Early look The full preview opens on Sunday 14 February, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Columbus Blue Jackets at Utah Mammoth: game preview

Puck drop17 Feb · 9:00 PM ET
VenueDelta Center
All-time meetings5 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Two clubs level on last season's points

Columbus finished last season 17th in the league on 92 points. Utah finished 15th on 92, and the 2025-26 season series went CBJ 1-0-1.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 6

Across 5 completed games, Columbus lead the head-to-head 2-0-2.

All-time record2-0-2Columbus's record in the series
Meetings played5This is number 6
2025-26 seriesCBJ 1-0-1
Last 53-2Utah
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
3 OctUTA 4 – CBJ 131–18UTA 3/4 · CBJ 0/2UTA
7 Mar 2026UTA 5 – CBJ 4 OT25–31UTA 0/1 · CBJ 0/2UTA
11 Jan 2026CBJ 3 – UTA 2 OT36–27CBJ 2/3 · UTA 0/2CBJ
6 Feb 2025UTA 3 – CBJ 2 OT33–22UTA 0/3 · CBJ 0/2UTA
31 Jan 2025CBJ 3 – UTA 2 OT23–34CBJ 0/1 · UTA 1/3CBJ
Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateColumbusUtah
11 Jan 202619-19-7 · 45 pts28th22-20-4 · 48 pts21st
7 Mar 202624-20-7 · 55 pts24th27-21-4 · 58 pts16th
3 Oct1-1-0 · 2 pts19th2-0-0 · 4 pts3rd

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 11 Jan 2026, Columbus were 28th in the league and Utah 21st. By 3 Oct it was 19th and 3rd.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Utah out-attempted Columbus 357 to 300

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Columbus Blue Jackets

300 att · 130 on goal · 13 G · 10.0%
Crease31 att · 5 G
Slot101 att · 3 G
Wing126 att · 3 G
Point36 att · 2 G
Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

Utah Mammoth

357 att · 150 on goal · 16 G · 10.7%
Crease24 att · 2 G
Slot115 att · 7 G
Wing138 att · 5 G
Point72 att · 2 G
Neutral zone8 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Columbus and Utah are level on chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

ColumbusUtah
2.43xG for per game3.62
2.78xG against per game2.71
46.7%xG share57.2%
+2.1FinishingGoals minus expected goals+2.5
−1.4GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+2.8

This season: 2 games for Columbus, 4 for Utah. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Columbus

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2740.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.9% · 22nd
Power play · last 5 meetings2/10 · 20.0%
Penalty kill · 2026-2766.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.0% · 28th
Faceoffs · 2026-2755.9% · 71/127
Drawn · 2026-275 (2.50/gm)
Drawn · last meetings10 (2.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings2

Utah

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2761.5%
Power play · 2025-2620.0% · 18th
Power play · last 5 meetings4/13 · 30.8%
Penalty kill · 2026-2792.9%
Penalty kill · 2025-2678.1% · 19th
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 124/234
Drawn · 2026-2713 (3.25/gm)
Drawn · last meetings13 (2.60/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2714 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings4

Skaters

Clayton Keller has 8 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
89Matthew Knies22242.00
3Charlie Coyle20331.50
91Kent Johnson21121.00
8Nick Schmaltz45271.75
11Dylan Guenther43361.50
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
8Zach Werenski20221.00
36Emil Andrae20110.50
20Andrew Peeke41120.50
Defencemen stats

Clayton Keller vs Columbus · game by game

See all: Clayton Keller vs Columbus · game by game →
DateVenueGAPSOGTOI
3 Octaway022217:04
7 Mar 2026away022118:29
11 Jan 2026home022221:00
6 Feb 2025away000522:40
31 Jan 2025home022621:33
Last 5 meetings8 P0 G, 8 A · 16 SOG
Next best5 PDylan Guenther, UTA
2026-27 season7 P4 GP · 1 G
Blank vs CBJ1 of 5
Full game log

Goaltending

Jet Greaves has started most of these meetings

Jet Greaves played 2 of the last 5 meetings with Utah, with a .897 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 15 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 15 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

CBJ · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 14 Feb

SV% · 2026-27.8772 GP · 3.50 GAA · 2025-26 .908
vs Utah.8972 app · 58 SA · 6 GA
GSAx · 2026-27−1.42 starts · most on the roster
vs UTAVenueSAGASV%
3 Octhome314.871
11 Jan 2026away272.926
Full game log

UTA · 2-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 14 Feb

SV% · 2026-27.9133 GP · 2.02 GAA · 2025-26 .897
vs Columbus.8702 app · 54 SA · 7 GA
GSAx · 2026-27+1.73 starts · most on the roster
vs CBJVenueSAGASV%
7 Mar 2026away314.871
31 Jan 2025home233.870

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Sebastian Cossa .947 (1 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

3 Oct5 · UTA 4–1 CBJ
7 Mar 20269 · UTA 5–4 CBJ
11 Jan 20265 · CBJ 3–2 UTA
6 Feb 20255 · UTA 3–2 CBJ
31 Jan 20255 · CBJ 3–2 UTA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Columbus3.503.503.093.09
Utah4.252.003.272.93

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings5.8Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

2 on the injury lists

Columbus · injuries

No players listed.

Utah · injuries

Maveric LamoureuxShoulderIRReturn12 Feb
Mikhail SergachevUpper BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct
6 Oct · CBJ

Placed LW Mikael Pyyhtia on waivers.

1 Oct · CBJ

Placed D Ivan Provorov on injured reserve.

27 Sep · CBJ

Assigned G Pheonix Copley to Cleveland (AHL).

27 Sep · UTA

Placed LW Ben McCartney on waivers.

25 Sep · UTA

Assigned Fs Yegor Borikov, Caleb Desnoyers, Tij Iginla, Gabe Smith and G Michael Hrabal to Tucson (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Fs Brandon Tanev and Joshua Roy and D Zac Jones.

23 Jul 2026 · UTA

Signed D Max Psenicka to a three-year contract.

Injury report
#14Oscar HemmingRound 1 · Boston CollegeLW
#94Alessandro Di IorioRound 3 · SarniaC
#121Evan JardineRound 4 · YoungstownLW
#142Parker SnellRound 5 · EdmontonG
Full draft
#17Ethan BelchetzRound 1 · WindsorLW
#96Adam ValentiniRound 3 · MichiganC
#115Carl AxelssonRound 4 · MuskegonG
#130Theodor KnightsRound 5 · Modo Jr.D
Full draft

Updated after every final