Photo: Utah Mammoth, via NHL.com
Maple Leafs vs Mammoth Preview: Homestand Opens With a Loss to Avenge
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The Maple Leafs vs Mammoth game on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET) opens Toronto's six-game homestand. It is the first time the Leafs have played at home since before their western road trip. Both teams have 18 points: Toronto is 8-6-2 after a 4-2 win in Vancouver on Oct. 31, and Utah is 9-6-0 after losing 6-3 in Philadelphia on Nov. 1. The Mammoth also beat the Leafs 5-4 in Salt Lake City on Oct. 13, and Toronto has not forgotten how that game got away.
Here is where both teams stand, who is in and out, and what the Leafs need to do differently from the first meeting.
Maple Leafs vs Mammoth: the first meeting
The Oct. 13 game at the Delta Center was a good example of Toronto's October. Utah built a three-goal lead, mostly off the rush, and the Leafs spent the third period chasing. Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth. Auston Matthews, Jack Roslovic, John Tavares and Gavin McKenna scored for Toronto. McKenna's goal came on a delayed penalty with Anthony Stolarz pulled for an extra attacker, and it cut the gap to one.
The Leafs then had a power play in the final minute and could not finish it. Karel Vejmelka made the key saves on that late chance, and Utah held on. Stolarz stopped 23 of 28 shots, one of his rougher nights of the season. Our recap of the 5-4 loss in Utah has the full breakdown.
The lesson was simple. When the Leafs give Utah's young forwards room off the rush, the Mammoth are dangerous enough to turn a game in one period. Toronto's best stretch of that night came after it was already down three.
How the Leafs come home
Toronto went 2-2 on the western road trip. The trip opened with a 7-2 rout in Edmonton, then came losses in Calgary and Seattle, and it ended with the 4-2 win at Rogers Arena. In that game Matthews scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season, William Nylander had a goal and an assist, and former Canucks Zack MacEwen and Teddy Blueger also scored. Stolarz stopped 26 shots.
Matthews has a point in every road game this season: 15 points (seven goals, eight assists), per the NHL's game notes. He also enters the homestand on a four-game point streak with three goals and three assists. Roslovic has a six-game point streak with three goals and seven assists in that span. The Matthews-Roslovic pairing keeps producing, and we made the case to leave Roslovic with Matthews before the Vancouver game.
The problem has been consistency, not talent. After the road trip, head coach Jim Hiller told reporters his team has been "too inconsistent," per The Hockey News. He also said November's lighter early schedule gives the Leafs practice time they did not have in October. We looked at why November is Hiller's real test; the Utah game is the first exam.
Injuries: who is in and who is out
The Vancouver game brought two returns. Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua both went back into the lineup against their former team, so the blue line gets its most reliable defensive defenceman back for the homestand. Several important pieces are still out:
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kirill Marchenko | Right wing | Week-to-week, lower body (announced Oct. 28) |
| John Tavares | Centre | Injured reserve, lower body; return projected late November |
| Nick Blankenburg | Defence | Week-to-week |
| Marshall Rifai | Defence | Week-to-week |
Marchenko's absence is the one that stings. He was hurt on a hit from Calgary's Yegor Sharangovich on Oct. 26. He had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 14 games at the time, third on the team. Toronto has not given a specific diagnosis. Our look at what the Leafs lose without Marchenko covers how Hiller has reshuffled the wings. Tavares has been out since getting hurt in the Oct. 15 overtime loss to Buffalo, and reports have pointed to the end of November for his return.
No starting goaltender had been confirmed in the reports we found as of Monday. Stolarz got the start and the win in Vancouver. Sergei Bobrovsky's start to the season has been uneven, and with Montreal and New Jersey on back-to-back nights later in the week, Hiller will need both goalies before the weekend is out.
Scouting the Utah Mammoth
Utah made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2025-26, and the Mammoth have started 2026-27 as one of the Central Division's better teams. They arrive in Toronto on one day of rest after a loss that exposed some problems.
