2025-26 Regular Season, Game 53 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Utah Mammoth

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes extended their point streak to five games with a win in Ottawa that they earned, but it certainly wasn't their best effort. They jumped out to an early lead on a pair of goals in the first 5:36. Mark Jankowski and William Carrier took advantage of a bad line change, getting into the zone uncontested before Carrier finished the play to open the scoring. Less than two minutes later, Alexander Nikishin made a disgusting saucer pass to Seth Jarvis, who went bar-down on James Reimer to extend the lead. The Senators controlled play for most of the first period, but they couldn't get anything past Brandon Bussi. The Canes added another late in the frame. Taylor Hall used Thomas Chabot as a screen, sneaking it five-hole to triple the advantage. Andrei Svechnikov quadrupled it in the second. During a 5-on-3, Svechnikov threw the puck at the front of the net from below the goal line and got a bounce. The rubber hit Tyler Kleven's skates and trickled through Reimer to make it 4-0. Ottawa broke its goose egg a few minutes later on a Tim Stutzle goal, courtesy of a great pass from Jake Sanderson. That's all the Senators could muster. Bussi shut them down in the third period, finishing the game with 35 stops in a 4-1 victory.

Injury Report

Shayne Gostisbehere: He returned to practice on Wednesday, indicating that he'll likely be good to go tonight.

Noah Philp: He shed his no-contact jersey for a regular sweater on Wednesday, though I'm not sure if he'll be in the lineup or not.

Eric Robinson: He's not going to play until after the Olympic break.

The Opponent: Utah Mammoth (28-21-4, 60 Points; 4th in the Central Division)

Last Season's Meetings: The Utah Hockey Club and the Carolina Hurricanes split the season series, with the home team winning both times. The Canes visited Utah for the first time ever in November, and Karel Vejmelka stole the show. Nick Bjugstad opened the scoring in the first, and Martin Necas struck on the power play to tie it in the second. The game turned ugly in the third. Utah struck three times in just over two minutes to take a 4-1 lead, and Vejmelka refused to allow anything else. He stopped 49 shots to turn in a stellar performance. They met again in Raleigh last February in the final game before the 4 Nations tournament. The team traded goals in the first period, but the game was won in the second, thanks to Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho. They each scored a pair in a four-goal period for the Canes to take a 5-2 lead into the third. They added two more to finish strong in a 7-3 win. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 36 shots, Jarvis finished with four points, and Aho added three in the blowout.

Since We Last Met: Utah hung around for much of the season, but they ultimately fell short of the playoffs, finishing seven points out of the second Wild Card spot. Despite this, it was still a very successful inaugural campaign for Utah, which eventually earned the Mammoth moniker during the offseason. Clayton Keller, the team's first captain, recorded 30 goals and 90 points. Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley fully emerged as legitimate producers. There was plenty of reason to be excited about Mammoth hockey. The team made a big splash on the trade market, trading for JJ Peterka from Buffalo. They also added a few veterans in Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev. Cooley earned a massive payday early in the season, signing an eight-year, $80 million deal. The Mammoth continues to be a team on the rise. Keller continues to lead the way with 50 points, while Guenther has 23 goals. Nick Schmaltz continues to steadily produce (19 goals, 47 points), and Peterka has proven to be a worthwhile addition. Karel Vejmelka leads the league with 25 wins in 40 starts. Utah is Top 10 in goals allowed. Their offense is 16th in goals scored, and their power play is the worst in the league. Still, they're right in the heart of the Wild Card hunt. If not for the three-headed monster in front of them in the Central Division, my prediction that they would finish in the Top 3 would look so much better.

Stories to Watch

1. Shaking off the rust

It has been a few days since they've gotten some game action, and it's not like they looked that sharp the last time they played, either. Meanwhile, Utah has played a few times against some high-quality opponents. I'm more concerned about whether the Canes will look like the team that just had four days off in a bad way than in a good way. It might take them until the second period to really look like themselves offensively. Hopefully, that doesn't mean the defense is slow to start, too.

2. What does Ghost's return mean for the power play?

It's no secret that the power play looked really bad against the Blackhawks and the Senators. While they scored a 5-on-3 goal in Ottawa, it didn't feel like they earned it, scoring on a bad bounce in their favor. It's a mystery because the power play was outstanding against Florida right before then. With Gostisbehere back in the mix, he'll be back on the top unit, likely pushing Nikishin to the second group. Maybe they can find some traction again with their ace back against his (kinda) old club.