This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and sign up, make a deposit, or place a wager, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Cole notched an assist and three blocked shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.
Cole ended the regular season on a five-game point drought. The 37-year-old defenseman is set for third-pairing minutes during this playoff run after logging 23 points over 82 regular-season outings, his highest output in six years. Cole is in his 12th playoff run, having collected 31 points in 129 appearances as well as a pair of Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
Mammoth's Nate Schmidt: Picks up assist against old team
Rotowire
Schmidt logged an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.
Schmidt had a goal and three assists over the last 15 games of the regular season. The defenseman put up 22 points over 82 regular-season contests, his highest point total in four years. He's well-versed in playoff experience, having logged 99 games over eight previous postseason, with 10 goals and 30 helpers to his name. He was a Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers last year, but Schmidt will have a tougher task in trying to help the Mammoth turn a wild-card berth into a deep run.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Sean Durzi: Gathers assist in loss
Rotowire
Durzi notched an assist and two PIM in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.
Durzi missed the last game of the regular season due to an upper-body injury, though it appears the Mammoth were just taking caution to prevent a larger issue. The 27-year-old is expected to be a regular in the lineup during the playoffs, though likely in a bottom-four role. He had 27 points, 84 shots on net, 88 blocked shots, 50 PIM and 40 hits over 60 regular-season appearances. He's in the playoffs for the third time in his career, having collected four points over 13 games across two previous postseason runs, both with the Kings.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Kevin Stenlund: Buries goal in loss
Rotowire
Stenlund scored a goal on four shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.
Stenlund hadn't scored a goal in three months, going 32 contests since his last tally Jan. 17 versus the Kraken. He's maintained a steady bottom-six presence in the lineup but isn't likely to put up much offense. He was limited to 18 points over 80 regular-season outings in total. Stenlund is a veteran of 31 playoff games over three previous postseasons, but he had just three points in those games. However, he is a Stanley Cup champion from 2024 with the Panthers, bringing some vital playoff experience to a team that greatly lacks it.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Logan Cooley: Pots goal in Game 1 loss
Rotowire
Cooley scored a goal on five shots and added four hits in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.
Cooley is getting his first taste of playoff action in his third NHL campaign, and the Mammoth have him slotted in on the second line. He produced 24 goals, 19 assists, 102 shots on net, 54 hits, 27 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 54 regular-season outings. Cooley has a bit of an edge to his game, so he won't get bullied on the ice as the Mammoth try to pull off a first-round upset.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Loses playoff debut
Rotowire
Vejmelka stopped 27 of 30 shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
Vejmelka worked hard to get the Mammoth to the playoffs, but there will be no easy matchups the rest of the way. This was the 29-year-old's first taste of postseason action. He went 38-20-3 with a 2.75 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 64 regular-season outings. He was also on Czechia's Olympic roster, though he didn't get to play a game during that tournament. Barring a truly awful performance, Vejmelka should be expected to see the vast majority of the starts during Utah's first playoff run as a franchise.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Noah Hanifin: Supplies pair of assists
Rotowire
Hanifin logged two assists in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.
Hanifin has picked up the pace with seven helpers over his last nine contests, though he hasn't gotten on the scoresheet in consecutive games. The defenseman had a down year with 28 points, 135 shots on net and 116 blocked shots over 71 regular-season appearances, missing the 30-point mark for the first time since the shortened 2020-21 campaign. Hanifin is skating in his sixth playoff run, and he's earned 18 points over 45 outings across his previous five trips to the postseason.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Nic Dowd: Tallies game-winner Sunday
Rotowire
Dowd scored a goal, added three hits and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.
Dowd has two goals and three helpers over his last 10 contests. In the regular season, the defensive center totaled five goals, 21 points, 66 shots on net, 140 hits, 50 blocked shots and 73 PIM over 75 appearances between the Golden Knights and the Capitals. He brings 40 games of experience into this postseason, though he's earned just six points in those previous playoff outings. Dowd's offense won't be a big factor, but his faceoff skills and reliable defense will keep him in the lineup.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Ivan Barbashev: Deposits empty-netter
Rotowire
Barbashev scored an empty-net goal and added eight hits in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.
Barbashev had 14 points over the last 13 games of the regular season, and he finished the campaign at a career-high 61 points in all 82 contests. The 30-year-old's physical playing style and responsible two-way game are a great fit for playoff hockey, so he should continue to see prominent minutes for the Golden Knights. He also brings plenty of experience as a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2019 with St. Louis, 2023 with Vegas) with 33 points over 90 playoff contests across eight previous postseason runs.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Colton Sissons: Produces pair of points
Rotowire
Sissons scored a goal, dished an assist, doled out four hits, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.
