GamePreviewWEB 1.29.26

THE DETAILS

WHO: Utah (28-21-4) vs Carolina (32-15-5)

WHEN: Jan. 29, 2026 – 5:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Lenovo 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 after the Mammoth’s morning skate at 11:30 a.m. ET.

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

  • Utah has a 28-21-4 record this season and an 8-1-1 record over the last 10 games. The Mammoth are fourth in the Central Division with 60 points. Currently, Utah is in the top wild card spot in the west.
  • The Mammoth beat the Florida Panthers, 4-3, in the team’s most recent game.
    • Nick Schmaltz (SHG), Sean Durzi, Mikhail Sergachev, and Barrett Hayton (EN) scored in the win.
    • Vítek Vaněček stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced from his former team.
  • Dylan Guenther’s 24 goals lead the Mammoth while Clayton Keller’s 34 assists and 50 points are team-highs. Schmaltz’s 19 goals and 47 points are second on the team while Sergachev’s 29 assists are second-most on the roster.
  • Utah’s starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka has a 25-12-2 record through 40 games played. He has a 2.56 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. Vaněček has a 3-9-2 record through 14 games played. He has a 2.93 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage.
  • Thursday is the final game of a four-game road trip. Utah returns to Delta Center to host the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. The Mammoth have three more home games before the Olympic break.

Carolina

  • Carolina has a 32-15-5 record this season and has a 7-1-2 record over the last 10 games. The Hurricanes are first in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points and are firmly in a playoff spot.
  • The Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators, 4-1, on Saturday night.
    • William Carrier, Seth Jarvis, Taylor Hall, and Andrei Svechnikov (PPG) scored in the win.
    • Brandon Bussi stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced.
  • Jarvis’ 23 goals are a team-high while Sebastian Aho’s 35 assists and 52 points lead the Hurricanes. Svechnikov’s 18 goals and 43 points are second-most on the Hurricanes while Shayne Gostisbehere and Nikolaj Ehlers are tied for the second-most assists on the team.
  • Bussi, in his rookie season, has played 23 games and has a 19-3-1 record. He has a 2.15 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Frederik Andersen has a 7-10-4 record with a 3.23 goals-against average and a .869 save percentage.
  • Carolina will face the Washington Capitals on the front half of a back-to-back Saturday evening. The Hurricanes will host the Los Angeles Kings Sunday afternoon.

By the Numbers

  • Vejmelka’s 25 wins are the most in the NHL. His two assists are tied for second-most in the league.
  • Carolina’s 18 home wins are tied for third-most in the NHL. The Hurricanes have scored 105 goals at home which is third-most in the NHL.
  • The Hurricanes are scoring the fourth-most goals per game in the NHL (3.38) while holding teams to the seventh-fewest (2.83). The Mammoth are averaging the 16th most goals per game in the league (3.15) while limiting their opponents to the sixth-fewest goals per game (2.75).

Against Carolina This Season

  • This is the first of two games between the Mammoth and Hurricanes this season.
  • Utah will host the second matchup in mid-April.

Season Series

  • Jan. 29: UTA vs CAR
  • Apr. 11: CAR vs UTA

Upcoming Schedule