The Utah Mammoth get a chance tonight to swing the Central Division right back in their direction.
Minnesota had moved into the top spot, but Utah can reclaim it with a win in a matchup that already feels like a measuring-stick game. The Mammoth enter it fresh off an overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning and are looking for a second straight victory.
The matchup is set for Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. MT, with coverage on ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+.
For Utah, the challenge starts with slowing down a Minnesota attack that has been dangerous all season. Kirill Kaprizov has been one of the NHL’s best players, and his 13 goals tell the story. Quinn Hughes has been producing too, with four goals and 13 assists, and that kind of offensive punch is exactly what Utah’s defense has to account for.
That defense has not been sharp through 12 games, which makes this one a tough assignment. The Mammoth need to keep the Wild from creating clean looks and tighten up in their own end if they want to stay in control.
The good news for Utah is that the path to a win is clear: defend better, manage Minnesota’s chances, and trust the offense to do enough.
The prediction here is a Utah win, and a high-scoring one at that, 5-4. Minnesota should push hard and make it uncomfortable, but the Mammoth have enough to edge it and take the division lead back.
If Utah wants to be taken seriously in the Central, this is the kind of game it has to close out.
In Other News...
Roadrunners Face An Early Pacific Division Test In Coachella Valley
A solid start to the road trip has put the Tucson Roadrunners in a good spot heading into Wednesdays visit to Coachella Valley at Acrisure Arena. Tucson has points in each of its last six games and is carrying a 4-2-1-0 record into the first real Pacific Division measuring stick of the season, with Cameron Hebig, Ben McCartney and rookie Tij Iginla giving the lineup a steady mix of production and youth.
Coachella Valley enters with a 3-3-2-1 mark and has dropped four of its last five, but division games tend to sharpen quickly, especially this early in the schedule. The Roadrunners have leaned on strong defensive play and a power play that has traveled well, and this game offers another chance to see how that formula holds up against a familiar opponent before the trip rolls on. [Read more 🡒]