Sissons had just one multi-point effort in his 66 games during the regular season. He was limited to 11 points this year, his lowest total since he had 10 over 58 outings with the Predators in 2016-17. Sissons is no stranger to playoff hockey, having seen the postseason in eight of his first 11 NHL campaigns. He produced 25 points over 71 playoff contests in those years, though he hasn't been past the first round since 2017-18. The 32-year-old will provide grit and defense from a fourth-line role.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Mark Stone: Ties game on power play
Rotowire
Stone scored a power-play goal on four shots and added three hits in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.
Stone tied the game at 2-2 in the third period. The 33-year-old winger has six goals and four assists over his last nine outings after ending the regular season in good form. Stone tied his career high with 73 points in just 60 regular-season appearances this year. He's a veteran of 112 playoff games from previous postseason runs, totaling 41 goals and 85 points in those contests.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Carter Hart: Keeps Mammoth in check in Game 1
Rotowire
Hart stopped 32 of 34 shots in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.
Hart's yet to lose since returning from a lower-body injury that cost him more than two months of games. The 27-year-old's winning ways have given him the No. 1 job between the pipes for Vegas to begin the postseason, which has a Stanley Cup champion on the roster in Adin Hill should Hart falter. This is just the second time Hart has gotten into the playoffs -- he went 9-5 with a 2.23 GAA and a .926 save percentage in 14 games for the Flyers in the bubble in 2020.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Jack McBain: In lineup for Game 1
Rotowire
McBain (lower body) is suiting up for Game 1 in Vegas on Sunday, per the NHL media site.
McBain missed the last seven games of the regular season due to his injury. It was reported Tuesday that he was still week-to-week, so he either made tremendous progress in his recovery, or head coach Andre Tourigny was playing the gamesmanship card. Liam O'Brien will be a healthy scratch as a result of McBain's return.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Sean Durzi: Suiting up in Vegas
Rotowire
Durzi (upper body) is in the lineup for Game 1 versus the Golden Knights on Sunday, according to the NHL media site.
Durzi missed Utah's regular-season finale Thursday against the Blues after sustaining his upper-body injury Tuesday versus the Jets. Whether the right-shot blueliner is 100 percent healthy remains to be seen, but he will replace Nick DeSimone in the lineup and skate on the third pairing next to Ian Cole to start Utah's first postseason run.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Maveric Lamoureux: Joining as Black Ace
Rotowire
Lamoureux has been recalled from AHL Tucson by the Mammoth, the team announced Sunday.
With AHL Tucson's season wrapped up, the Mammoth have set their Black Aces for the postseason. Lamoureux will be joined by Andrew Agozzino, Cameron Hebig, Ben McCartney, Maksymilian Szuber, Scott Perunovich, Jaxson Stauber, Daniil But and Matt Villalta as potential reinforcements for the Mammoth's playoff run.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Vyacheslav Buteyets: On playoff roster
Rotowire
Buteyets has been recalled from ECHL Tulsa by the Ducks, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports Sunday.
Buteyets will serve as the emergency third goaltender for the Ducks behind Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso. With ECHL Tulsa, the 23-year-old Buteyets went 18-19-5 with a 3.11 GAA and a .908 save percentage on the season. He made one appearance in relief at the NHL level earlier this season, stopping 10 of 13 shots Dec. 3 against the Mammoth.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: First off ahead of Game 1
Rotowire
Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports, indicating Vejmelka will defend the road net in Game 1 against Vegas on Sunday.
Vejmelka went 2-1-0 versus the Golden Knights during the regular season, allowing only five goals on 95 shots. He had a 38-20-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.75 GAA and an .896 save percentage across 64 appearances in the 2025-26 regular season.
... See More... See Less
Golden Knights' Carter Hart: Game 1 starter
Rotowire
Hart will get the start in net for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mammoth, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Hart has appeared in only 18 games this season, but there aren't many hotter goalies in the sport right now. Since returning in April, the 27-year-old has won six straight starts and has allowed two goals or fewer in all but one of them. Hart has brought much-needed stability to a Golden Knights crease that has struggled this season overall. He brings an 11-3-3 record into the postseason with a 2.71 GAA and an .891 save percentage. The Mammoth ranked 12th in the NHL at 3.27 goals per game in the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Mammoth's Scott Perunovich: Picks up three assists for Tucson
Rotowire
Perunovich recorded three assists in AHL Tucson's 5-4 win over Henderson on Saturday.
Perunovich has displayed quality scoring with nine goals and 40 helpers over 64 outings this season. That includes two goals and 11 assists over his last 11 contests. The 27-year-old's scoring ability hasn't translated to the NHL, and at this point, it's not clear when he might get another chance at hockey's highest level.
1:20
1:05
0:20
1:48
1:08
1:05
0:49
1:34
0:56
1:58
1:30
2:16
1:01
0:47
1:02
0:40
0:54
1:18
