently, Utah is fourth in the Central Division with 47 points.
• The Mammoth beat the St. Louis Blues, 4-2, in their most recent game.
  • Nick Schmaltz paced the team with two goals while Lawson Crouse and Sean Durzi also scored in the win.
  • Karel Vejmelka recorded his NHL-leading 20th win this season with 26 saves on 28 shots.
• Dylan Guenther’s 21 goals lead the Mammoth while Clayton Keller’s 28 assists and 41 points are team-highs. Nick Schmaltz is second in goals (16), third in assists (24), and second in points (40).
• Vejmelka, Utah’s starting goaltender, has a 20-11-2 record, a 2.63 goals against average, and a .900 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček, the other half of Utah’s goaltending tandem, has a 2-9-1 record, a 2.92 goals against average, and a .879 save percentage.
• The Mammoth continue their seven-game homestand with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Game time is 8:00 p.m. MT and tickets are available here!

Columbus

• Columbus enters Sunday’s game with a 18-19-7 record, and the team is 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. The Blue Jackets are currently eighth in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points.
• The Blue Jackets fell to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-0, in their most recent game.
  • Columbus recorded 29 shots on goal in the loss. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
  • This game was the front half of a back-to-back that will wrap up against the Mammoth on Sunday.
• Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko are tied for the team-lead with 16 goals, while Werenski’s 30 assists and 46 points are team-highs. Marchenko is tied for the second-most assists on the team (19), and has the second most points (35).
• With Merzlikins playing in Colorado, it’s likely that Jet Greaves will play against Utah. Greaves has a 12-12-6 record through 30 games played. He has a 2.74 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
• After Sunday’s game, the Blue Jackets return home to host the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks for a two-game homestand.

By the Numbers

• Captain Clayton Keller has a team-leading eight points in his last five games, seven of which are assists. Dylan Guenther leads the Mammoth with four goals in the last five games.
• The Mammoth are tied for the sixth-most third period goals in the league with 53 goals in the final frame.
• Columbus’ defensemen lead the NHL with 34 goals and have the fifth-most points with 111. Werenski leads all defensemen in the league with 16 goals and is second with 46 points.
• The Blue Jackets have scored 47 goals in the second period this season, which is tied for ninth-most in the middle frame.

Against Columbus This Season

• This is the first of two games between the Mammoth and the Blue Jackets this season. It’s also the only game at Delta Center between these teams this year.

Season Series

• Jan. 11: CBJ vs UTA
• Mar. 7: UTA vs CBJ

Upcoming Schedule

• Jan. 13: TOR vs UTA
• Jan. 15: DAL vs UTA
• Jan. 17: SEA vs UTA