NHL Rivalry: Mammoth and Golden Knights Clash Wednesday in Las Vegas
The teams reunite after a physical playoff series, bringing contrasting offensive and defensive records to T-Mobile Arena.
By Andrew Bennett ·
The Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights faced each other in a grueling first-round playoff series last spring. That contest featured 108 penalty minutes and an alleged death threat, setting the stage for a rematch. The two clubs meet again on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Mammoth head coach André Tourigny described the team's mindset during a Monday practice session. He stated that the roster likes to hate its opponent. Tourigny said the goal is to take a piece of the opposing team every night. He added that the Mammoth may want to take two bites out of the Golden Knights specifically.
Forward Logan Cooley expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming matchup. He recalled a four-goal game against Vegas last season. Cooley noted that the Golden Knights play a physical and hard style. He emphasized that the team must be ready from the start because of the opponent's talent.
Both teams currently hold playoff positions, though their standing could shift by the start of the game. The result may influence their final placement in the standings. As of Monday evening, the Golden Knights possessed the ninth-best power play percentage in the league at 26.3%. They also ranked ninth in shots per game with 28.5. These metrics contributed to the 14th-most goals per game for Vegas.
The Mammoth ranked higher than the Golden Knights in all three of those offensive categories. This alignment suggests a contest driven by offensive volume. However, the Golden Knights hold a defensive advantage. They have allowed the fifth-fewest goals against per game at 2.63. Utah ranks 26th in that category. Vegas also ranks fifth in team save percentage, while Utah places third from the bottom.
Injuries have impacted the Mammoth back end. John Marino and Nate Schmidt, who formed one of the league's best defensive pairings early in the 2025-26 season, are currently out. Players with less NHL experience now occupy those spots. Tourigny said the team’s goaltenders are trending in the right direction. Karel Vejmelka delivered one of his better recent performances in a loss to Ottawa on Saturday. Sebastian Cossa has also made enough saves to keep Utah in games.
The Golden Knights have seen recent success from Tomáš Hertl. He finished last season in a scoring slump but has recorded four goals in his last three games. Rookie Trevor Connelly has also contributed to the attack. He has seven goals and 12 points in 19 games to start his NHL career.
The game starts at 7:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The match will be televised on TNT, HBO Max, and TruTV. Radio coverage will be available on KSL SportsZone at 97.5 FM and 1280 AM, as well as through the NHL app.
