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Barrett Hayton makes Mammoth playoff debut vs. Golden Knights
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- Barrett Hayton makes Mammoth playoff debut vs. Golden Knights
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The Utah Mammoth were starting to take control of the series after a big win on home ice in Game 3, but the Vegas Golden Knights took back the momentum in Game 4. The Mammoth received a boost for Game 5 when center Barrett Hayton , who had been out of the lineup with an injury since March 20, was able to work his way back in time to return, according to Elliotte Friedman via X, formerly Twitter.
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Hayton hasn't fully lived up to his expectations as the fifth overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. Hayton was once the captain of Canada's World Junior team and has some impressive 40+ point seasons under his belt for the Arizona Coyotes-turned Mammoth. However, he took a step back in the 2025-26 season.
The forward missed 15 games with an injury, but his point total dropped by 21, finishing the year with just 10 goals and 15 assists. Hayton has been slowly falling down the depth chart with the high-scoring top six in Utah, but has accepted and looked comfortable in a more checking role.
The Mammoth will need their center to get back up to speed quickly against the Golden Knights , as T-Mobile Arena can be a hectic place to play in the postseason. Utah stole one of the first two games over Vegas, but it isn't going to be easy to get two off of them.
Head coach Andre Tourigny has plenty of trust in Hayton to put him back in the lineup, but he can be comfortable knowing that he has some playoff experience under his belt, albeit back in the 2019-20 season.
Related: Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny gets real on Game 4 loss to Golden Knights
