Mammoth Surging Toward Playoffs With Visit to Canucks Next

Utah looks to cap perfect road trip against struggling Vancouver

Apr. 4, 2026 at 12:38am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game, with sharp, overlapping planes of navy, green, and red representing the dynamic action on the ice.The Utah Mammoth's late-season surge has them poised for a playoff push, while the Vancouver Canucks look to the future after another disappointing campaign.Chicago Today

The Utah Mammoth are in a strong position to secure a playoff spot in the Western Conference, holding a five-point lead in the wild card race with seven games remaining. The Mammoth are coming off an impressive 6-2 road win over the Seattle Kraken and look to cap a perfect three-game trip with a victory over the lowly Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Why it matters

The Mammoth are making a late-season push for the playoffs, and a win over the last-place Canucks would help solidify their position in the wild card standings. Meanwhile, the Canucks are playing out the string, sitting 16 points back of the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks and focusing on developing their young talent for next season.

The details

Utah (39-30-6, 84 points) has a firm grasp on the Western Conference's first wild-card spot, with a five-point edge on their closest competitors. The Mammoth are on a roll, coming off a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday after previously defeating the Los Angeles Kings by the same score. Utah has received strong performances from key players like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Nick Schmaltz, and the team's power play has been clicking, scoring eight goals in the past four games.

  • The Mammoth continue their three-game road trip on Saturday against the Canucks.
  • Utah is 12 points back of Minnesota for the third spot in the Central Division, making the first wild-card spot its best opportunity.
  • The Canucks are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, ending a four-game road swing.

The players

J.J. Peterka

A forward for the Utah Mammoth who said the team is in a good spot and just needs to keep pushing.

Logan Cooley

A Mammoth player who has scored five goals in the last three games.

Dylan Guenther

A Mammoth player who is coming off a three-point outing.

Nick Schmaltz

A Mammoth player who has scored in consecutive games.

Adam Foote

The head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, who praised his team's effort in a recent loss to the Minnesota Wild.

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What they’re saying

“We're in a really good spot right now and just have to keep pushing. The road trip is really important for us.”

— J.J. Peterka, Forward, Utah Mammoth

“We're doing a better job shooting the puck. A lot of times, we look for the perfect play and it's not there. We're shooting pucks and then making plays off of that.”

— Nick Schmaltz, Player, Utah Mammoth

“We had a great effort, especially back-to-back against two good teams like that. The guys competed to the end.”

— Adam Foote, Head Coach, Vancouver Canucks

“There's lots of things we're trying to clean up a little bit. When we do it right, you see guys get rewarded. Last game (the 8-6 win over Colorado) was an outlier — there was a lot of goals for both sides — but we're playing against pretty good teams getting prepped up for playoffs. It's good for the young guys and more competitive. We've just got to keep grinding here.”

— Jake DeBrusk, Forward, Vancouver Canucks

What’s next

The Mammoth will look to continue their strong play and secure a playoff spot, while the Canucks will aim to play spoiler and develop their young talent for next season.

The takeaway

The Utah Mammoth are surging at the right time, riding a hot streak to solidify their position in the Western Conference wild card race. Meanwhile, the struggling Vancouver Canucks are playing out the string, focusing on the future as they prepare for another high draft pick.