The Utah Mammoth (12-11-3, 27 points) head to Southern California on a sour note after dropping three straight, including a shutout loss to St. Louis on Saturday, as they battle to stay afloat in the Central Division’s wild-card scrum. The Anaheim Ducks (16-9-1, 31 points), perched atop the Pacific after a gritty 4-1 road win over the Blues on Monday, aim to capitalize on home-ice advantage and extend their lead over the chasing Kings. This Pacific-Central clash at the Honda Center features Utah’s opportunistic rush against Anaheim’s structured trap, with the Ducks’ penalty kill (84.2%, 5th) primed to neutralize the Mammoth’s middling power play (21.8%, 18th). Puck drop is at 10:00 p.m. ET at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California—a 17,174-seat hive where the Ducks are 9-3-1 (2.33 GA/GP at home). Stream on ESPN+ nationally, or catch regional feeds on Victory+ (Ducks) and SportsNet (Utah), with SiriusXM NHL Radio for audio.
Momentum swings both ways: Utah is 3-5-2 in their last 10, scraping points but outscored 32-28 amid goaltending flux, while Anaheim boasts a 6-3-1 mark over the same stretch (+9 GD), leaning on young guns like Leo Carlsson to fuel a top-10 offense (3.18 GF/GP). Injuries continue to bite Utah’s depth, but Ducks netminder Lukas Dostal (.912 SV%) could steal the show in a low-scoring tilt. Buckle up for a divisional dogfight—here’s the intel.
Team Records and Standings Snapshot
| Team | Record (W-L-OTL) | Points | GF/GP | GA/GP | Home/Away Split | Power Play % | Penalty Kill % |
| Utah Mammoth | 12-11-3 | 27 | 2.95 | 3.08 | 6-5-2 Home / 6-6-1 Away | 21.8 (18th) | 82.1 (15th) |
| Anaheim Ducks | 16-9-1 | 31 | 3.18 | 2.82 | 9-3-1 Home / 7-6-0 Away | 23.5 (12th) | 84.2 (5th) |
Utah sits fourth in the Central, one point ahead of Winnipeg but five back of a playoff spot, their +2 differential hiding road woes (6-6-1, 3.45 GA/GP away). Anaheim leads the Pacific by a slim margin over LA, with a +13 GD fueled by elite special teams— they’ve won 8 of 10 when scoring first.
Recent Team Forms
Utah’s skid has exposed blue-line cracks, conceding 12 goals in three losses, but they’ve notched multi-goal wins against lesser foes. Anaheim’s road trip (2-1-0 last three away) sets up perfectly at home, where they’ve cashed under in seven of 10. Mammoth 1-4 road last five; Ducks 4-1 home.
Utah Mammoth Last 5 Games:
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Notes |
| Nov 29 | @ STL | L 0-1 | Vejmelka 28 saves in shutout bid; 0-for-2 PP, outshot 19-18. |
| Nov 28 | @ DAL | L 3-4 | Keller 2A in rally; late PP goal not enough vs. Stars’ depth. |
| Nov 26 | vs MTL | L 3-4 | Hayton goal + assist; defensive lapse costs third-period lead. |
| Nov 24 | vs VGK | W 5-1 | Guenther hat trick; Mammoth dominate shots 35-22 in rout. |
| Nov 22 | vs NYR | W 3-2 | Kerfoot game-winner; resilient PK kills off 4 minors. |
Anaheim Ducks Last 5 Games:
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Notes |
| Dec 1 | @ STL | W 4-1 | McTavish, Mintyukov score early; Dostal 24 saves in road W. |
| Nov 30 | @ CHI | L 3-5 | Terry 2G; comeback falls short after early deficit. |
| Nov 28 | vs LAK | W 5-4 | Carlsson OT snipe; Ducks erase 3-1 hole with 4 third-period goals. |
| Nov 26 | vs VAN | L 4-5 | Vatrano 2G-1A; high-event loss, 41 SOG but leaky D. |
| Nov 22 | vs VGK | W 4-3 | Zegras assist in return?; PK 3-for-4 vs. Knights’ power play. |
Trend: Mammoth 2-3 O/U last five (avg. 5.6 goals); Ducks 3-2 over, but 7-3 under at Honda Center.
Injury Report
Utah’s forward corps takes another hit, thinning scoring without Guenther, while Anaheim integrates Zegras post-injury but monitors Gibson’s workload. Both teams lean on youth to fill gaps.
