Faceoff is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM PT)
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: ESPN2 (national)
Series Context: Vegas leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 after a comeback 4-2 victory in Game 1 on April 19 at T-Mobile Arena. Logan Cooley scored the first playoff goal in Utah franchise history (and the series opener), while Kevin Stenlund added another for the Mammoth. Vegas rallied in the third with goals from Mark Stone and Nic Dowd (1:47 apart) before Ivan Barbashev’s empty-netter sealed it. Both teams combined for a playoff-high 64-65 shots in a physical, high-event opener.
Team Records (2025-26 Regular Season)
Vegas Golden Knights: 39-26-17 (95 points; y – 1st in Pacific Division), 20-12-9 at home. Surged late under interim coach John Tortorella (7-0-1 finish after replacing Bruce Cassidy on March 29) to lock in the division title and home advantage.
Utah Mammoth: 43-33-6 (92 points; 4th in Central Division / Western Conference wild card), 21-17-3 on the road. Earned their first playoff berth in franchise history (as the relocated Utah Hockey Club) with a solid campaign and strong special teams.
Recent Team Forms
Golden Knights (last 5 relevant games, including playoffs):
W vs. UTA (Game 1: 4-2) – Third-period rally at home showcased resilience and depth.
Closed regular season on a heater (7-0-1 under Tortorella); strong home playoff history and momentum from the Game 1 comeback.
Mammoth (last 5 relevant games, including playoffs):
L vs. VGK (Game 1: 2-4) – Competitive franchise playoff debut but couldn’t hold the early lead.
Solid late-season push to clinch the wild card; first postseason experience for most of the young core.
Vegas enters Game 2 with home-ice energy and playoff momentum after the Game 1 statement. Utah faces a must-even scenario on the road in just their second-ever playoff game.
Injury Report
Vegas Golden Knights:
William Karlsson (C) – OUT (lower body; not expected to return for the series unless it extends deep).
No other major injuries reported; core group (Stone, Dowd, Hanifin, etc.) and goaltender Carter Hart fully available after strong Game 1.
Utah Mammoth:
Barrett Hayton (C) – OUT (upper body).
Jack McBain (C) – OUT (lower body).
Sean Durzi (D) – Day-to-Day (upper body; missed final regular-season game).
Utah is shorthanded up the middle and on the blue line but had Cooley, Keller, and Guenther available and productive in Game 1.
Key Player Matchups
Logan Cooley / Clayton Keller (UTA) vs. Vegas defensive corps (Hanifin, Theodore, etc.): Cooley’s Game 1 goal and speed will test Vegas’ structure; Utah needs Keller’s playmaking to create chances against a veteran D-group.
Mark Stone / Nic Dowd (VGK) vs. Utah’s top line and penalty kill: Stone and Dowd’s third-period heroics set the tone; they’ll look to exploit any gaps created by Utah’s injury absences.
Goaltending: Carter Hart (VGK) vs. Karel Vejmelka (UTA): Hart was sharp in Game 1; Vejmelka faced heavy volume (playoff-high shots) and will need to steal time on the road.
Physicality and special teams: Vegas’ home power play vs. Utah’s road penalty kill; expect continued physical battles after Game 1’s intensity.
Series History
This is the first-ever playoff series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth (0-0 all-time in postseason). In the regular season, the teams split their six meetings 3-3, with Vegas holding a slight edge in recent head-to-heads. Playoff inexperience gives Vegas the historical nod in a first-round matchup, especially at T-Mobile Arena.
Betting Trends (2025-26 Season + Early Playoffs)
Vegas excels as home favorites after third-period comebacks and has strong playoff home records. Utah is competitive as road underdogs but 0-1 SU/ATS in their lone playoff game. Totals lean over in high-event series openers involving these clubs.
Game Odds
Utah Mammoth 6.5
Vegas Golden Knights – 155
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, April 20, 2026
