Utah Hosts Minnesota in Friday Night Matchup

THE DETAILS

WHO: Minnesota (35-14-10) vs. Utah (30-24-4)

WHEN: Feb. 27. 2026

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

• Check back following the Mammoth's optional morning skate.

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah is 30-24-4 this season and is fourth in the Central Division with 64 points. The Mammoth have gone 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. Currently, Utah is in the first wild card spot in the west.

• In their most recent game, the Mammoth fell to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-2. Dylan Guenther scored both of Utah’s goals while Karel Vejmelka stopped 22 of the 26 shots he faced. Logan Cooley and Alexander Kerfoot both returned to the lineup.

• Guenther’s 27 goals lead the Mammoth while his 49 points are third. Captain Clayton Keller’s 38 assists and 55 points are team-highs. Nick Schmaltz 23 goals and 53 points are second on the team.

• Vejmelka has a 27-15-2 record through 45 games played. He has a 2.61 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček makes up the other half of Utah’s goaltending tandem. He has a 3-9-2 record, a 2.93 goals-against average, and a .884 save percentage.

• The Mammoth wrap up their homestand with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon. Following, Utah heads out on a five-game road trip.

Minnesota

• Minnesota is 35-14-10 this season and second in the Central Division with 80 points. The Wild have gone 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.

• In their most recent game, the Wild beat the Avalanche, 5-2. Matt Boldy had a four-point night (2G, 2A). He scored two empty net goals, including a shorthanded empty net goal in the final five minutes of the game. Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice and Mats Zuccarello also contributed a goal. Filip Gustavsson stopped 44 of the 45 shots he faced in the win.

• Boldy’s 34 goals are a team-high and his 66 points are second most on the team. Quinn Hughes’ 53 assists lead the team. Kirill Kaprizov’s 72 points are most on the Wild while his 32 goals are second-most.

• Since Gustavsson played Colorado last night, it’s likely the Mammoth will face goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt has a 14-5-4 record this season, a 2.76 goals-against average, and a .913 save percentage.

• Friday’s game is the second half of a back-to-back for Minnesota. Following, the Wild will return home for a two-game homestand that starts on Sunday with a game against the St. Louis Blues.

By the Numbers

• Utah is allowing the fifth-fewest goals per game (2.78) while Minnesota is allowing the seventh-fewest (2.85).

• Boldy has 12 points in his last five games and in two of those five games he had four points. Through this span he has six goals and six assists. In his fifth NHL season he’s already set a new career-high in goals (34) and is four points away from setting a new career-high in points. 

• Keller leads Utah in scoring against the Wild. Through the 32 games, he’s scored 14 goals and contributed 15 assists for 29 points. Utah’s captain has points in his last three-straight, and two of those three games were multi-point efforts.

Against Minnesota This Season

• This is the second of three games between the Mammoth and the Wild this season.

• Utah won the first matchup, 6-2, on Oct. 25. Logan Cooley and Schmaltz each contributed a pair of goals while JJ Peterka and John Marino (EN) also scored in the win. Vejmelka stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced.

Season Series

• Oct. 25: UTA vs MIN – Game Recap

• Feb. 27: MIN vs UTA 

• Mar. 10: UTA vs MIN

Upcoming Schedule

• Mar. 1: CHI vs UTA

• Mar. 3: UTA vs WSH

• Mar. 5: UTA vs PHI