MORNING SKATE NOTES
- Head coach André Tourigny shared that the lineup isn't set with game time decisions going into tonight's game.
- Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar is set to play his first game as a Mammoth at the Delta Center.
- This is the final of four games against the Chicago Blackhawks this season.
Staying Simple
The Mammoth are searching for their first win against the Blackhawks and playing a simple game will be part of that.
“It’s huge,” forward Barrett Hayton said of staying simple. “That’s the start we need. We all know that, we talked about that this morning. Play with a lot of pace, a lot of speed, simple, and build off that.
“Simplicity, direct, get the space behind their (defensemen), those kinds of things,” Tourigny explained. “We were not as fast offensively in the last two games … we need to make sure we’re pushing north so that is one of the objectives.”
Battling against the Blackhawks
In the most recent game, on Mar. 9, Utah faced a determined Chicago team. The Blackhawks are a strong transition team and defending against that will be key.
“I think a lot of it is just us managing the game better,” Hayton explained. “Continuing to play with pace, play with more pace than we played with the last couple of games against them. Ultimately it’s managing the puck as well. They got a dangerous transition game, play fast, they make plays, so just managing it on our end for sure.”
“We have to check hard,” recently acquired defenseman MacKenzie Weegar shared. “We have to check for our chances. We spoke about it this morning. This time of year things tighten up a lot. You have to play that playoff hockey. It’s wearing those (defensemen) down. It’s transitioning quick. Everybody knows what they're doing in the d-zone, communication’s key.
“...we have to be hard on (Chicago), keep them in front of us and transition fast. I know that (with) this group, the skill will take over when we wear them down.”
A New Experience
Weegar will play his first game at the Delta Center as a member of the home team. Utah hosted Calgary in the Mammoth’s home opener this season and picked up a 3-1 win. The newest member of the Mammoth remembers the crowd’s enthusiasm.
“I remember it being really, really loud,” Weegar recounted. “I’m looking to have a lot of fun tonight … just a lot of fun with these guys and getting the day to spend yesterday just to see the lay of the land a little bit. I’m looking (forward) to hearing the crowd, it’s going to be awesome out there. Great atmosphere, all the guys love it here. I’m just trying to settle in as quickly as I can.”
