The Colorado Avalanche, boasting one of the NHL’s most dominant records this season, host the Utah Mammoth in a Central Division clash at Ball Arena. Colorado’s high-powered offense, led by Nathan MacKinnon, faces a Utah team that’s been inconsistent but has shown resilience with recent wins against tough opponents. With Utah dealing with key absences and Colorado riding a hot streak, this pre-Christmas matchup could see the Avalanche extend their home dominance, though Utah’s underdog status might inspire a competitive effort. Below is a detailed breakdown.
Venue Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO. This 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena, home to the Avalanche since 1999, is known for its high-altitude environment (over 5,000 feet), which can fatigue visiting teams and boost home scoring.
Puckdrop is set for 9:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. MT local time). The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and available via NHL Network for select markets, with radio coverage on Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM (Avalanche) and KSL Sports Zone (Mammoth).
Injury Report
Utah is hit hard by absences in their forward and defensive lines, while Colorado has a relatively clean bill of health, with only minor concerns.
Latest updates as of the morning of game day:
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury Details |
| Utah Mammoth | Logan Cooley | C | Out | Lower-body injury (out minimum eight weeks; placed on IR Dec. 13) |
| Utah Mammoth | Juuso Välimäki | D | Out | Lower-body injury (injured non-roster; knee-related, timeline TBD) |
| Utah Mammoth | Anson Thornton | G | Out | Undisclosed (injured non-roster) |
| Utah Mammoth | Terrell Goldsmith | D | Out | Undisclosed (injured non-roster) |
| Colorado Avalanche | Logan O’Connor | RW | Out | Hip injury (out at least 1-2 more weeks; sidelined since Dec. 11) |
| Colorado Avalanche | Val Nichushkin | LW | Questionable | Undisclosed (recent absence; status day-to-day after Nov. injury) |
Utah’s loss of Cooley, a key offensive contributor (averaging over a point per game), severely impacts their scoring depth. Colorado’s potential absence of O’Connor thins their bottom-six, but their top lines remain intact.
Player Matchups
This divisional tilt features elite talent on Colorado’s side against Utah’s gritty but depleted roster. Key battles could decide the game’s pace and physicality.
Nathan MacKinnon (COL) vs. Clayton Keller (UTA): MacKinnon, leading the NHL with 30 goals and dominating at 4.03 GF/60, faces Keller (Utah’s top scorer at ~1.2 PPG). Keller’s speed could challenge, but MacKinnon’s playmaking and home-ice edge likely overwhelm Utah’s secondary lines without Cooley.
Cale Makar (COL) vs. Dylan Guenther (UTA): Makar (top-3 in defenseman points) will quarterback Colorado’s power play; Guenther’s emerging scoring (15+ goals) tests Makar’s defensive reads, but Makar’s mobility gives Colorado control.
Mikko Rantanen (COL) vs. Mikhail Sergachev (UTA): Rantanen’s size and finishing (25+ goals) vs. Sergachev’s shutdown defense. With Utah’s D thinned by Välimäki’s absence, Rantanen could exploit mismatches.
Goaltending: Alexandar Georgiev (COL) vs. Karel Vejmelka (UTA): Georgiev (.910 SV%) has been stellar lately; Vejmelka (.896 SV%) faces a barrage from Colorado’s offense (league-high 4.2 GPG).
Colorado’s star power should dictate, but Utah’s physical forwards could force turnovers if they forecheck aggressively.
Recent Team Forms
Colorado is on fire, while Utah has mixed results but ended a skid with a key win.
Utah Mammoth (Last 10 Games): 4-5-1 record, averaging 3.1 GPG while allowing 3.3. They snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over Winnipeg on Dec. 21 but lost 1-2 to New Jersey on Dec. 19. Road form is 3-6-1, with inconsistent goaltending.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
| Dec 21 | vs. WPG | W | 4-3 |
| Dec 19 | vs. NJD | L | 1-2 |
| Dec 17 | @ ? | L | (Loss) |
| Dec 16 | @ ? | W | (Win) |
| Dec 14 | @ ? | L | (Loss) |
| … | … | 4-5-1 overall | Avg. -0.2 margin |
Colorado Avalanche (Last 10 Games): 9-0-1 record, averaging 4.5 GPG while allowing 2.4. They’ve won eight straight, including a 5-1 thrashing of Minnesota on Dec. 21 and 5-3 over Seattle. Home form is perfect (10-0-0 lately), with a +2.1 margin.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
| Dec 21 | @ MIN | W | 5-1 |
| Dec 19 | vs. WPG | W | (Win) |
| Dec ? | vs. SEA | W | 5-3 |
| … | … | 9-0-1 overall | Avg. +2.1 margin |
Series History
As a newer franchise, Utah has limited history against Colorado, with the Avalanche holding a slight edge. All-time: Colorado leads 3-2-0 in five meetings. This season, the teams have split two games, with Utah winning the latest 4-3 in OT on Dec. 12. Over the last five: Average goals 6.8, with Colorado 2-0 at home. Games are often high-scoring, with overs hitting in three of five.
Betting Trends
Colorado is 26-9 as favorites; Utah 5-14 as underdogs. Colorado 20-15 ATS overall, 14-2 ATS at home; Utah 16-22 ATS, 8-11 ATS on road. Over has hit in 7 of Colorado’s last 10 (70%) and 6 of Utah’s last 10 (60%). Head-to-head: Over 3-2 in last five. Colorado 8-0 SU in last 8 home games; Utah 4-2 SU in last 6 overall but 2-4 SU on Tuesdays.
Game Odds
Utah Mammoth 6.5
Colorado Avalanche – 270
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, December 22, 2025
