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Mammoth clinch first-ever playoff berth with dominant win over Predators
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- Mammoth clinch first-ever playoff berth with dominant win over Predators
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Mammoth clinch first-ever playoff berth with dominant win over Predators appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Utah Mammoth clinched their first-ever Stanley Cup Playoffs berth on Thursday night following a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks ' 6-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks .
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Utah (42-30-6, 90 points) secured the postseason spot in just their second season after relocating from Arizona and their first under the Mammoth name. The franchise had not reached the playoffs since the 2019-20 season, making this its first postseason appearance since 2020.
The Mammoth currently holds the first Western Conference wild-card position with four games remaining and is expected to finish in either the first or second wild-card spot. They sit with 32 regulation wins, ranking third in the Western Conference, and a +34 goal differential. Utah also leads the NHL with six different 20-goal scorers.
Against Nashville, the Mammoth stretched their winning streak to five games. Kailer Yamamoto opened the scoring with his 12th goal, while Nick Schmaltz netted his 31st goal, which was his fifth goal in five games. Lawson Crouse added his 22nd goal, and Dylan Guenther scored his 39th of the season, extending Utah's streak of scoring at least four goals to six straight games.
Clayton Keller provided three assists, reaching 56 assists and 80 points through 77 games, leading the Mammoth in scoring. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves, improving his season workload to an NHL-high 60 appearances, with a 36-19-3 record, .896 save percentage, and 2.75 goals-against average. Utah also ranks sixth in the league with 2.90 goals allowed per game.
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The Predators' only goal came from Erik Haula on the power play, while Juuse Saros made 23 saves. Defenseman Roman Josi was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury.
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, April 18.
