Game Fifty-One: Utah Mammoth (27-20-4) at Tampa Bay Lightning (32-14-4)
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Benchmark International Arena, Former home ice for Mikhail Sergachev (and Ian Cole)
TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, Utah16, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -162
Know the Opponents: Utah Mammoth on NHL.com
Stampeding out of the Wasatch Mountains comes one of the league’s hottest teams in the Utah Mammoth. The newest franchise in the league is riding a five-game winning streak after their 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. They’re going to be a problem for the Lightning, who are looking to start a new winning streak of their own after a discombobulated loss to Columbus on Saturday. Led by 22-year-old Dylan Guentherer’s 3 goals and 5 assists the offense has been carrying the Mammoth who have posted 24 goals during that stretch.
The surge has helped them move to the top of the Western Conference Wild Card standings with 58 points, and could have them on the market to add some talent at the trade deadline after years of acquiring resources. One area that they aren’t looking to upgrade is in net where Karel Vejmelka has established himself as a true number one goaltender.
The 29-year-old is leading the league in wins (25) while posting a .901 SV%, 2.57 GAA, and a 23.89 GSAx. To say the Mammoth have been leaning on him is an understatement as only Juuse Saros has appeared in more games (40 to 39). His teammates have done a nice job of helping him out as they are allowing the second-fewest shot attempts against on the road at 5v5 and their 2.48 xGA/60 away from the Delta Center is fifth in the league right now.
The Lightning are finally back in their own familiar surroundings as tonight’s game starts a five-game home-stand that leads them into the Olympic Break. It’s the first time they’ll play multiple games at The Bench (is that a thing yet?) since a four-game stretch from December 15-22. Hopefully, the warm Gulf breezes will help them heal up a bit as injuries continue to be the dominant story line of their 2025-26 season.
The game against Columbus started with Max Crozier missing it due to an illness and got worse as Erik Cernak and Charle-Edouard D’Astous left the game with injuries. D’Astous is on injured reserve joining Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh on IR while Victor Hedman and Emil Lilleberg are on Long-Term Injured Reserve.
Jack Finley, Gage Goncalves, and Crozier are all game-time decisions due to illness. Cernak was on the ice (along with Goncalves) at the morning skate, but reinforcements have arrived in the form of Max Groshev and Curtis Douglas. Douglas, who was brought in off of waivers from the Utah organization completed his conditioning stint in Syracuse where appeared in six games without recording a point.
It’ll be another night where the line-up probably won’t be set until after the warm-ups, but expect to see a lot of the Yanni Gourde line. With the exception of the Chicago game where they were together for 9:19, Gourde, Zemgus Girgensons, and Pontus Holmberg have averaged well north of 11 minutes a night at 5v5 since the end of December.
Over that stretch of games, they have dictated the pace of play. While they have been on the ice for four goals and four goals against since December 28, most of the play has been in the opponents end as they have a 55.76% edge in attempted shots, 65.18% edge in scoring chances, and 69.39% edge in high-danger chances. They’ve become Coach Cooper’s go-to line when he needs to shift the energy in a game. They might not be finishing all of their chances, but with their forecheck and puck-possession, they are wearing down opponents, allowing the Lightning’s other lines to stack up the chances and goals.
They’ll need to be on top of their game tonight as they will be taking on a Utah squad that is on a heater.
Potential Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards:
Brandon HagelAnthony CirelliNikita KucherovGage GoncalvesDominic JamesGage GoncalvesZemgus GirgensonsYanni GourdePontus HolmbergJakob PelletierNick PaulOliver Bjorkstrand
Defense:
J.J. MoserDarren RaddyshCharle-Edouard D’AstousErik CernakDeclan CarlileMax Crozier
Goaltenders:
Andrei VasilevskiyJonas Johansson
Utah Mammoth
Forwards:
Clayton KellerNick SchmaltzKailer YamamotoJJ PeterkaBarrett HaytonDaniil ButMichael CarconeJack McBainDylan GuentherBrandon TanevKevin StenlundLiam O’Brien
Defense:
Mikhail SergachevSean DurziNate SchmidtJohn MarinoIan ColeNick Desimone
Goaltenders:
Karel VejmelkaVitek Vanecek