The Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17—95) are entering the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on the heels of a 10-game point streak after finishing the regular season 7-0-3. As a result of the late push — which included a 7-0-1 stretch under new bench boss John Tortorella — the Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division with 95 points, claiming their fifth division title in nine seasons.
Needless to say, the Golden Knights are coming in hot.
But Vegas had a tumultuous and frustrating season that went from bad to worse following the Olympic break, and things seemed to be slipping away. The front office responded with the shocking decision to fire head coach Bruce Cassidy and replace him with just eight games remaining. That being said, the gamble seems to have paid off, as the Golden Knights are playing with a newfound sense of energy and purpose.
They will look to ride this wave of momentum as they head into the postseason for the eighth time in nine seasons for a first-round matchup against the Utah Mammoth (43-33-6—92), who finished as the first wildcard seed in the Western Conference with 92 points.
The Mammoth finished their 2025-26 season on a 6-3-0 run but dropped three of their last four games. That being said, this is a momentous season for the franchise, which will make its first postseason appearance since relocating to Utah two years ago.
Game 3 will mark the first Stanley Cup playoff game in the state of Utah. Fans are sure to be excited, and it will be loud. T-Mobile Arena is always an electric atmosphere, but the decibel count at Delta Center should compete.
Like Vegas, Utah had six players with 20-plus goals this season, including Dylan Guenther (40), Nick Schmaltz (33), Clayton Keller (26), JJ Peterka (25), Lawson Crouse (24) and Logan Cooley (24). Four players topped 50 points, including Keller (88), Schmaltz (74), Guenther (73) and Mikhail Sergachev (59).
Schmaltz (11) and Guenther (9) led the way in power-play goals, and five players competed in all 82 games, including Keller, Schmaltz, Peterka, Ian Cole and former Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt, who lifted Lord Stanley’s Cup with Florida last year.
For Vegas, Pavel Dorofeyev set a personal record with 37 goals this season to lead the team. Mark Stone (28), Jack Eichel (27), Tomas Hertl (24), Mitch Marner (24) and Ivan Barbashev (23) also topped the 20-goal threshold. Those same six players recorded 50-plus points, with Eichel leading the way with 90 followed by Marner (80), Stone (73), Dorofeyev (64), Barbashev (61) and Hertl (58).
Doroeyev finished second in the NHL with 20 power-play goals, and Hertl finished second on the team with 13. Interestingly, Eichel didn’t score his first power-play goal of the season until Game 81, a 6-2 win against Winnipeg. Rasmus Andersson finished first among Vegas defensemen with 17 goals, seven of which he scored in a Golden Knights jersey.
Andersson has improved greatly from when he first arrived in Vegas, and Tortorella clearly trusts him at both ends of the ice. Andersson has been much more active offensively, and his production reflects that. He has led Vegas in ice time since Tortorella took over, averaging 22:43, almost a minute more than Noah Hanifin (21:54). Tortorella also has leaned heavily on the talented trio of Eichel, Marner and Stone, a combination he could unite on the top line to start Game 1.
In addition to Andersson, the Golden Knights also acquired forwards Cole Smith from Nashville and Nic Dowd from Washington at the deadline in order to reshape the fourth line. Vegas needed a more reliable and consistent fourth line, so management addressed it.
The Mammoth’s primary deadline acquisition was defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, another former mainstay on the Calgary blue line. He is a dynamic defender who plays a two-way game and should make his presence felt in this series.
The Golden Knights are 3-3-0 against the Mammoth all-time. Here’s what else you need to know about the matchup.
By the numbers
Record
Vegas: 39-26-17—95
Utah: 43-33-6—92
Leading scorers
Vegas: Eichel (27-63—90), Marner (24-56—80), Stone (28-45—73), Dorofeyev (37-27—64)
Utah: Keller (26-82—88), Schmaltz (33-41—74), Guenther (40-33—73), Sergachev (10-49—59)
Goals For (NHL rank)
Vegas: 3.22 (14th)
Utah: 3.27 (12th)
Goals Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 2.95 (12th)
Utah: 2.93 (11th)
Shots For (NHL rank))
Vegas: 29.0 (8th)
Utah: 27.7 (20th)
Shots Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 24.4 (2nd)
Utah: 26.1 (6th)
Power play (NHL rank)
Vegas: 24.6 percent (6th)
Utah: 20.0 percent (18th)
Penalty kill (NHL rank)
Vegas: 81.4 percent (7th)
Utah: 78.1 percent (19th)
Season series
Vegas: 1-2-0
Utah: 2-1-0
Nov. 20 — Golden Knights at Mammoth: 4-1 W
Eichel led the way with two goals and three points, kicking off a three-goal second period for the Golden Knights. The only goal Utah scored came as a result of Shea Theodore losing his footing. Multiple key players from the win will not be in Vegas’ starting lineup in Game 1, however, including Ben Hutton and Braeden Bowman, both of whom scored. Akira Schmid improved to 9-1-2 after the win. | Recap
Nov. 24 — Golden Knights at Mammoth: 5-1 L
Only a few days later, a slow start cost Vegas as Cooley exploded with a four-goal, five-point performance. Utah took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, though Vegas made it 2-1 after two thanks to a Barbashev tally in a dominant effort in the second period. However, Cooley potted three more in the third to give the home team the 5-1 win. Utah capitalized on its chances, while Vegas did not. Cooley is one of many skilled and speedy forwards for the Mammoth, as evidenced by his breakaway goal from that night. Carl Lindbom was in net for Vegas. | Recap
March 19 — Golden Knights vs. Mammoth: 4-0 L
In the most recent meeting, the Golden Knights were held off the board in a 4-0 loss. It was the second straight game in which Vegas was shut out after losing 2-0 to Buffalo two nights prior. This loss came a week before the Golden Knights made the coaching change.
