The Vancouver Canucks (10–14–3) will enter their match against the Utah Mammoth (13–12–3) in a unique position; on the hunt for their first win against the Mammoth. Vancouver lost all three games against Utah during the team’s inaugural NHL season and has yet to collect their first win against them. A win against the Mammoth tonight would snap Vancouver’s current three-game losing streak after the team lost 3–1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Utah is coming off a commanding 7–0 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
In their last game, Vancouver was sorely outmatched and outplayed by a Colorado team who has dominated the NHL this year. All things considered, they managed to hang in there pretty decently, though one thing that was sorely lacking was their ability to generate quality scoring chances. Utah has been one of the better teams in the NHL in limiting overall scoring chances against with 732 total chances allowed throughout 28 games played. They have also allowed 83 goals against average — a whole 15 lower than Vancouver’s 98.
Surprisingly, the Mammoth are currently near the top of the NHL in goals-for with 87 scored in 28 games. They currently have four players who have scored 10 or more goals so far this season — Logan Cooley (14), JJ Peterka (12), Nick Schmaltz (10), and Dylan Guenther (10). They are one of a select group of teams that have four 10+ goal scorers at this point in the season, with the New Jersey Devils being the other. Adding to that, nine of their 87 goals have come from their blueline, with Mikhail Sergachev leading the way with three.
Players To Watch:
Linus Karlsson
Karlsson is coming off a game that saw him score his fifth goal of the 2025–26 season, tying him with Evander Kane and Max Sasson for seventh on the team in goals scored. By the end of the game, Karlsson had ended up on the Canucks’ top line alongside Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane. Vancouver’s lines were mixed up during Thursday’s practice due to players battling the flu and the return of Nils Höglander and Conor Garland in regular practice sweaters, though Karlsson was still playing alongside Pettersson. Now with three goals in his past six games, Karlsson will be a player to keep an eye on tonight — especially if he keeps his new spot in the lineup.
Daniil But
The 12th-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, But made his NHL debut in Utah’s last game after being called-up to the Mammoth. Despite not yet grabbing his first NHL point, But played well against the Ducks on Wednesday and was put on a line with Cooley and Guenther. With two talented young players skating alongside him, But will be a player to watch tonight.
Vancouver Canucks (10–14–3):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 8–14-22
Quinn Hughes: 2–20–22
Kiefer Sherwood: 12–4–16
Brock Boeser: 9–7–16
Filip Hronek: 2–14–16
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 5–4–0
Kevin Lankinen: 4–8–3
Nikita Tolopilo: 1–1–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Utah Mammoth (13–12–3):
Points:
Clayton Keller: 9–16–25
Nick Schmaltz: 10–14–24
Logan Cooley: 14–9–23
JJ Peterka: 12–9–21
Dylan Guenther: 10–11–21
Goaltenders:
Karel Vejmelka: 11–7–2
Vitek Vanecek: 2–5–1
Game Information:
Start time: 6:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Vancouver’s First Professional Hockey Triple-Header Hits BC This Weekend
Canucks Adam Foote Provides Injury Updates On Garland, Höglander, Demko & Kane
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
