Utah eyes sweep of road trip vs struggling Canucks

The Utah Mammoth is closing in on a playoff berth and will look to complete a dominant road trip when it faces the struggling Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Utah (39-30-6, 84 points) currently holds the first wild-card position in the Western Conference, maintaining a five-point cushion over ближайших переслідувачів with just seven games left in the regular season. With a 12-point gap separating them from Minnesota for third place in the Central Division, the wild-card route remains their clearest path to the postseason.

Rather than easing off, Utah is gaining momentum at a critical stage. The team enters the final game of a three-game road swing on the back of a convincing 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, matching the same scoreline from an earlier victory against the Los Angeles Kings.

Forward J.J. Peterka emphasized the importance of maintaining that form: “We’re in a really good spot right now and just have to keep pushing,” he said. “The road trip is really important for us.”

Against Seattle, Utah showcased resilience, overturning a two-goal deficit with six unanswered goals. The team also benefited from successful coach’s challenges and strong individual performances.

Logan Cooley continued his hot streak with two goals, giving him five over his last three games. Dylan Guenther contributed a three-point performance, while Nick Schmaltz extended his scoring run to consecutive games.

Special teams have also become a strength. Utah scored three power-play goals against Seattle and has now recorded eight with the man advantage over its last four games.

Schmaltz pointed to a more direct offensive approach: “We’re doing a better job shooting the puck,” he said. “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.”

The Mammoth made a roster adjustment ahead of the matchup, recalling center Kevin Rooney from the minors after Jack McBain suffered an injury in the Seattle game.

Vancouver, meanwhile, finds itself at the opposite end of the standings.

The Canucks (22-45-8, 52 points) are assured of finishing last in the league following a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, which concluded a four-game road trip. The result secures them the highest odds in the upcoming draft lottery.

Despite the lopsided score, Vancouver showed flashes of competitiveness, leading 2-1 after the first period before being overpowered.

Head coach Adam Foote highlighted the effort: “We had a great effort, especially back-to-back against two good teams like that,” he said. “The guys competed to the end.”

Still, results have been difficult to come by. The Canucks have dropped seven of their last eight games, with their only win in that stretch coming in a surprising victory over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.

Trailing even the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks by 16 points, Vancouver is effectively playing out the remainder of its season, focusing on development and incremental improvements.

Forward Jake DeBrusk acknowledged the ongoing challenges: “There are lots of things we’re trying to clean up a little bit,” he said. “When we do it right, you see guys get rewarded. Last game (the 8-6 win over Colorado) was an outlier — there were 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.”

Utah enters the matchup with a clear historical advantage, having won five straight meetings against Vancouver, including both encounters earlier this season.

As one team pushes toward the playoffs and the other looks ahead to the draft, Saturday’s game presents a stark contrast in trajectories — and an opportunity for Utah to continue its late-season surge.