In Philadelphia on Nov. 1, the Flyers beat the Mammoth for the first time ever, 6-3. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist in his return from injured reserve. Captain Clayton Keller had two power-play assists but finished minus-4, and Utah's top line was outplayed at five-on-five. Vejmelka allowed five goals on 20 shots after resting in Pittsburgh to open the road trip.
Pittsburgh was the other side of the Mammoth. On Oct. 29, Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley completed a hat trick with one second left in regulation to tie the game, and Sergachev won it 4-3 in overtime. Cooley also had a goal and an assist in Philadelphia. Along with Keller, Guenther and Sergachev, he is the reason Utah can score in bunches. Forward Kailer Yamamoto is out injured for the Mammoth.
The matchup that matters
Utah's power play produced both of Keller's assists in Philadelphia, and its rush game beat Toronto in October. The Leafs' answer has to be discipline and puck management through the neutral zone. Rush defence has been their main weakness all season, and it was the difference in the first Utah game. If the Leafs keep the Mammoth's forwards from getting behind them with speed, they have the finishing talent to win a lower-event game at home.
Keys to the game for Toronto
- Win the first period. Toronto trailed early in Utah and spent the night catching up. A home crowd, last change and a team on short rest are all reasons to push early.
- Make Vejmelka work again. He gave up five on 20 in Philadelphia. Toronto's shooters, led by Matthews and Nylander, should test him early and often.
- Keep Keller at even strength. Utah's captain did his damage on the power play on Sunday. Stay out of the box and Utah's top line becomes far more manageable.
- Get secondary scoring. MacEwen and Blueger scoring in Vancouver was a good sign. With Marchenko and Tavares out, the Leafs cannot win every night on the Matthews line alone.
What's at stake on the homestand
Both teams have 18 points, and Utah has a game in hand. Toronto's 18 points in 16 games is a 92-point pace over 82 games, which is the playoff bubble, not a cushion. In the Atlantic Division, the Leafs have played more games than every team above them. Our look at the current NHL standings shows how tight it is.
We set a bar of eight of a possible 12 points for the six-game homestand, which runs through Edmonton on Nov. 14. Montreal comes in on Nov. 7 and New Jersey on Nov. 8, so Tuesday is the cleanest chance to bank two points before the schedule tightens.
Our take: this is a game Toronto should win, and a loss would sting more than the 5-4 in Utah did. The Leafs are home, healthier on the blue line with Tanev back, and facing a team that just gave up six. The October version of the Leafs could lose this game by giving up the rush again. Hiller says November is about building a more consistent team, so this is the night to show it.
How to watch Maple Leafs vs Mammoth
Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Scotiabank Arena. Check local listings for the regional broadcast in Canada. For lineups, contract figures and the rest of the roster, see the Leafs player pages and the Maple Leafs contracts sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do the Maple Leafs play the Mammoth on Nov. 3?
The Maple Leafs host the Utah Mammoth at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. It is the first game of a six-game Leafs homestand that runs through Nov. 14.
Who won the last Maple Leafs vs Mammoth game?
Utah won 5-4 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 13, 2026. Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and an assist, while Auston Matthews, Jack Roslovic, John Tavares and Gavin McKenna scored for Toronto.
What is the Maple Leafs' record right now?
Toronto is 8-6-2 with 18 points through 16 games after a 4-2 win in Vancouver on Oct. 31. That is a 92-point pace over a full 82-game season.
Is Kirill Marchenko playing against Utah?
No. The Leafs ruled Marchenko week-to-week with a lower-body injury on Oct. 28 after he was hurt in Calgary on Oct. 26. He had 14 points in 14 games before the injury.
When is John Tavares coming back from injury?
Tavares is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury suffered in the Oct. 15 overtime loss to Buffalo. The Leafs have not given a firm date; reports have pointed to late November.
What is the Utah Mammoth's record?
Utah is 9-6-0 with 18 points after a 6-3 loss in Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 2026. Two nights earlier, Logan Cooley completed a hat trick with one second left and Mikhail Sergachev won it 4-3 in overtime in Pittsburgh.
Who leads the Maple Leafs in goals?
Auston Matthews leads Toronto with 11 goals after scoring in the 4-2 win in Vancouver on Oct. 31. He also has a point in every road game this season.
