APRIL 28: A general view of the in-ice logo prior to the game between the New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Barclays Center on April 28, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – As the Utah Mammoth enter the final 10 games of the season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are well within their grasp.
Currently sitting in the top western wild card spot with 80 points, Utah has positioned themselves in the driver’s seat as they desperately fight to get it.
So, what exactly will it take for the Mammoth to clinch their first postseason berth?
Let’s take a look.
Most years in the NHL, it generally requires about 95 points to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Not that Utah shouldn’t be striving for that number, but as of right now, it’s looking more like 92 or 93 points may be the playoff threshold.
Here’s why.
Of the six teams with a legitimate chance to compete for a spot, only two of them (Utah & Nashville) possess enough remaining possible points to even surpass 96.
That means that unless Los Angeles (74 points), Seattle (72 points), Winnipeg (72 points) or San Jose (70 points) somehow win the rest of their games, that threshold is most likely going to be less.
Great news for Utah as they have 20 possible points remaining on their schedule with 80 already in hand.
What does that mean in terms of how many they’ll need to win?
Anticipating that the threshold likely drops to 92 or 93, Utah would need to gather about 12 points to get in.
Entirely doable but far from easy.
Taking a closer look at their schedule, the Mammoth need to make sure they take care of business against the inferior squads such as Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and St. Louis.
Winning those four alone would put them in prime position to claim a spot.
As for the other six, it would be ideal to beat two of either Los Angeles, Seattle or Nashville as those are four-point swing games against direct playoff competition.
Notably, beating Nashville is probably the most important of the three as that game will be played on April 9 and could potentially be a play-in game or the determining factor between wild card one or wild card two.
Beat Nashville and face an inferior pacific team in the first round.
Lose, and you may have to face one of the juggernaut central teams with almost no chance of advancing.
Ultimately, however, it’s just about getting in at this point.
Doesn’t matter the matchup, Utah just needs to qualify in order to achieve their goal and begin gathering playoff experience.
“We all know what’s at stake,” Logan Cooley told KSL Sports.
“It’s great. Everyone’s goal is to get to the playoffs…you want to get excited but at the same time you’ve got to be levelheaded. Things can change really quickly.”
Cooley recognizes the playoff excitement but wants to remain level headed:
“We all know what’s at stake.”
“It’s great. Everyone’s goal is to get to the playoffs…you want to get excited but at the same time you’ve got to be level headed. Things can change really quickly.” pic.twitter.com/N2OGEP4y5E
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) March 22, 2026
Six wins should be enough, and they are more than capable of getting it done.
When you boil it down, the Mammoth simply need to take it a day at a time and play their game if they want to make the postseason.
No more self-inflicted losses where they come out sluggish or lack desire.
Rather, they need to keep breaking teams down by utilizing their speed, skill and then combining those with fierce physicality.
That’s exactly how they beat Los Angeles, Vegas and Dallas.
Didn’t matter that they were technically the inferior teams in two of those three games.
They dictated the pace, trapped their opponents in the offensive zone, recovered pucks and then generated dangerous chances with speed.
That’s Mammoth hockey.
Getting opponents out of their structure with physicality and then quickly breaking them down with speed and finesse.
Bainer with the shorty! pic.twitter.com/q3g4jFxCy3
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 17, 2026
Clayton Keller strikes early! 1-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/bf1UzqZeLm
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 20, 2026
Crouser leads off scoring at the @deltacenter! pic.twitter.com/IuyJFrM4W4
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 23, 2026
“[When we get to the net] we’re good,” head coach Andre Tourigny said. “That’s been a theme for us for a long time. When we have that aggression, when we go there, we’re successful.”
“We need to be really quick attacking, simplicity in our mindset…when we’re really good is when we have that aggression…we get the puck, we attack quick. We don’t give time to the opponent to get in position.”
From the front office to the coaching staff and the players, the Mammoth know what it’s going to take to get in.
It’s not rocket science or something that will require a miracle but rather a choice.
A decision to wake up every day, approach games the right way and take care of business.
The true question is, do they want it bad enough?
The next 10 games will provide the answer.
The Utah Mammoth will wrap up their four game homestand against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. MT.
The game will be available on Mammoth+.
All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).
