The Mammoth’s power play continues to dominate with three goals on the man-advantage against the Kraken. In addition, Thursday was Utah’s third straight game with multiple power play goals. Cooley’s first period power play goal kicked things off before Schmaltz scored with 5:04 left in the second period, while on the man-advantage. Carcone’s third period power play tally rounded out Utah’s special teams scoring with 3:23 left in regulation.
"I think we're doing a better job shooting the puck,” Schmaltz said of the power play. “A lot of times, we look for the perfect play and it's not there. We're shooting pucks and then making plays off of that. We got a good attack mindset and we're doing a really good job of recovering loose pucks and keeping possession time."
“Confidence,” Peterka said of the power play’s recent success. “We’re out there making plays, getting opportunities, and I think just shooting more. That’s the main factor right now.”
Utah’s penalty kill shut down Seattle’s power play on all three opportunities. One of those times was late in the second period when the Mammoth had a narrow 3-2 lead, and were looking to escape the middle frame ahead of their opponent. Utah is 18-for-19 on the penalty kill since Mar. 16 and has had multiple successful kills in six of those eight contests.
Utah won both of its challenges tonight and each helped keep momentum in Utah’s favor. The first was when Seattle scored 6:11 into the second period to take a 3-1 lead. The Mammoth challenged for goaltender interference, won the challenge, and kept it a one-goal game. This was a significant momentum swing for the Mammoth and Utah tied the game four minutes later. In the third period, Dylan Guenther scored to make it 5-2, seven and a half minutes into the third period. However, it was immediately waved off for goaltender interference. The call was overturned, a goal was awarded, and the Mammoth extended their lead. This break allowed Utah to take away Seattle's energy in the final frame.
“I like to keep the credit on the players, but this one, need to give some credit to (head video coordinator Hunter Cherni) and his group," Tourigny smiled. "They did a really good job. As much as the one we challenge and the one we didn’t challenge in a sense, I think that was the right call. So, good job by them.”
Cooley’s 21st and 22nd goals of the season allowed Utah to rally from a 2-0 deficit. The forward has scored five goals in his last three games and has had back-to-back multi-goal outings for the second time in his NHL career. His three-game goal streak is the second-longest streak in his career, which currently stands at four games.
Schmaltz has lit the lamp in back-to-back games and has six points over his last five contests. Guenther has three goals and six total points over his last three games, and the forward had a three-point night (1G, 2A). Since the start of February, his 14 goals in 20 games are tied with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the third-most in the NHL in that time frame.
With the win, Utah has a five-point lead over the San Jose Sharks (WC2), Nashville Predators, and Los Angeles Kings who all have 79 points. The Mammoth have a six-plus point lead over the remaining teams chasing playoff berths in the west. Coming into this two-game road trip, the Mammoth knew how important it would be to win these games. After getting the first win, Utah is determined to keep going with Saturday’s game in Vancouver.
"I think it just gives us confidence,” Peterka said of the win. “We're in a really good spot right now and just have to keep pushing. The road trip is really important for us, big game in Vancouver, so we need to keep pushing."
Additional Notes from Tonight
- Forward Jack McBain left the game during the second period and did not return. According to Mammoth PR he has a lower-body injury. McBain played 9:00, had two hits, and one block.
- Utah swept the season series against Seattle with three multi-goal wins. Thursday was the first win in franchise history at Climate Pledge Arena. The Mammoth outscored the Kraken 17-8 during the 2025-26 campaign.
Upcoming Schedule
