- Matchup: Utah Mammoth vs New York Islanders
- Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026
- Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
- Broadcast: MSG Sportsnet
- Betting Odds: Mammoth (+125) Islanders (-150)
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The New York Islanders (21-14-4) will face off against the Utah Mammoth (18-18-3) at UBS Arena this Thursday. Current betting odds put the Mammoth at +125 while the Islanders are favored at -150. The total goals over/under is set at 6.
The Utah Mammoth faced a tough 1-0 defeat against the Avalanche in their last game. Offensively, they struggled, failing to score on any of their 32 shots. Additionally, they missed converting on 3 power play opportunities, accumulating 4 minutes in penalties.
At even strength, the Mammoth have conceded 93 goals while scoring 99 themselves. Their opponents have capitalized on 19 out of 111 power play opportunities (ranked 18th in the league). This season, the Utah Mammoth have scored 116 goals (16th overall) but have allowed 112. With 1,116 shots taken, they maintain a shooting percentage of 10.4%. To date, they have 39 points, resulting in a points percentage of .500. The Mammoth have faced 979 shots against with a save percentage of .886. With 113 power play opportunities, they’ve netted 17 goals, achieving a conversion rate of 15.04%.
The goalkeeper for this matchup is Karel Vejmelka. Across his career, Vejmelka has achieved 102 quality starts, with a quality start percentage of .474. His current save percentage stands at .899, spanning over 10,564 minutes of play. He has faced 6,654 shots, making 5,981 saves. Opponents have scored 673 goals against him, averaging 3.13 goals against per game. Vejmelka holds an overall record of 86-107-21, appearing in 215 games throughout his NHL journey.
In their last outing, New York battled the Blue Jackets but faced defeat with a score of 4-2. The Islanders scored 2 goals from their 26 shots on target, but they couldn’t find the net during their 2 power play opportunities.
So far this season, the Islanders have taken 1,106 shots (11th in the league) with a shooting percentage of 9.76%. Conversely, they’ve allowed 1,114 shots against, achieving an 82.73% success rate on their penalty kill during 110 power play attempts by opponents, and a save percentage of 90.7%. They’ve been awarded 123 power play chances, converting at a rate of 15.45%. The Islanders have scored a total of 108 goals this season, split between 89 even-strength goals and 19 power play goals (23rd in the league). Defensively, they’ve allowed 104 goals against, including 85 at even strength and 19 while short-handed, amassing 46 points with a points percentage of .590.
Expect to see Ilya Sorokin in the net for New York. On average, he allows 2.56 goals per game, having conceded a total of 695 goals so far. Sorokin’s quality start rate is 64.7%, with 176 quality starts to his credit. He has been a starter in 272 games, logging 13,469 minutes of play. Sorokin’s career record is 137-99-38, participating in 277 games total and achieving 7,542 saves out of 8,237 shots faced, resulting in a .916 save percentage.
Which team will emerge victorious in tonight’s NHL matchup against the spread or moneyline?
Prediction: Opt for New York (-150)
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