Wild at Mammoth | Game Preview

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- The top two teams in the Central Division face off tonight as the Wild closes out its five-game road trip against the Utah Mammoth on Wild+ and KFAN FM 100.3. Minnesota enters tonight’s contest with an 8-3-2 record, and its 18 points ranks T-1st in the Western Conference and T-3rd in the NHL. Utah comes in with a 8-4-0 record and 16 points on the season.

Minnesota is coming off back-to-back wins over the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks, trying to complete the road trip with three straight wins, which would set a new mark for its longest win streak this season. The Wild was able to bounce back after dropping the first two games of the trip to Edmonton (overtime) and Calgary.

The second period has been the story for the Wild over the last two games. Minnesota outscored Seattle and Vancouver, 5-0, while also outshooting them, 31-4 in the middle frames of each game. In Seattle on Saturday night, the Wild scored three goals while holding the Kraken to just one shot in the second period. It marked the 10th time in franchise history the Wild scored more goals in a period than its opponent had shots. On the season, Minnesota ranks T-2nd with a plus-8 second period goal differential and plus-51 second period shot differential.

Jesper Wallstedt is back in net tonight for Minnesota. He owns a 7-2-2 record on the season with a 2.08 GAA and a .918 SV% in his 11 starts, ranking T-1st in the NHL in wins, seventh in GAA and eighth in SV%. Tonight marks the second time he will face the Mammoth in his career.

Players to Watch:

Matt Boldy: The owner of eight points (3-5=8) over his last six games and the NHL’s leader in shots (59) this season, is looking to extend his point streak to three games. Boldy owns five points (2-3=5) in seven games against the Mammoth and has scores in consecutive games.

Bobby Brink: He found the back of the net for his first goal of the season in Vancouver on Sunday night and will look to score in consecutive games. He owns three points (1-2=3) in five career games against Utah, including a goal in his last game against the Mammoth (March 10).

Quinn Hughes: Fresh off recording his 500th career NHL point with a goal in his return to Vancouver, Hughes is also looking to extend his point streak (1-2=3) to three games. Hughes owns four points (1-3=4) in five career games against the Mammoth.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Delta Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Watch: How to Watch
• Listen: KFAN
• Gamecenter: Wild at Mammoth

Records:

• Minnesota Wild Record: 8-3-2, 18 points
• Utah Mammoth Record: 8-4-0, 16 points
• All-Time Wild Record:  2-5-0 (1-3-0 at Minnesota, 1-2-0 at Utah)

Wild Leaders Against Mammoth

• Kaprizov leads Minnesota with six points (3-3=6) in six career games against Utah
• Boldy (2-3=5, in seven career games) and LW Nick Foligno (2-3=5, in seven career games) have five points each
• D Quinn Hughes owns four points (1-3=4) in five games.

Mammoth Leaders Against Wild

• RW Clayton Keller leads Utah in scoring against Minnesota with 32 points (15-17=32) in 34 career games
• Schmaltz owns 26 points (6-20=26) in 37 matches
• Sergachev has 16 points (1-15=16) in 15 games
• LW Anders Lee (7-7=14, in 22 games) and C Vincent Trocheck (7-7=14, in 18 games) have 14 points each.

Connections

• D Olli Määttä collected 19 points (2-17=19) in 92 games with Utah across two seasons (2024-26)…Cooley played one season at the University of Minnesota (2022-23)
• Lee hails from Edina and played high school hockey at St. Thomas Academy (2004-06) and Edina High School (2007-09)
• C Jack McBain was selected by the Wild in the third round (63rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft
• D Nate Schmidt is from St. Cloud and played three seasons at the University of Minnesota (2010-13).

Fast Facts

• Iowa Wild Goaltending Coach Richard Bachman (Salt Lake City) is the only Utah native to appear in a NHL game as a goaltender.

For more information on tonight's matchup, check out the game notes below.