Utah Hosts Washington to Wrap Homestand

THE DETAILS

WHO: Washington (35-28-9) vs Utah (37-29-6)

WHEN: Mar. 26, 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

• Center Barrett Hayton is week-to-week per head coach André Tourigny.

• Forward Daniil But was recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday. He’ll play tonight on a line with Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther.

• Forward Brandon Tanev is in the lineup as well. 

Mental Reset

With 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Mammoth took Wednesday off to rest and reset heading into the final stretch. Tourigny shared why it was important for the team to have a day away from the rink.

“There was good energy this morning,” Tourigny said. “I like the vibes of the guys. I think they all needed yesterday to stay away from the rink, just have a mental reset. Our guys always have the right intention and the right desire and they’re passionate and they want to do the right thing … The plan of action is to make sure tonight, our focus, our energy is all in on Washington.”

Bringing Back But

As Daniil But returns to the Mammoth lineup he’ll play alongside Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther. But gained confidence with Tucson and will be able to fit in well on the Cooley line.

"He has the speed, he has the brain,” Tourigny said of But. “He executes and he's going to the net. Playing with those two guys, he'll have a net presence."

Facing the Capitals

In the first game with Washington, Utah had lost its previous game and needed to bounce back. The Mammoth are in the same position today and are looking to rebound against the Capitals. In the first game of the series, Utah had a strong start and that’s another focus for the Mammoth today.

“We had a good start,” Dylan Guenther explained. “We came out hot. That was a big emphasis that game. I think we might have lost a couple going into that. That was important for us, and we were able to hang on. I think playing them, they’ve came back on us a few times in the past couple years. We know that they play a full 60 (minutes) so that’s important for us too.”

Matching the heaviness and physicality that the Capitals bring is also a significant focus.

“Washington’s a heavy team,” Tourigny shared. “They like to hold on to pucks. We need to be physical and use our speed, be very fast in our decisions, and drive to the net.”

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah is 37-39-6 this season and 4-4-2 over the last 10 games. The Mammoth are fourth in the Central Division and currently hold the first wild card spot with 80 points.

• In their most recent game, the Mammoth suffered a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Lawson Crouse scored his 20^th of the season while Alexander Kerfoot also scored in the loss.

• Dylan Guenther 34 goals are a team-high and his 59 points are third on the team. Captain Clayton Keller leads the Mammoth with 46 assists and 68 points. Nick Schmaltz is second in all of the above scoring categories with 26 goals, 37 assists, and 63 points.

• Karel Vejmelka has a 32-19-3 record as Utah’s starter. He has a 2.71 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček has a 5-10-3 record as the other half of the Mammoth’s goaltending tandem. He has a 2.67 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage.

• Thursday’s game wraps up a four game homestand. Utah’s next three games are on the road. The Mammoth will play the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Washington

• Washington is 35-28-9 this season and is 4-4-2 over the last 10 games. The Capitals are sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points. Currently, Washington is six points out of the second wild card spot.

• In their most recent game, the Capitals fell to the St. Louis Blues, 3-0. Logan Thompson stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the loss.

• Captain Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 26 goals and 53 points. Dylan Strome’s 35 assists are a team-high. Tom Wilson is second on the team with 25 goals and 52 points.

• Thompson is Washington’s starting goaltender. He has a 24-20-6 record with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. Charlie Lindgren makes up the second half of the team’s goaltending tandem. He has a 9-7-3 record, a 3.29 goals-against average, and a .886 save percentage.

• Washington wraps its three-game road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

By the Numbers

• Utah has held its opponents to the fifth-fewest goals per game (2.82) while Washington is allowing the seventh-fewest (2.85). 

• Associate captain Lawson Crouse has six points in his last five games; four of those six points have been goals. Crouse hit the 20-goal mark in Utah’s last game, and it’s the fourth-time he’s hit this benchmark over the last five seasons.

• On Mar. 22, Washington captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000 NHL goal. He became the second player to do so in league history (Wayne Gretzky, 1,016). Ovechkin has 923 regular season goals and 77 playoff tallies.

Against Washington This Season

• This is the second and final game between the Mammoth and the Capitals this season. 

• Utah won the first meeting, 3-2, on Mar. 3. Guenther, Mikhail Sergachev (PPG), and Peterka (PPG) scored in the win.

Season Series

• Mar. 3: UTA vs WSH – Game Recap

• Mar. 26: WSH vs UTA

Upcoming Schedule

• Mar. 28: UTA vs LAK

• Apr. 2: UTA vs SEA

• Apr. 4: UTA vs VAN