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Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Utah Mammoth. Don’t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025-26 season.
Head-to-Head: Lightning 0-0 Mammoth
Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: NHL Network, Utah16
Nikita Kucherov takes the Lightning on the road to Utah for a Sunday matchup against Clayton Keller and the Mammoth.
Following a tough start to the 2025–26 season, the Lightning appear to be turning things around. After beginning the year 1-4-2, Tampa Bay has put together a four-game win streak to move to 5-4-2. Two of those games went to overtime, while three were decided by one goal. Anthony Cirelli has been a standout for the Lightning. The centre recorded six points over the four games, including two game-winning goals. In their most recent game, Tampa Bay played the Dallas Stars, and claimed victory in overtime thanks to Cirelli’s heroics. He also has the most goals on the Lightning with six.
Another player to watch for the Lightning is Jake Guentzel, who’s in a three-way tie for the team lead in points with Kucherov and Cirelli. They each have 10. The key for Tampa Bay will be to get their power play going, which is ranked 26th at 15%.
As for the Mammoth, they’ve been rolling. Utah recently had their seven-game win streak snapped and sit fifth in the NHL with an 8-3-0 record. Leading the way is forward Nick Schmaltz, who’s had a surprising start to his season. Schmaltz leads the Mammoth in points with 17 (seven goals, 10 assists) in 11 games, with three of his goals have come on the power play. He’s in the final year of his contract with Utah, so he could be using that as extra motivation.
Another revelation has been the line of JJ Peterka, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther. The trio leads the Mammoth in scoring and have looked amazing when together. Each of them are skating well and have played strong defensively, too. Between Peterka’s speed, Cooley’s vision, and Guenther’s shot, this line is a triple threat. Tampa Bay will have their hands full in trying to keep them quiet, while Utah hopes they continue to produce.
This is the first meeting of the season between the Lightning and Mammoth. Andrei Vasilevskiy (3-3-2) is expected to start for Tampa Bay, while Karel Vejmelka (6-2-0) should get the nod for Utah. At this time, we will add our disclaimer to check the latest lineup news before locking in your daily fantasy rosters. Now, because both teams have been great defensively, the offence will determine the winner. The Mammoth have allowed just 2.73 goals and 24.8 shots per game, both being top 10 numbers in the league. As for the Lightning, they’ve given up just 2.82 goals per game and have the third-best penalty kill at 89%. This will be a tight game, but expect Vasilevskiy to bounce back and shut the door on Utah for a Tampa Bay victory.
For this one, if you match our score prediction, we could add a couple anytime goal scorers for a parlay. For the Lightning, Cirelli has been hot and looks to continue. Meanwhile, for Utah we like Guenther to find the back of the net.
Main Photo: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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Joseph Calabrese is an NHL freelance writer for Last Word on Sports. He graduated Montclair State University in 2023 and received a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Television and Digital Media. As a long-time New York Rangers fan, Joseph hopes to utilize his knowledge to make insightful contributions to the hockey community.
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