It was another example of the familiar multi-goal hole the Golden Knights found themselves in, though this was particularly memorable as the Mammoth scored three goals on their first three shots of the game. That ended the night for Adin Hill, who finished with a save percentage of zero. Keller scored twice, while Jack McBain and Barrett Hayton (both of whom are on Utah’s injured list) also lit the lamp. Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka made 28 saves. | Recap
Goalie matchup
A huge part of Vegas’ recent success has been due to goaltending, which has improved drastically since the coaching change. However, it’s difficult to gauge what level of netminding Vegas will get once the puck drops on the second season.
Carter Hart went 6-0-0 in six starts after returning from injury, and he has delivered timely saves with confidence. Hart looks locked in, and he’s very comfortable playing for Tortorella, who was his coach when the two were in Philadelphia. His recent play has earned him the starter’s role.
This is not Hart’s first rodeo. Though he has limited postseason experience, he was the Flyers’ starter in the 2020 playoff bubble, where he defeated Carey Price and the Canadiens in the first round but fell in seven games to the Islanders in round two. He went 9-5 that year, finishing the playoffs with a 2.23 goals-against average and .926 save percentage with two shutouts in 14 games. He’s capable of playing lights-out hockey, but there’s no guarantee the recent sample size will translate.
At this point, Hill is on the outside looking in, though he will have a chance if Hart struggles. If Hill does hit the ice, the Golden Knights are going to need him to be significantly better than he was throughout the regular season.
Hill was inconsistent all year and finished with a career-worst .871 save percentage, a 10-9-6 record and a 3.04 goals-against average. He was sensational when he backstopped the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup championship back in 2023, but he has not looked the part this year.
Among goalies with at least 25 starts, Hill finished the regular season with the fifth-worst goals saved above expected total in the NHL (-14.2) and had the second-worst rate of goals saved above expected per 60 minutes with -0.569.
For the Mammoth, Vejmelka will make his playoff debut tonight in Game 1. He played more games than any other goalie this season with 64 appearances, and he finished second in the NHL behind only Andrei Vasilevskiy with 38 wins. That being said, his other numbers left much to be desired, with an .897 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average, which ranked 29th and 26th, respectively (min. 25 GP). He also ranks 22nd in goals saved above expected (6.9), per MoneyPuck.
But Vejmelka finished the season series with a 2-1-0 record, turning aside 90 of 95 shots (.947 save percentage) and recording a 1.67 goals-against average. He should be comfortable in this matchup, but his inexperience could be a factor early on.
Goaltending is often a game-changer, particularly in the playoffs. The Golden Knights didn’t have strong goaltending this season, but it has been an X-factor in recent games. That will need to continue if the Golden Knights want to be able to withstand the offensive firepower of Utah’s deep roster, which features the club’s primary offseason acquisition in Peterka on the third line.
At the end of the day, Hart enters the matchup as the much hotter goalie and also has the benefit of playoff experience, but Vejmelka has been more reliable over a larger sample size.
Injury report
The Golden Knights will be without William Karlsson for the first round. Though he’s been out since early November, Karlsson’s absence is still a big loss, particularly as Vegas’ reliable shutdown center. General manager Kelly McCrimmon reiterated a few weeks ago that Karlsson could return if Vegas advances past the first round, but he won’t be an option against Utah.
For Utah, forwards Hayton and McBain are the primary injury concerns. McBain (lower-body injury) is still considered week-to-week, and while Hayton (upper-body injury) has been practicing, he’s not expected to be in the lineup at the start of the series.
Keys to the series and what to watch for
Shelf life
The Golden Knights finished the regular season on a 7-0-1 heater after bringing Tortorella in. The results speak for themselves. The Golden Knights look like a new team with a new lease on life. Instead of finding ways not to win, the Golden Knights began to manage or take over games with confidence and swagger, and the simplified gameplan preached by Tortorella has allowed the Golden Knights to return to the basics and clean up their game at long last.
