20 April 2026 at 02:00
Match Summary
Vegas Golden Knights defeated Utah Mammoth 4:2. The match was played in NHL 2025. Goals were scored by L. Cooley 19′, C. Sissons 3′, K. Stenlund 5′, M. Stone 5′, N. Dowd 7′, I. Barbashev 18′. Score by period: P1: 0–1, P2: 1–1, P3: 3–0.
Match Context
Stanley Cup Playoffs — Western Conference First Round, Game 1
Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena; Utah's first ever Stanley Cup Playoff game under the Mammoth identity.
Pre-Match Analysis
Vegas Golden Knights Form
Vegas closed the regular season as a top seed and entered with a healthy roster anchored by Mark Stone and the Hertl-Eichel-Marner core.
Utah Mammoth Form
Utah qualified for the playoffs in the franchise's first season under the Mammoth identity, riding Logan Cooley and Karel Vejmelka into Round 1.
Head to Head
Pacific Division rivals; this was the first ever postseason meeting between the franchises.
Match Report
Logan Cooley opened the scoring in the final minute of the first period at 19:00 from a Nick Schmidt feed, with Lawson Crouse the secondary assist. Colton Sissons tied it at 3:21 of the second from Cole Smith and Brayden McNabb. Kevin Stenlund put Utah back ahead at 5:00 of the second from Sean Durzi. The third period belonged to Vegas: Mark Stone scored on the power play at 5:33 from Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner, then Nic Dowd struck 1:47 later at 7:20 from Noah Hanifin and Sissons. Ivan Barbashev added an empty-netter at 18:30 from Hanifin. Karel Vejmelka kept Utah in it most of the night.
Turning Point
The Stone-Dowd 1:47 stretch in the third period. Vegas trailed 2-1 entering the final 20 minutes; Stone's power-play marker and Dowd's quick follow-up flipped a tight game into a Vegas victory.
Vegas takes the series lead 1-0 in a series that should test both teams' depth. Utah, in its first ever playoff appearance under the Mammoth name, leaves T-Mobile Arena without a point but with proof its top line can hang with Vegas's stars.
Match Events
Key match events between Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth — 6 goals and 8 cards recorded during the match.
Roughing
Roughing
Roughing
Roughing
Roughing
L. Crouse
B. McNabb
I. Cole
Hooking
M. Marner
C. Sissons
Roughing
Roughing
Empty net
Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth Head to Head Results
Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth have met 12 times — Vegas Golden Knights won 7, Utah Mammoth won 5, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. Vegas Golden Knights leads the head-to-head with 7 victories from 12 meetings. A combined 75 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.25 per match (35 for the home side, 40 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 10 matches (83%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 12 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–4 in 2026.
7
Vegas Golden Knights
0
Drawn
5
Utah Mammoth
Recent Meetings (12)
Standings
Vegas Golden Knights sit — and Utah Mammoth are — in the NHL table heading into this match.
Eastern Conference
| # | GP | Won | Lost | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 53 | 22 | 113 | |
| 82 | 50 | 23 | 109 | |
| 82 | 50 | 26 | 106 | |
| 82 | 48 | 24 | 106 | |
| 82 | 45 | 27 | 100 | |
| 82 | 44 | 27 | 99 | |
| 82 | 41 | 25 | 98 | |
| 82 | 43 | 27 | 98 | |
| 82 | 43 | 30 | 95 | |
| 82 | 41 | 31 | 92 | |
| 82 | 40 | 30 | 92 | |
| 82 | 43 | 34 | 91 | |
| 82 | 42 | 37 | 87 | |
| 82 | 40 | 38 | 84 | |
| 82 | 32 | 36 | 78 | |
| 82 | 34 | 39 | 77 |
Match Analysis AI
Stone-Dowd 1:47 Stretch Decides It. Vegas Takes Game 1 Over Utah 4-2
Mark Stone and Nic Dowd scored 1:47 apart in the third period to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena. The Mammoth made franchise playoff history but left Las Vegas down 1-0 in the series.
