Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA

Utah Mammoth News

Vanecek will start in Boston on Tuesday.

Vanecek has only played once in the last two weeks, but will return to the crease on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. The 29-year-old Vanecek has been inconsistent early in his Utah tenure, but is coming off a solid 21-save performance (.955 SV%) in a 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. He has a 2.87 GAA and .878 SV% in nine games this season (2-6-1). The Mammoth enter Tuesday's contest as -113 road favorites against a Bruins team coming off a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, snapping a four-game winning streak.

Vitek Vanecek
Vanecek was the first goalie off the ice at Utah's morning skate.

Vanecek has only played once in the last two weeks, but will likely return to the crease on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. The 29-year-old Vanecek has been inconsistent early in his Utah tenure, but is coming off a solid 21-save performance (.955 SV%) in a 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. He has a 2.87 GAA and .878 SV% in nine games this season (2-6-1). The Mammoth enter Tuesday's contest as -113 road favorites against a Bruins team coming off a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, snapping a four-game winning streak.

Vitek Vanecek
Vejmelka will start against the Kraken on Friday.

Utah has lost seven of its last 10 (3-7-0) and will hope Vejmelka can elevate his game on Friday, tending the twine against the Seattle Kraken. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has a 2.72 GAA and .893 SV% in 24 games this season (12-9-2). He has lost two of his last four, but has played well in those games, posting a 2.00 GAA and .934 SV%. The Mammoth enter Friday's contest as -176 home favorites against a Kraken team coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping a four-game losing skid.

Karel Vejmelka
Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice at Utah's morning skate.

Utah has lost seven of its last 10 (3-7-0) and will hope Vejmelka can elevate his game on Friday, tending the twine against the Seattle Kraken. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has a 2.72 GAA and .893 SV% in 24 games this season (12-9-2). He has lost two of his last four, but has played well in those games, posting a 2.00 GAA and .934 SV%. The Mammoth enter Friday's contest as -176 home favorites against a Kraken team coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping a four-game losing skid.

Karel Vejmelka
Maatta (upper-body) is expected to return vs. Seattle on Friday.

Maatta has not played since November 18th due to an upper-body injury, but will return to the lineup on Friday against the Seattle Kraken. The 31-year-old Maatta was playing sheltered minutes before his injury, clocking in a career-low 11:48 time-on-ice and scoring one assist in 16 games.

Olli Maatta
Tanev is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Seattle on Friday.

Kailer Yamamoto will draw back into Utah's lineup on Friday against the Seattle Kraken, returning Tanev to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Tanev has been a healthy scratch multiple times in the last two weeks and has struggled in his first season with Utah. He has remained an effective agitator with 69 hits this season, but is pacing for the worst offensive totals of his career, with only one point (0G / 1A) through 29 games.

Brandon Tanev
Yamamoto will draw back into Utah's lineup vs. Seattle on Friday.

Brandon Tanev will be a healthy scratch on Friday against the Seattle Kraken, allowing Yamamoto to re-enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Yamamoto has not played the previous two games for Utah. He has seven points (3G / 4A) in 22 games this season.

Kailer Yamamoto
Cooley (lower-body) is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks.

Cooley has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on December 5th, and now seems unlikely to return prior to the Olympic break in February. The 21-year-old Cooley had been held off the scoresheet in four straight games. He has a solid 23 points (14G / 9A) in 29 games this season, but has benefitted from a few big-game performances, resulting in him being held without a point in 15 games.

Logan Cooley
Vejmelka will start against the Panthers on Wednesday.

The Mammoth will hand Vejmelka his 24th start of the season when they host the Panthers on Tuesday. Vejmelka was tagged with the loss in his last start, allowing three goals on 26 shots in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Kings on Monday. The 29-year-old netminder carries a 12-8-2 record and .894 SV% into Wednesday night's matchup, where the Mammoth enter action at -110 on the money line.

Karel Vejmelka
Vejmelka will start against the Kings on Monday.

Vejmelka is sporting a pedestrian 2.64 GAA and .894 SV% in 22 games this season (12-7-2), but appears to be rounding into form over the last two weeks. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has quality starts in four of his last six games (3-3-0), including a shutout, while saving 129 of 139 shots (.928 SV%). He will return to the crease on Monday, with the Mammoth entering the contest as slight -107 home favorites against a Los Angeles Kings team coming off an explosive 6-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Karel Vejmelka
Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice at Utah's morning skate.

Vejmelka is sporting a pedestrian 2.64 GAA and .894 SV% in 22 games this season (12-7-2), but appears to be rounding into form over the last two weeks. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has quality starts in four of his last six games (3-3-0), including a shutout, while saving 129 of 139 shots (.928 SV%). He will likely return to the crease on Monday, with the Mammoth entering the contest as slight -107 home favorites against a Los Angeles Kings team coming off an explosive 6-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Karel Vejmelka
Tanev is expected to draw back into Utah's lineup vs. Los Angeles on Monday.

Tanev has been a healthy scratch for the past few games, but will return to the lineup on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. The 34-year-old Tanev has remained an effective agitator with 69 hits this season, but is pacing for the worst offensive totals of his career, with only one point (0G / 1A) through 27 games. Kailer Yamamoto will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Tanev's return.

Brandon Tanev
Cooley (lower-body) is out vs. Los Angeles and considered out indefinitely.

Cooley missed Utah's most recent game and will remain out of the lineup indefinitely, recovering from a lower-body injury. The 21-year-old Cooley had been held off the scoresheet in four straight games. He has a solid 23 points (14G / 9A) in 29 games this season, but has benefitted from a few big-game performances, resulting in him being held without a point in 15 games.

Logan Cooley