Injuries piling up as Mammoth clinch top wild card spot
The Utah Mammoth will face the winner of the Pacific Division in the first round of the playoffs.
Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) celebrates after scoring as the Utah Mammoth and the Winnipeg Jets play at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News The Utah Mammoth have officially clinched the highly coveted first wild card spot in the Western Conference. They’ll face the winner of the Pacific Division — either the Edmonton Oilers or the Vegas Golden Knights.
Utah had a number of potential clinching scenarios going into Tuesday. The one that actualized was the Mammoth beating the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild topping the Anaheim Ducks. But the players weren’t worried about playoff positioning as much as they were about finishing the season on a high note.
“I think we were just trying to play as best we could these last two games,” said Nick Schmaltz, who scored two goals in the game. “We had two losses in a row, so we wanted to bounce back at home and put ourselves in the best position we can. “...
We just don’t want to be limping into the playoffs. We want to be rolling. We want everyone feeling confident and hit the ground running right from Game 1.
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