SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Mammoth passed its second post-Olympic test with a thorough, 5-2 domination of the Minnesota Wild.
The Mammoth (31-24-4, 66 points) hosted the Wild (34-15-10, 78 points) at the Delta Center on Friday, February 27.
Minnesota is one of four teams with 80+ points this season and holds the second-best record in the Western Conference. Utah maintains a one-point lead over the Seattle Kraken for the top Wild Card spot in the West.
The Hat Trick: Utah Mammoth Play Rusty In Loss To Colorado Avalanche
Friday night matchup 👊 pic.twitter.com/QerJqUqIRm
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 27, 2026
Rising Mammoth star Dylan Guenther scored twice in a loss to Colorado on Wednesday, increasing his team-leading total to 27 goals and 49 points overall.
Gold-medal winner Clayton Keller leads Utah with 55 points (17 G, 38 A), followed by 53 points (23 G, 30 A) from Nick Schmaltz.
Guenther and Keller both come into the night riding three-game point streaks.
The Wild have incredible scoring depth as five players began the day with a four-game or better point streak.
Team USA hockey hero Quinn Hughes leads the way with 18 points in his past ten games and 57 points (5 G, 52 A) overall. Matt Boldy is the leading scorer for the Wild with 62 points (32 G, 30 A).
Pregame
On the ice:
Vejmelka
Vanecek
Keller
Yamamoto
Maatta
Tanev
Marino
Schmidt
DeSimone
Schmaltz
Cooley
O’Brien
Hayton https://t.co/CQlffhuSc8
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 27, 2026
Carcone in for Tanev. Maatta in for DeSimone.
Vejmelka in net. https://t.co/CfTXCJ82uX
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Go time ⏰#TusksUp | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/UrSAEmOAim
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 28, 2026
First Period
Great stick by Dylan Guenther on the first shift in the defensive zone.
Minnesota with a quick 2-on-1 rush but Guenther stretched out to cut off the pass.
May have saved a goal.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Congratulations on 300 career @NHL games, Bainer! pic.twitter.com/toxDShBm8a
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 28, 2026
8️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ career @NHL games for Nate Schmidt! pic.twitter.com/kQbfKHwRup
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 28, 2026
Minnesota is so opportunistic with the puck after generating a turnover.
They pick it up and absolutely fly.
Utah needs to be more careful with their passes.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Minnesota back to full strength.
Too passive on the power play for Utah.
Twice, the Mammoth passed on one-timers from the right faceoff circle.
Not to say those pucks are guaranteed to go in but as Michael Scott would say, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Wisdom.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Kerfoot will go to the box for a hook.
Minnesota to the PP.
1P: 8:22 | 0-0
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
LOGAN COOLEY CLEANS UP A DEFLECTION AND UTAH TAKES A 1-0 LEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Logan Cooley gave his club a 1-0 lead when he scored a short-handed goal. It was his 15th of the season.
Utah was so aggressive on the PK, you almost forget they were playing down a man.
Great takeaway by Sergachev, strategic shot looking for a stick, and then 92 cleans it up.pic.twitter.com/LoPFnXSS4p
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
92 is buzzing right now.
Super aggressive in the offensive zone as he’s been relentless on the forecheck and so crafty with the puck on his stick.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Start was a little slow but Utah finished really strong over the back half of the period.
The biggest difference was their coverage in the defensive zone as they picked off passes and went the other way with the puck.
92 is also disgusting by the way. Looks really good so far. https://t.co/QXQEWC8CbB
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Second Period
CLAYTON KELLER SCORES FROM THE LOW SLOT AND UTAH DOUBLES THEIR LEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!
2-0!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Nick Schmaltz deserves so much credit on this goal.
Active stick to create the turnover and then a well-placed pass away from the defenseman’s stick to set up Keller with an easy one.pic.twitter.com/32qMXgKXci
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
CROUSE LIGHTS THE LAMP ON HIS BACKHAND AND UTAH HAS A 3-0 LEAD OVER THE WILD!!!!!!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Absolutely ferocious and relentless approach by the Mammoth here in the second period.
Winning every battle in the offensive zone and then putting Minnesota through the blender with their passing.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Kaprizov scores on the backdoor.
3-1 Utah https://t.co/65y51bLNwo
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Kaprizov scores on the backdoor.
3-1 Utah https://t.co/65y51bLNwo
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Utah leads Minnesota 3-1 through the middle frame.
A very productive period for the Mammoth as they suffocated the Wild in their own zone, generated turnovers, and found the back of the net.
Third period on deck.pic.twitter.com/2XG4GONLmU
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 28, 2026
Third Period
BARRETT HAYTON SCORES A DIRTY ONE RIGHT IN FRONT AND UTAH LEADS MINNESOTA 4-1!!!!!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Haytes on the power play!
4-1, Mammoth. pic.twitter.com/mJryMEbBY9
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 28, 2026
Boldy DENIED by Vejmelka! pic.twitter.com/M4BXgVu35P
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 28, 2026
WOW.
Incredible save by Vejmelka against Boldy on the breakaway.
Didn’t bite on the deke, stretched out his left pad, and then stuffed the shot with what looked like his skate blade.
Big save.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
CROUSE BURIES A DEFLECTION AND UTAH LEADS 5-1!!!!!!!!!
Just domination by the Mammoth tonight.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Relentless.
Crouser tallies his second of the night. pic.twitter.com/numjE2pm5N
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 28, 2026
Boldy redirects one past Vejmelka.
5-2 Utah with 5:55 left in the third.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 28, 2026
Follow the Utah Mammoth with KSL Sports
The Chicago Blackhawks come calling at Delta Center on Sunday, March 1. The matinee matchup begins at 2 p.m. MT.
Follow the entire 2025-26 Utah Mammoth schedule here.
The Smith Entertainment Group’s (SEG) streaming platform will also continue to carry all Mammoth games on SEG+ in 2025-26.
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Follow him on X. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
All Mammoth games will be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM). Occasionally, KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) also airs Jazz games.
Take us with you, wherever you go.
Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