But the recent momentum burst from the new coach will not be permanent. The only question is whether the effects will wear off soon or whether Vegas will be able to maintain this level of focus on an extended run. The Golden Knights haven’t lost in regulation under Tortorella, though he’s been consistent in maintaining focus on adjusting the team’s mindset rather than making significant structural changes.
Having said that, Tortorella has had plenty of controversy throughout his coaching career, and his style often has a shelf life. It’s still very early in his Vegas tenure, and this veteran lineup already had a winning culture established before he arrived. That being said, it will be interesting to see how he and the team handle adversity.
Play on time
Starts have plagued the Golden Knights for much of the year. Things seem to be more under control since the coaching change, but the Golden Knights have to be careful not to grow complacent. They will need to be relentless, and playing for 60 minutes will be key. Chasing games night after night was never a reasonable option, and it certainly isn’t now.
Part of this includes making timely plays and especially timely saves, which can turn the tide and heavily influence momentum swings, especially in the playoffs when every second counts.
Stop the bleeding
Not only did the Golden Knights get off to poor starts, but they also had lapses throughout games where they would make a mistake or give up a goal and allow things to spiral. One goal would turn into two, two into three and so on. Vegas would respond but often ran out of time. In the recent stretch of games, the Golden Knights were able to limit the damage, get back into the game or at least not allow things to unravel. That was not the case for a long time this season, though, and the Golden Knights cannot allow those old habits to creep back into their game.
Make it special
The Golden Knights have the edge when it comes to special teams, and they need to take full advantage.
The power play numbers are a little deceiving, as Utah’s numbers have improved significantly over the last six weeks, while the Golden Knights’ have done the opposite.
Vegas thrived on the power play for much of the season, with the Stone-to-Dorofeyev play proving to be virtually unstoppable. But even since that cheat code has cooled off and Vegas’ top unit has been less reliable, the power play should still be better than it is. Part of that is Hertl not being able to catch a break. Part of it is execution.
At a certain point, the Golden Knights need to just make it happen. There’s far too much skill on that top unit to be wasting such significant opportunities. The Golden Knights need to reestablish their success on the man-advantage, particularly against a mediocre penalty kill.
Utah’s power play ranks 18th (20 percent) on the year, but it improved greatly in recent weeks. Since March 1, the power play ranks third in the NHL at 30.6 percent efficacy. Vegas, meanwhile, has dropped to 15th (21.2 percent) in that span compared to sixth overall (24.6 percent) for the season.
The penalty kill is more clear-cut, though. Vegas had one of the best units in the NHL this season, and it was arguably the most consistent aspect of Vegas’ game all year. Vegas finished sixth in the NHL with an 81.4 percent success rate, as Vegas took care of 166 of 204 kills. Utah, by contrast, finished 19th with a 78.1 percent rate after killing off 193 of 247 of its opponents’ power plays.
No matter what, the Golden Knights need to keep their discipline in check and will need the penalty kill to continue to come through.
Marner effect
The Golden Knights made a major splash last summer when they landed Marner in a sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs. Rumors had been hinting at it for quite some time, but the Golden Knights showed no hesitation when they made the move. Marner has shown flashes of brilliant play throughout the season, though he hasn’t been a consistent game-breaker by any means.
The true test for Marner will begin tonight, though, when the puck drops on the postseason. Marner scored a lot of points in his years with the Maple Leafs, but he won just one playoff series and was infamous for disappearing when the games mattered most. Now that he’s surrounded by Stanley Cup winners and experienced veterans, things could be different. There’s less of a burden on his shoulders, his new coach has shown tremendous faith in his abilities, and he has the two-way play and dynamic skill to be an X-factor if he wants to be. It’s just a matter of whether he’ll take that step, though.
The numbers aren’t great, but like many before him, Marner has the chance to rewrite the narrative and make the most of his new opportunity with the Misfits. He took a step down this season with 80 points after setting a career high last year with 102, but the production in big games is the primary area of concern.
Marner has scored just one total goal (2018) in Games 5, 6 and 7 throughout his career, recording zero goals and seven assists in his last 21 contests in the latter half of a series. He recorded 14 points in 11 playoff games in 2023 and was a point-per-game contributor in 2025 with two goals and 13 points in 13 games. However, he managed just two assists in Games 5-7 (five total games) in 2025 and has never scored more than three goals in a single postseason.
He doesn’t necessarily need to be the one scoring goals, but the Golden Knights need everyone to contribute. That’s true of the top players in Marner, Eichel and Stone, and it’s true of the depth like Reilly Smith, Brett Howden and Hertl. Marner’s role will continue to be prominent, especially with Tortorella at the helm; even if he’s not scoring, Marner needs to find his way onto the scoresheet consistently.
