Utah Just Clinched a Playoff Spot in Year Two and Nobody Saw It Coming
The Utah Mammoth are heading to the postseason in their second season of existence, and they did it the way champions do it: by steamrolling everyone in their path. A dominant 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in Salt Lake City locked up the playoff berth, and the Ducks made it official moments later when they buried San Jose 6-1. The Mammoth are now riding a five-game winning streak, and frankly, this franchise is doing things the right way.
Guenther and Schmaltz Lead the Charge
Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each lit the lamp and grabbed an assist, setting the tone early. Clayton Keller was a wizard with three primary assists, pulling strings all night. Kailer Yamamoto and Lawson Crouse added goals to pile on, while Logan Cooley chipped in two assists. Karel Vejmelka was rock solid in net with 29 saves, giving Nashville no chance in the third period. For the Predators, Erik Haula scored but Juese Saros' 23 saves couldn't keep the dam from breaking. Nashville's four-game point streak is now snapped, and they're stuck one point behind the Kings for the second wild-card spot out West.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins clinched their first playoff berth since 2022 with a 5-2 thrashing of New Jersey, their first postseason birth since 2022. Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart to put the game away early. Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also found the back of the net for the Penguins in a statement win.
Out West, the Colorado Avalanche are absolutely rolling. They clinched the top overall seed and the Presidents' Trophy for the fourth time with a 3-1 win over Calgary. Nathan MacKinnon set a career high with his 52nd goal and added two assists. Gabriel Landeskog also scored as the Avalanche locked down home ice for the entire postseason run.
In Carolina, the Hurricanes are making noise in the East. They beat Chicago 7-2 behind two goals and an assist from Logan Stankoven, moving two points ahead of Buffalo for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. That's the kind of chess move that matters down the stretch.
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