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Game Day: Winnipeg Jets at Utah Mammoth
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Photo credit: © Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Evan Waldner
Apr 14, 2026, 18:10 EDT
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After being outscored 13-3 in their last two games, including a detrimental 6-2 defeat to Vegas last night, the Winnipeg Jets will head into the second half of a back-to-back in Utah against the Mammoth tonight knowing their playoff chances are now extinct.
Winnipeg’s playoff hopes were expected to end following last night’s game, but they were officially eliminated during the third period when the Los Angeles Kings defeated Seattle to clinch the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Jets will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
“It’s a terrible feeling,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “We went from 11 points down to one at one time. It’s a tough feeling. I know the guys, they’re hurting. They all want to be in the playoffs, that’s what our job is and our role is. When you get the reality of it, it sucks.”
Tonight, the Jets find themselves in a building they have yet to win in. They came close in their last meeting in Salt Lake City on Dec. 21, erasing a 3-0 deficit to tie the game before ultimately falling 4-3 in overtime.
Utah clinched its first postseason appearance in franchise history a couple of days ago and is still battling with Los Angeles for the Western Conference’s first and second wild-card spots.
Brayden Yager made his NHL debut last night in Sin City for the Jets, centring the fourth line while playing 10:25 and recording one shot on goal. He’ll look to pick up his first career point tonight in Salt Lake City.
It’s the final road game of the season for the Jets tonight, as well as the second-last game of the campaign. Utah has taken the first two games of the three-game season series, winning 3-2 in Winnipeg on Oct. 26 and 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 21.
Eric Comrie will start in goal for Winnipeg after Connor Hellebuyck played last night.

Projected lineup:

Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi
Perfetti – Lowry – Lambert
Koepke – Toews – Rosen
Niederreiter – Yager – Chibrikov
Morrissey – DeMelo
Samberg – Miller
Fleury – Bryson
Comrie
Hellebuyck

Up next:

Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. CT on TSN3.

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