Hertl hurdle
It’s not absolutely critical, but Hertl could really use a goal. He hasn’t scored since March 4, going the final 20 games of the regular season without lighting the lamp. The Golden Knights are going to need him to break out of this skid. The sooner gets the monkey off his back, the better.
What’s my age again?
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Mammoth, particularly after punching their ticket to the playoffs in just their second season in Utah. This is a young team with a lot of speed and a lot of skill. They will make it difficult on the Golden Knights, who are second among playoff teams with an average age of 30.15. That being said, Vegas has the experience to back that up, with more combined games (15,108) than any other playoff team. Utah, on the other hand, comes in with an average age of 28.15 (11th) and 10, 719 games (11th), according to Elite Prospects. Speed will be a factor Utah will use to its advantage, but rising to the occasion, staying in the moment and not getting overwhelmed are easier said than done.
Breakout speed
But on the flip side of the lack of experience is a hunger for postseason exposure. Utah has a lot of youth, but with that comes speed and talent, particularly with players like Guenther and Cooley at 23 and 21 years old, respectively. Guenther, in particular, is an offensive weapon for the Mammoth with his quick release. He hit 40 goals for the first time this season, becoming the first to do so in franchise history, and set a new career high in points with 73. His shot is lethal, and he’s not even on the top line. Cooley’s season was cut short to just 54 games, but he has demonstrated what he can do against Vegas after his five-point night earlier this season.
Keller and Schmaltz, who make up two-thirds of the top line along with Lawson Crouse, had excellent seasons, with Schmaltz setting a career record in goals (33) to earn himself an eight-year extension. Plus, Crouse tied his career high with 24 goals. The Utah blue line is more experienced than the forward corps, with Sergachev, Cole and Schmidt bringing a combined five Stanley Cup rings to the table.
But at the end of the day, Utah’s speed and skill have been underestimated all year. That skill — along with solid goaltending from Vejmelka — has led the team to its first playoff berth in two seasons in Utah. The experienced Golden Knights know what it takes to win, but they can’t afford to take anything for granted in this matchup.
Nothing but the finish
The Golden Knights ranked first in the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 (2.27). Utah wasn’t far behind at 2.54, good for ninth overall.
The two clubs were quite comparable in goals against per 60 at 5-on-5, with Utah ranking 16th (2.46) and Vegas coming in at 18th (2.53).
However, Utah has a clear advantage offensively. In fact, the Mammoth finished seventh in the NHL in the 2025-26 season with 2.82 expected goals per 60 compared to Vegas’ 2.67, good for 17th.
Utah finished sixth in goals per 60 at 5-on-5 with 2.79, while Vegas managed 2.56, good for 14th.
As far as scoring chances, the Golden Knights have a slight edge in both categories, allowing 24.67 scoring chances against per 60 (fourth) compared to Utah’s 25.56 (ninth) while generating 27.87 (10th) compared to Utah’s 27.69 (12th).
Scoring chances are great, but finishing is what matters. Will Utah be able to take advantage of the discrepancies offensively? Will Vegas’ offense dry up the way it has in previous playoff runs? Will the Mammoth’s speed get the best of Vegas, or will the Golden Knights’ extensive experience have the upper hand?
Only time will tell.
The second season starts tonight.
Anything can happen.
Projected lineups
Golden Knights
Mitch Marner — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone
Ivan Barbashev — Brett Howden — Pavel Dorofeyev
Reilly Smith — Tomas Hertl — Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon — Kaedan Korczak
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Mammoth
Clayton Keller — Nick Schmaltz — Lawson Crouse
Kailer Yamamoto — Logan Cooley — Dylan Guenther
JJ Peterka — Alexander Kerfoot — Michael Carcone
Liam O’Brien — Kevin Stenlund — Brandon Tanev
Mikhail Sergachev — MacKenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt — John Marino
Ian Cole — Sean Durzi
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vanecek
How to watch
Game 1: Golden Knights vs. Mammoth
When: 7 p.m. PT
Where: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, NV
TV: ESPN, Scripps
Radio: Fox Sports 94.7 FM/1340 AM
Round two schedule
Game 1 at Vegas: Sunday, April 19 at 7 p.m. PT (ESPN, Scripps)
Game 2 at Vegas: Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2, Scripps)
Game 3 at Utah: Friday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. PT (TBS, HBO Max, Scripps)
Game 4 at Utah: Monday, April 27 – TBD (if necessary)
Game 5 at Vegas: Wednesday, April 29 – TBD (if necessary)
Game 6 at Utah: Friday, May 1 – TBD (if necessary)
Game 7 at Vegas: Sunday, May 3 – TBD (if necessary)
Statistics courtesy of NHL.com, MoneyPuck and Elite Prospects.
Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights