“It's awesome. Any time you do that, it’s special. Just to see how excited the guys were for me too, you get a cool feeling when you get the support of your teammates. I just think in general; we have such a tight group. Guys really care about each other and want everyone on the team to have success. So, it's awesome.”
In addition to Cooley, goaltender Karel Vejmelka’s performance was key in the win. Utah’s netminder made 33 saves on 34 shots and was strong on the penalty kill. Vejmelka stopped all eight shots he faced shorthanded as the Mammoth held the sixth-best power play from scoring on any of their three opportunities.
“I think we had a really good pre-scout before the game,” Vejmelka explained of the penalty kill’s success. “Our coaching staff did a really good job and it’s really helpful for everybody … We did a good job, and we played simple, so it was a big key for us.”
In addition to his saves shorthanded, Vejmelka maintained a calm demeanor through Vegas’ push backs. Following the win, Vejmelka discussed how he kept his composure throughout the game.
“It’s all about focus,” Vejmelka reflected. “Be sharp, be ready for another shift, another moment, be ready for another scoring chance. Give us the chance to win and actually, my teammates helped me a lot tonight, so it’s a big team win.”
Paired with individual success, the Mammoth had a strong team game. Utah is focused on the process, riding momentum waves, and staying even keeled during tough moments.
“I think it was a good bounce back after the game against Vegas, where we were obviously not happy about,” Tourigny explained postgame. “The way we competed tonight, the way we battled in front of the net, our net, their net, the speed we generated off the rush. They’re not easy to play against … we did a good job.”
“The way we handled the lead too, I think that’s a big thing,” Cooley explained on the team’s improvements. “In the past, we’ve been up and get comfortable and teams start to bury us. I think the game against the Rangers, (and) tonight, that’s how we know how to play. When we’re doing that, you see the results we get. For us, it’s about staying consistent with this process and not changing anything. There’s still stuff to clean up, but overall, really happy with our performance the past two (games).”
The Mammoth improved to 7-2-1 at Delta Center this season and 12-8-3 overall. Utah has one final game in this four-game homestand before heading out on the road for a six-game trip.
