Utah Wraps Back-to-Back in San Jose

THE DETAILS

WHO: Utah (10-7-2) at San Jose (8-8-3)

WHEN: Nov. 18, 2025 – 8:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: SAP Center at San Jose

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

PRE-GAME INFORMATION

• There will be several lineup changes tonight for the Mammoth.
  • Olli Määttä and Kailer Yamamoto are in, while Dmitri Simashev and Liam O'Brien are out.
  • Vítek Vaněček gets the start against his former team
• The Mammoth are focused on load management with a condensed schedule and four games this week.

On Simashev

Rookie defenseman Dmitri Simashev will sit for tonight's game; however, it's an opportunity to manage his playing time in a busy stretch of the season.“It's really a load management situation,” Tourigny shared pre-game. “The number of games we will have, we want to give him the best chance to play his A-game, to be on top of his game all the time.”

The coaching staff has a plan for Simashev’s development to help him grow in his rookie season.

“We talked to him,” Tourigny continued. “Having a plan and things we want him to look at. I told him, it’s not because we don’t think his game is on par. It’s to make sure we’re still progressing, we’re moving forward, and we’re keeping the pace.”

Applying Pressure

The Mammoth have had their opportunity to come back in games and secure two points. There’s a balance needed in these situations and it starts with pressure.

"The most important thing is to maintain the pressure and just stay with it. Stay in the present and maintain the pressure. Not trying to make things even more complicated. You need to win the inside battle more when you have a lead. You’re trailing more, the opponent will protect the inside … You need to simplify but you need to stay relentless with and without the puck.”

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah enters Tuesday’s game on the second half of a back-to-back. In the first half Monday night, the Mammoth fell to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime, 3-2.
  • Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley scored for Utah in the loss. Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced.
• The Mammoth have points in three-straight games; however, the team is on a two-game losing skid.
• Nick Schmaltz leads the Mammoth with 10 goals and 22 points. Mikhail Sergachev and Schmaltz are tied for the team-lead with 12 assists each. Logan Cooley’s nine goals are second on the team, as are Clayton Keller’s 18 points.
• Since Karel Vejmelka played Monday night, Utah may see Vítek Vaněček in net against his former team. Vaněček has played five games for the Mammoth, and he has a 2-3-0 record. The goaltender has a 2.85 goals against average and a .875 save percentage.
• Tuesday wraps up a two-game road trip and the Mammoth’s Moms trip. Utah will host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday to kick off a four-game homestand.

San Jose

• San Jose is looking to snap a two-game losing skid when they host Utah Tuesday night. The Sharks most recent game was a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
  • Alexander Wennberg’s power play goal was San Jose’s lone tally. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced.
• Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks in all scoring categories with 10 goals, 17 assists, and 27 points. Will Smith’s seven goals and 17 points are second on the Sharks while Dmitry Orlov is second on the team with 11 assists.
• Yaroslav Askarov has played 11 games for the Sharks this season. He has a 5-5-1 record, a .906 save percentage, and a 3.09 goals against average. Alex Nedeljkovic is 3-3-2 through his first eight games. He has a .902 save percentage and a 2.97 goals against average.
• Tuesday is the first of four-straight at home for the Sharks. San Jose will host the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins this week.

By the Numbers

• The Mammoth’s penalty kill is 17-for-17 over their last nine games. Utah’s PK is 10th in the NHL and has kept opponents from scoring on 82% of their power play opportunities.
• Dylan Guenther leads the NHL in one-timer shot attempts (45) and shots on net (27) and is second in the league for one-timer goals (6).
• Macklin Celebrini’s 27 points are third-most in the NHL while his 17 assists are tied for seventh-most in the league.

Against San Jose This Season

• This is the second of three games between the Mammoth and Sharks this season.
• Utah won the first game, 6-3, at home and Nick Schmaltz had a hat trick in the win.

Season Series

• Oct. 17: UTA vs SJS – Game Recap
• Nov. 18: UTA at SJS
• Dec. 1: UTA at SJS

Upcoming Schedule

• Nov. 18: UTA at SJS
• Nov. 20: UTA vs VGK
• Nov. 22: UTA vs NYR