Utah Mammoth News

Vejmelka was terrific in his most recent outing, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a rare loss for the Czech goalie, who has been tremendous in recent weeks. The 29-year-old Vejmelka has a dazzling 2.01 GAA and .925 SV% in his last nine games (8-1-0). Still, the Mammoth enter the action on Thursday as +151 road underdogs against a Carolina Hurricanes team with points in five straight games (4-0-1).

Vejmelka was terrific in his most recent outing, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a rare loss for the Czech goalie, who has been tremendous in recent weeks. The 29-year-old Vejmelka has a dazzling 2.01 GAA and .925 SV% in his last nine games (8-1-0). Still, the Mammoth enter the action on Thursday as +151 road underdogs against a Carolina Hurricanes team with points in five straight games (4-0-1).

O'Brien will slot in for Dylan Guenther, who was a surprise scratch due to a lower-body injury. O'Brien has two goals and one assist in 28 games this season.

Vanecek will get the nod between the pipes when he and the Mammoth travel to Florida to take on his former team on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Vanecek has lost an absurd ten straight starts, with his last win coming all the way back on October 26th. Vanecek just narrowly missed getting back in the win column in his last start, stopping 33 of the 36 shots he faced in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets. The Mammoth enter action on Tuesday at +125 on the money line.

Guenther was a surprise absence on Tuesday, with the Mammoth not announcing his absence prior to warmups. Liam O'Brien will draw into the lineup in his place.

Hebig is an undrafted 29-year-old forward that has yet to play an NHL game. He has exclusively spent the past eight seasons in the AHL, including scoring 33 points (15G / 18A) through 35 games with Tucson this season.

Simashev started the season in Utah, making his season debut and playing 24 games, but has since been in the AHL. The 20-year-old defenseman, the sixth-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has 20 points (5G / 15A) in 20 games with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).

Durzi exited Monday's game late in the third period after an awkward collision. The team should provide an update before they return to action tonight against the Florida Panthers. The 27-year-old Durzi has 15 points (3G / 12A) in 31 games this season.

Vejmelka will put a personal eight-game winning streak on the line when the Mammoth travel to Tampa Bay on Monday. Vejmelka has played lights out during the aforementioned streak, posting a .924 SV% and a 2.00 GAA. The 29-year-old netminder picked up his league-leading 29th win of the season on Saturday night, turning away 27 of 29 shots he faced in a 5-2 victory in Nashville. Despite the hot streak, Vejmelka and the Mammoth do enter action as slight underdogs on Monday at +145 on the money line.

With Lawson Crouse (illness) drawing back into the lineup, O'Brien will be the odd man out as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old O'Brien has three points (2G / 1A) and 75 hits in 28 games this season.

Cooley has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on December 5th, but return to practice in a non-contact jersey on Monday. He was originally deemed unlikely to return prior to the Olympic break in February, which likely still holds true. The 21-year-old Cooley has a solid 23 points (14G / 9A) in 29 games this season, but has benefitted from a few big-game performances, resulting in him being held without a point in 15 games.

Crouse did not play in Utah's most recent game because of an illness, but should re-enter the lineup tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 28-year-old Crouse has been terrific since being elevated to the top line, recording 12 points (5G / 7A), 24 shots, and 38 hits in his last 13 games.

Vejmelka will be looking to continue a personal six-game winning streak when the Flyers come to Utah on Wednesday. The 29-year-old netminder secured his league-leading 23rd victory of the season in his last start, turning away 18 of the 21 shots he faced in a 6-3 win over Kraken on Saturday. He is in a great spot to keep the win streak alive on Wednesday as the Mammoth enter action at -175 on the money line.

Rooney has not had the opportunity to see much NHL action this season, but he has a goal in his only outing. The 32-year-old veteran of 331 NHL games has 10 points (7G / 3A) in 20 games with Tucson (AHL) this season.

Vejmelka has had an up-and-down season, posting a 2.58 GAA and .900 SV% in 35 games (21-11-2), but has been outstanding lately. The 29-year-old Czech goalie is riding a four-game winning streak, allowing two or fewer goals in each game, boasting a tremendous 1.49 GAA and .943 SV%. Utah enters the action on Thursday as slight -110 home favorites against the struggling Dallas Stars, who own the NHL's second-best record (27-11-9) despite only winning two of their previous 10 games (2-4-4).