MORNING SKATE NOTES
- Utah held an optional morning skate
- The Mammoth are ready to bounce back after Thursday’s loss
Ready to Go
After a strong practice yesterday, the Mammoth are ready to bounce back. The team is focused and eager for the opportunity to get back in the win column.
“Just the response,” defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said of the team’s focus. “Obviously not the outcome we wanted last game, but I think the leadership group and everybody in there is taking pride with how we (can bounce) back tonight. So, I expect everybody to be prepared and ready to go.”
The Sabres are also eager to bounce back as well after losing their most recent game. Head coach André Tourigny shared which details are most important for his team to execute tonight.
“I think the way we’re (covering) their (defensemen),” Tourigny said. “They’re super active (d-core), starting from their breakout where their (defensemen) are jumping on the rush. We need to get physical, stay in their ice, and get a good start, and do those details away from the puck who will make a difference. If we let them take their motion and we don’t have enough pace on the puck, and the pressure is not hard enough, that’s where they will be able to exploit their talent and their size, and their speed, which they have plenty of.”
Utah is a team with plenty of pride in who they are and how they play. It’s part of the culture that has been built throughout the organization. The leadership group is a big part of that, and is ready to help this team bring a strong effort tonight.
“They care,” Tourigny said of the leadership group. “They want the best for their teammates, for the team, for our organization. They carry a lot of pride for us. I have no doubt, we’ll be ready.”
The Details
When the Mammoth are playing their best hockey, there are plenty of things that stand out. However, the team’s pace is one of the main details that stand out.
“The pace,” Weegar said. “Pace through the neutral zone, killing plays quickly in the defensive zone, getting a lot of shots on net, attacking right away. I think those are just some things that we kind of got away (from), even the last couple games. So, things that we cleaned up over the last couple days, yesterday had a good day, expecting to get back to our details like that.”
