Rangers vs. Mammoth: lineups, storylines trying to end 3-game losing streak
Two teams trying to end losing streaks face off Saturday in Salt Lake City, when the New York Rangers visit the Utah Mammoth.
It’s the end of a three-game road trip for the Rangers (10-10-2), who lost the first two in Las Vegas and Denver and three straight overall, including a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings last Sunday. They haven’t lost four in a row this season.
The Rangers hung in there Thursday against the first-overall Colorado Avalanche, in large part to the strong play of goalie Igor Shesterkin. But despite being tied 2-2 heading into the third period and 3-3 midway through the final frame, the Rangers lost 6-3.
That the Rangers allowed the game-deciding goal by Nathan MacKinnon 30 seconds after J.T. Miller tied things up on the power play, really frustrated coach Mike Sullivan.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said postgame. “Those are moments in the game where we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a heightened level of intensity and a heightened level of awareness. And we just didn’t get it done in those circumstances.”
After failing to neutralize Colorado’s big guns — MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas combined for nine points — the Rangers are tasked Saturday with shutting down a talented, but struggling, Mammoth squad. Utah (10-8-3) has lost four straight (0-1-3) and seven of eight (1-4-3) after an encouraging start to the season.
They began a four-game homestand Thursday with a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, marking the eighth time in 10 games this month the Mammoth scored two goals or fewer. Nick Schmaltz leads them with 10 goals and 22 points in 21 games, but has one assist in the losing streak and two goals in his past eight games. Logan Cooley has nine goals on the season, but just one in his past 10 games.
This is the second visit to Delta Center for the Rangers since the Mammoth relocated from Arizona. The Blueshirts rallied for a 5-3 win on Jan. 16 last season, when they scored three unanswered goals in the third period. Artemi Panarin scored twice in the game and Sam Carrick had two assists.
3 storylines when Rangers visit Mammoth
1. Bringing back the power
The Rangers scored two power-play goals against the Avalanche, only the second time this season they had more than one in a game, with the other all the way back on Oct. 11. That’s six power-play goals in the past six games for New York, which has at least one in five of those contests. Though still in the middle of the pack (tied for 15th in the NHL, 20.8 percent), the Rangers power play is becoming an important difference maker for them again.
Now they need to get more PP opportunities. The Rangers simply don’t draw enough penalties. Only twice in 22 games have they had more than three power plays, and never more than four. New York’s skated on 14 man-advantages in their past seven games, scoring six times.
Utah’s averaging over nine penalty minutes per game, so the opportunity to get on the power play is there for New York. However, the Mammoth are tied for eighth in the League on the PK (82.8 percent) and allowed one power-play goal in their past 25 times short-handed. dating to Oct. 28.
2. Saturday night’s alright
Admittedly, this stat means pretty much nothing. But ask any coach or player if they seek out positives wherever they can find them, and the answer will be affirmative. So, it’s not nothing that the Rangers are a perfect 4-0-0 playing on the road on Saturday this season. They’ve outscored their hosts 15-7 in those four games, which include some Saturday night heroics from Will Cuylle, who scored in overtime against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 1, and Miller, who scored the shootout winner against the Columbus Blue Jackets this past Saturday.
For what it’s worth, this is Utah’s first home Saturday game. They Mammoth are 2-1-0 on Saturday on the road.
3. Details matter
Former Rangers center Dominic Moore is now an analyst on Mammoth broadcasts, and he’s expecting a tight game between the teams, each of which has played nine contests decided by one goal this season. In the Rangers case, that’d be an even higher number if not for the crazy amount of empty-net goals they’ve surrendered this season.
Moore emphasized that every moment is crucial for these teams with nearly identical records, each on the outside looking in at a playoff spot one quarter of the way through the 2025-26season.
“Points right now are at a premium for every team,” Moore told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast. “I think the Rangers and Mammoth are both in that boat where they’re winning a lot of close games and losing a lot of close games. So, I think it’ll be one of those games where the details will matter. All the little things both teams do in the games are going to add up to the small margin of victory.”
New York Rangers projected lineup
Will Cuylle — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere
Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — J.T. Miller
Conor Sheary — Noah Laba — Jonny Brodzinski
Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh
Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox
Carson Soucy — Braden Schneider
Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow
Jonathan Quick
Igor Shesterkin
Rangers vs. Mammoth: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Utah Mammoth
When: Saturday Nov. 22 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Delta Center
How to watch: MSG
