Welcome to Game 82 of the 2025-26 NHL regular season for the St. Louis Blues and the Utah Mammoth. Welcome back to NHL Predictions with us here at Last Word On Hockey. This is where we break down key storylines, statistics, and analysis to try to decipher how the games will play out. One last game before the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin for the Mammoth, while the Blues miss out this year.
NHL Predictions: St. Louis Blues vs Utah Mammoth
Head-to-Head: Mammoth 2-1 Blues
How to Watch: US TV: ESPN
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
The Blues Side
The Blues (36-33-12) followed up their 96-point season with a down year, ending with just 84 points. After a first-round exit last year, St. Louis won’t be part of the postseason this time around. This forced the Blues to be sellers at the NHL trade deadline, where they traded away the then captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders, and Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings.
Credit Image: © Alex Cave/ZUMA Press Wire
There was plenty of uncertainty around Robert Thomas and if he had played his last season in St. Louis, but no trade was made. The forward has 61 points in 63 games this season. The Blues are likely heading down a path for rebuild, stocking up on draft picks to get young talent. St. Louis acquired two 2026 first-round picks in the Schenn and Faulk trades, plus they’ll be looking for some draft lottery luck in May with their own pick.
Joel Hofer (23-13-5) is expected to start in goal for the Blues against Utah.
Injuries: None
The Mammoth Side
After clinching the first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in franchise history, the Mammoth (43-32-6) are ready to prove themselves. Karel Vejmelka has made a strong case to be Utah’s MVP this season. The goaltender is second in the NHL with a career-high 38 wins, and has also faced the second-most shots in the league. He most recently helped the Mammoth defeat the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Tuesday. Utah’s locked in the first Wild Card in the West, so they’ll face the Vegas Golden Knights in Round One.
Prediction
In this matchup, one team is certainly better than the other because only one’s in the playoffs. Of course we’re talking about the Mammoth. The Blues have had problems scoring and defending for much of the year, so this’ll be a challenge. St. Louis ranks 27th in goals for, and 21st in goals against. While Utah sits in the top 10 for both categories. Vanecek’s struggled to get wins this season, which could help the Blues win. However, the Mammoth will take this game.
Prediction: Mammoth win 4-2
Prop Bets
Any time goal scorers:
Lawson Crouse- Many of the top Mammoth players might be out due to resting for the playoffs. So if Crouse plays, he could get one. Has three goals in the last six games.
Pavel Buchnevich- Buchnevich has scored in each of the last two games and hopes to hit the 20-goal mark for the sixth consecutive year.
Projected lineups are based on available data at the time of writing. Please check social media and official team sources for the very latest lineup news before locking in any daily fantasy roster or prop wagers.
Main Photo: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
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