Vegas Golden Knights – Utah Mammoth 4:2 (0:1, 1:1, 3:0)
Goals: 23:21 Sissons (Smith, McNabb), 45:33 Stone (Hertl, Marner, PP), 47:20 Dowd (Hanifin, Sissons), 58:30 Barbashev (Hanifin, EN) – 19:00 Cooley (Schmidt, Crouse), 25:00 Stenlund (Durzi, Cole).
/series: 1-0 VGK/
Cooley Writes Mammoth History
Logan Cooley made it a piece of franchise history at 19:00 of the first period, finishing a Nick Schmidt feed with Lawson Crouse credited the secondary assist. It was the first goal in Utah Mammoth playoff history and gave the road team a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.
Sissons Replies, Stenlund Restores the Lead
Colton Sissons drew Vegas level 3:21 into the second from Cole Smith and Brayden McNabb. Kevin Stenlund then put Utah back in front at 5:00 of the second on a feed from Sean Durzi and Ian Cole. Through 40 minutes, Vegas trailed by a goal at home.
Stone and Dowd Flip the Series Opener
Vegas drew level on the power play at 5:33 of the third when Mark Stone redirected a Tomas Hertl feed past Karel Vejmelka, with Mitch Marner picking up the secondary assist. Just 1:47 later, Nic Dowd took a Noah Hanifin pass and beat Vejmelka at 7:20 — sudden 3-2 lead for Vegas, with Sissons earning his second point of the night on the secondary assist.
Barbashev Caps the Win
With Utah's net empty late, Ivan Barbashev scored at 18:30 of the third on another Hanifin pass to seal the 4-2 result. Vejmelka, despite the loss, kept Utah within reach all night against a top-six that combined Stone-Hertl-Marner with the Eichel line.
What It Means
Vegas takes Game 1 and the series lead, but Utah did enough to suggest this won't be a sweep. The Mammoth's franchise debut included two leads and a tight scoreline through 40 minutes. Game 2 stays in Las Vegas — Utah will need cleaner third-period defense, while Vegas will lean on its depth to repeat the formula.
Player Ratings
Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights)
Power-play game-tying goal at 5:33 of the third — set up by Hertl and Marner — that triggered Vegas's third-period rally.
Nic Dowd (Vegas Golden Knights)
Scored the eventual game-winner at 7:20 of the third (1:47 after Stone) from Noah Hanifin and Colton Sissons.
Karel Vejmelka (Utah Mammoth)
Kept Utah in the lead through 40 minutes despite a heavy Vegas attack; couldn't overcome the Stone-Dowd third-period burst.
Logan Cooley (Utah Mammoth)
Scored Utah's first goal in franchise playoff history at 19:00 of the first period.
Match Videos
NHL Game 1 Highlights | Mammoth vs. Golden Knights - April 19, 2026
Mammoth vs. Golden Knights | NHL Playoff Highlights | Game 1 | April 19, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth Game 1?
Vegas Golden Knights won 4-2 at T-Mobile Arena.
Who scored the game-winning goal?
Nic Dowd scored the eventual winner at 7:20 of the third period, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Colton Sissons.
Who scored for Vegas?
Colton Sissons (3:21, 2nd), Mark Stone (5:33, 3rd PP), Nic Dowd (7:20, 3rd) and Ivan Barbashev (18:30, 3rd, EN).
Who scored for Utah?
Logan Cooley (19:00, 1st) and Kevin Stenlund (5:00, 2nd).
Was this Utah's first NHL playoff game?
Yes — this was the first ever Stanley Cup Playoff game in franchise history under the Mammoth identity.
What is the series status after Game 1?
Vegas leads the best-of-seven Western Conference First Round series 1-0; Game 2 stays at T-Mobile Arena.
API data: 20 Apr 2026