Less than an hour after the game, Utah (42-30-6) clinched a playoff berth in its second season when the Anaheim Ducks<\/a> beat the San Jose Sharks<\/a> 6-1. The Mammoth sit in the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 90 points and have a six-point lead over Nashville.<\/p>\n Kailer Yamamoto<\/a>, Nick Schmaltz<\/a> and captain Lawson Crouse<\/a> also scored for Utah, and Karel Vejmelka<\/a> stopped 29 shots.<\/p>\n Erik Haula<\/a> had Nashville’s goal and Juuse Saros<\/a> made 23 saves.<\/p>\n Yamamoto, who played only 12 NHL games last season, scored his 12th goal to open the scoring with 5:33 to go in the first period. He deflected in a puck off a cross-crease pass from Guenther for his second goal in the past three games.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks Schmaltz scored his 31st goal — and fifth in his past five games — on a power play 5:35 into the second for a 2-0 lead. Keller slid the puck across the crease to Schmaltz at the back door.<\/p>\n Crouse, who had 20 points all of last season, scored his 22nd goal early in the third for a 3-0 lead.<\/p>\n Guenther’s goal made it six straight games Utah has scored at least four times.<\/p>\n Haula scored on the power play for Nashville midway through the third after Vejmelka stopped the first 22 shots he faced.<\/p>\n Nashville defenseman Roman Josi<\/a> was a late scratch because of an upper-body injury, though he participated in warmups.<\/p>\n Up next <\/p>\n Nashville, which wrapped up its final trip of the regular season, returns home for three more games and will host the Minnesota Wild<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/r1640108_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
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