Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Puck drop: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, MSG Network (Rangers local), Utah 16 (Mammoth local)
Two of the NHL’s hotter early-season teams collide in a non-conference matchup at the Garden. The Mammoth are perfect through two games and have allowed just one goal total, while the Rangers have won two straight after an opening loss and have been stingy defensively (only four goals against in three games). Utah arrives on the second half of a back-to-back after a 4-1 win at Columbus on Saturday.
Projected Lineups
Utah Mammoth (consistent with recent games):
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Vincent Trocheck
Anders Lee – Logan Cooley – Dylan Guenther
Jack McBain – Barrett Hayton – Lawson Crouse
Michael Carcone – Kevin Stenlund – Daniil But Mikhail Sergachev – MacKenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt – John Marino
Dmitri Simashev – Andrew Peeke G: Karel Vejmelka (projected; Sebastian Cossa backup — Cossa started the Saturday game in Columbus)
New York Rangers:
Gabriel Perreault – Mika Zibanejad – Alexis Lafrenière
Oliver Bjorkstrand – J.T. Miller – Pavel Dorofeyev
Will Cuylle – Noah Laba – Eeli Tolvanen
Tye Kartye – Joe Veleno – Jaroslav Chmelar Vladislav Gavrikov – Adam Fox
Marcus Pettersson – Sean Durzi
Alberts Smits – Braden Schneider G: Igor Shesterkin (projected; Dylan Garand backup)
Injury Reports
Mammoth:
Maveric Lamoureux (D) – Shoulder (IR; long-term, expected return around mid-February).
Rangers:
Joonas Korpisalo (G) – Lower body (IR; expected around Oct. 9).
Adam Sykora (LW) – Lower body (IR; longer-term).
Aidan Thompson (C) – Undisclosed/IR-NR.
Both teams are relatively healthy up front and on the blue line. The main question for Utah is goaltending rotation after Cossa’s debut; Vejmelka is expected to handle the MSG start. Shesterkin returns to the crease for New York after Garand’s shutout in Detroit.
Recent Team Forms
Mammoth: 6-0 win over Chicago (home opener) followed by 4-1 at Columbus. They have scored 10 goals while allowing just one. Nick Schmaltz has been electric (multi-goal game Saturday), Clayton Keller is producing points, and Dylan Guenther has contributed early. Special teams have been outstanding so far (high PP conversion, perfect PK). They are on a five-game road trip.
Rangers: Opened with a 3-0 loss at Boston, then responded with a 5-1 home win over Tampa Bay and a 2-0 shutout at Detroit. They have allowed only four goals in three games. Eeli Tolvanen has scored in consecutive wins, and the defense (led by Adam Fox) has limited chances. New York is well-rested relative to Utah’s back-to-back.
Series History
Since the franchise relocated/became the Mammoth (formerly Utah Hockey Club), Utah holds a 3-1 edge in four meetings:
Oct. 12, 2024: Utah 6-5 OT at Rangers
Jan. 16, 2025: Rangers 5-3 at Utah
Nov. 22, 2025: Utah 3-2 at home
Jan. 5, 2026: Utah 3-2 OT at Rangers
Utah has won both prior visits to Madison Square Garden (both in OT). The teams have played competitive, relatively high-event games.
Key Player Matchups
Clayton Keller / Nick Schmaltz / Vincent Trocheck vs. Rangers’ top defensive pairing (Gavrikov-Fox) and Shesterkin — Utah’s top line has driven the early offense; Fox’s puck-moving ability and Shesterkin’s elite play will be tested against Keller’s creativity and Schmaltz’s finishing.
Mika Zibanejad / Alexis Lafrenière / Gabriel Perreault vs. Sergachev-Weegar — New York’s top unit against Utah’s shutdown pair. Zibanejad’s two-way game and Lafrenière’s scoring touch face a physical, structured defense.
Dylan Guenther / Logan Cooley vs. middle-six Rangers forwards — Guenther’s early production and Cooley’s playmaking could create mismatches.
Goaltending: Karel Vejmelka vs. Igor Shesterkin — Shesterkin is the clear edge for New York. Vejmelka has been sharp early, but facing a rested Shesterkin at MSG is a significant step up in difficulty.
Special teams — Utah’s early PP success (very high conversion) against a Rangers PK that has been perfect so far; New York’s PP (historically strong) vs. Utah’s perfect PK.
Game Odds
Utah Mammoth 5.5
New York Rangers – 120
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, October 3, 2026
