NHL Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens (11-7-3) vs. Utah Mammoth (12-8-3)

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Venue & Game Info

Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

Puckdrop: 8:00 PM MT

Capacity: ~18,300 (converted for NHL configuration)

Broadcast: ESPN+ / RDS / Bally Sports Utah

Injury Report

Montreal Canadiens:

Cole Caufield (F) – upper body, day-to-day

Kaiden Guhle (D) – lower body, questionable

Samuel Montembeault (G) – healthy, expected starter

Utah Mammoth:

Clayton Keller (F) – ankle soreness, probable

Lawson Crouse (F) – upper body, day-to-day

Karel Vejmelka (G) – healthy, expected starter

Key Player Matchups

Nick Suzuki (MTL) vs. Clayton Keller (UTAH): Two skilled centers who drive their teams’ offenses with vision and scoring touch.

Cole Caufield (MTL, if active) vs. Lawson Crouse (UTAH): Caufield’s sniper ability against Crouse’s physical two-way game.

Samuel Montembeault (MTL) vs. Karel Vejmelka (UTAH): Goaltending duel; Montembeault’s steady play vs. Vejmelka’s athletic shot-stopping.

Team Recent Form

Montreal Canadiens:

W vs Ottawa (3–2 OT)

L vs Toronto (4–1)

W vs Buffalo (5–2)

L vs Tampa Bay (3–0)

W vs Philadelphia (4–1)

Form: 3–2 in last 5, averaging 2.9 goals per game, allowing 2.7.

Utah Mammoth:

W vs Vancouver (4–2)

L vs Edmonton (5–3)

W vs Calgary (3–2 OT)

L vs Colorado (4–1)

W vs Winnipeg (3–2)

Form: 3–2 in last 5, averaging 3.0 goals per game, allowing 2.8.

Series History

This is the first-ever meeting between the Canadiens and the newly relocated Utah Mammoth franchise (formerly Arizona Coyotes).

Historic Coyotes vs. Canadiens record: Montreal led 49–32–10.

Betting Trends

Canadiens are 5–5 ATS in last 10 games.

Mammoth are 6–4 ATS in last 10 games.

Canadiens games trend under (defense-first, Montembeault steady).

Mammoth games trend over (offense-driven, Keller leading).

Projected Score: Utah Mammoth 3 – Montreal Canadiens 2

Reasoning: Expect a tight, defensive battle with both goaltenders shining. Utah’s home advantage and Keller’s scoring tilt the balance slightly, but Montreal’s resilience keeps it close.

Final Take: This East vs. West clash marks a historic first meeting between Montreal and Utah. The Canadiens’ disciplined defense meets the Mammoth’s emerging offensive identity, with Utah favored to edge out a narrow win at Delta Center.

Game Odds

Montreal Canadiens       6.5

Utah Mammoth               – 138

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, November 25, 2025