Mammoth clinch 1st playoff berth
The Utah Mammoth secured their first playoff berth on Thursday night by combination of defeating the Nashville Predators 4-1 as well as the San Jose Sharks losing to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Arizona Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City prior to last season. This is the franchise's first season with the Mammoth name. The Coyotes hadn't qualified for the playoffs since 2019-20.
The Mammoth are likely to finish as the top wild-card seed, which would create a matchup with the Pacific Division winner in Round 1. The Edmonton Oilers currently lead the Pacific with 90 points, but are only one clear of the Anaheim Ducks and two ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Utah was in the playoff mix most of the year, but made a major splash at the trade deadline in March by acquiring defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames. The Mammoth also swung a blockbuster trade in the summer to add JJ Peterka and signed forwards Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz to long-term extensions during the season.
The Mammoth lead the NHL with six different 20-goal scorers, and rank third in the Western Conference with 32 regulation wins this season.