What happened
The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-1 Friday night in Salt Lake City. Utah struck first via Dylan Guenther's 34th goal, but Anaheim responded with goals including one from Alex Killorn post-power play and empty-netters from Mikael Granlund and another. Goaltender Lukas Dostal stopped 28 of 29 shots for the win.
Why it matters
Anaheim improves to 38-27-4 with 80 points, first team to 80 in Pacific and now leading Edmonton by three points and Vegas by four. The victory, as +112 underdogs against a back-to-back Utah favored at -133, bolsters Ducks' playoff positioning in a bunched Western Conference. Utah falls to 36-28-6 but holds Western WC1 by seven points over Seattle and Nashville.
The data edge
Pre-game odds: Utah ML -133, Ducks +112, O/U 6.5 (final total 5). Standings post-game: Ducks 38-27-4 (80 pts, 1st Pacific); Utah 36-28-6 (78 pts, WC1). Head-to-head: Ducks' first regulation win vs. Utah. Ducks without suspended Radko Gudas; Utah missing Logan Cooley (lower-body).
What to watch
Watch Ducks' next matchup for continued division push; Utah seeks rebound amid back-to-back fatigue and playoff chase.