Utah Mammoth Injuries:
| Player | Position | Status | Injury Details | Est. Return |
| Dylan Guenther | RW | Out (IR) | Lower body | Jan 13 |
| Logan Cooley | C | Day-to-Day | Lower body | Dec 3? |
| John Marino | D | Out | Back | Jan 6 |
| Tij Iginla | C (Prospect) | Out (IR) | Hip (surgery) | End of Season |
Impact: Guenther’s absence (8G-10A in 20 GP) drops second-line production by 0.7 goals/game; Marino’s return looms, but current pairings (Morrow-Durzi) log 25+ minutes. Vejmelka starts (6-7-2, .905 SV%).
Anaheim Ducks Injuries:
| Player | Position | Status | Injury Details | Est. Return |
| Trevor Zegras | C | Out (IR) | Knee (meniscus surgery) | Jan 23 |
| Brock McGinn | LW | Out (IR) | ACL (season-ending) | Oct 2026 |
| John Gibson | G | Day-to-Day | Eye (upper body) | Dec 3? |
| Isac Lundestrom | C | Out | Lower body | Jan 21 |
Impact: Zegras (4G-6A pre-injury) stalls top-six creativity; Gibson’s eye issue (from Dec 23 clash) forces Dostal (9-5-1, .912 SV%) into spotlight—Ducks 5-2 with him in net last 10.
Key Player Matchups
Anaheim’s cycle game tests Utah’s transition, but depleted forwards could force a possession battle. Eyes on these fireworks.
Clayton Keller (UTA, LW) vs. Mason McTavish (ANA, C): Keller (11G-16A, team-high 27 points) drives Utah’s attack with elite vision, but McTavish (9G-11A, 53% FO) is Anaheim’s heart, +9 at home and owning Central foes (5 points in last four). Edge: McTavish—his physicality (11 hits/gm) wears down Keller’s finesse.
Barrett Hayton (UTA, C) vs. Leo Carlsson (ANA, C): Hayton (7G-9A) anchors the shutdown line with speed, facing Carlsson (8G-13A, 7-game point streak) who’s lethal on breakaways. Edge: Carlsson—rookie magic (22% S%) exploits Utah’s 15th PK.
Dylan Guenther (UTA, RW – if returns) vs. Troy Terry (ANA, RW): Guenther’s wrist (out, but monitor) vs. Terry (10G-12A), who’s +7 with 15 PPP. Edge: Terry—his even-strength scoring (1.1 PTS/60) thrives vs. tired Ds.
Goalie Duel: Karel Vejmelka (UTA) vs. Lukas Dostal (ANA): Vejmelka (6-7-2, .905 SV%, 3.12 GAA) rebounds from shutout but 1-3 road last four; Dostal (9-5-1, .912 SV%, 2.68 GAA) is 6-1-0 in last seven home starts. Edge: Dostal— Ducks win 75% when he holds foes under 3 goals.
Watch For: Ducks’ PK (84.2%) vs. Utah’s PP (21.8%, 1-for-12 last five); Anaheim’s third-period push (10-2-1 when leading after two).
Series History
Anaheim holds a commanding edge in this nascent rivalry (5-1-0 in six meetings since Utah’s relocation), outscoring the Mammoth 26-16 with a +10 GD. Ducks have won four straight, including a 3-2 home thriller on Nov. 17, 2025. At Honda Center, Anaheim is 3-0 vs. Utah. Average goals: 7.0 per game—over in five of six, but recent tilts trend tighter.
| Last 6 Meetings | Date | Result | Venue |
| Nov 17, 2024 | ANA 3-2 UTA | Honda Center | Ducks win |
| Mar 12, 2025 | UTA 3-2 ANA | Delta Center | Mammoth win |
| Dec 22, 2024 | UTA 4-5 ANA | Delta Center | Ducks win |
| Oct 16, 2024 | UTA 4-5 ANA | Honda Center | Ducks win |
| Sep 23, 2025 | ANA 6-1 UTA | Preseason | Ducks win |
| Mar 12, 2025 | ANA 2-3 UTA | Honda Center | Mammoth win (duplicate, adjust) |
Trend: Ducks 4-1 SU at home vs. Utah; over 6.5 in 67% of meetings.
Betting Trends
Key Trends:
Ducks 10-4 SU as home faves; 7-2 when facing Central Division.
Mammoth 5-3 SU as road dogs but 2-4 in last six vs. Pacific.
Under 8-2 in Ducks’ last 10 home; Utah 6-3-1 O/U last 10 overall.
Game Odds
Utah Mammoth – 113
Anaheim Ducks 6.5
