Goaltender Karel Vejmelka had a strong performance in the loss. He stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced, and only allowed one even-strength goal. When Minnesota was pressing, especially early in the game, Vejmelka stood tall in net. He kept Utah within reach throughout the entire game.
“I think (Vejmelka) played awesome tonight,” Captain Clayton Keller shared. “He made some great saves, kept us in there all the way, but they’re a good team. They play hard, they’re fast, so we’ll learn from it.”
Vejmelka’s strong play was on display when the Mammoth were shorthanded. In order for the Wild to score on any of their seven power plays, they had to produce a high level shot.
“He gave us a chance for a long time,” Tourigny said. “I think they beat him on really, really good plays. Our PK was solid. You’ll tell me we gave up two goals (on the penalty kill); (Minnesota) had to take a perfect shot to score their first goal. The second goal, we blew a tire. That’s the kind of thing that’s unfortunate, but was not a structure thing. It’s just really unfortunate because we were right there and one shot away.”
Minnesota held Utah to nine total shots through the first 40 minutes. However, in a third period push, the Mammoth recorded 18 shots in the final frame and Logan Cooley scored Utah’s lone goal in the final two minutes of regulation. Tuesday’s game can teach the Mammoth how to generate more against these heavy, physical teams.
“I think just getting to the net,” Cooley said on what the team could have done more of offensively. “Overall, we need to do a better job of getting our shots through. Props to them; they blocked a ton of shots on the PK and five-on-five. I mean, their goalie played unbelievable too. When he's playing that good, you've got to get in front of his eyes and get shots through, and that's what we didn’t do tonight.”
“I think we gotta be hungrier in their zone,” Keller explained. “We got to win more battles. We’ve got to have good dumps and good pucks. Our forecheck is good so I think that is something that we focus on. But I think we can be better being more connected, coming up the ice together, and supporting our line mates. I feel like at times we’re a little disconnected, they squeeze us off and we’re one and done. It’s tough to create like that.”
Throughout the start of the 2026-27 season, whenever the Mammoth have lost a game, they’ve rebounded with a strong effort. Having a short memory and continuing to work through the highs and lows is necessary for Utah.
“This is obviously the best league in the world, and I feel like you have to have a short mindset; whether it's good or bad, you can't get too high or too low in this league because it'll humble you,” Cooley said. “So, I think for us, it's to learn from it, learn what we need to do better, watch film, and get ready to go. These games happen quickly, and as I said, you just have to have a short memory.”
The Mammoth will have an opportunity to put this game behind them quickly as the team starts a slate of six-straight games on the road. Utah will kick off their east coast road trip with a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)
- Cooley’s goal was the second extra-attacker goal in franchise history, to end Minnesota’s shutout bid with 1:21 left in regulation. The center has scored three goals in his last three games and tonight’s tally marked his first at the Delta Center this season.
- Liam O’Brien, Mikhail Sergachev, and Vincent Trocheck were all assessed fighting majors tonight. This marked the first time in franchise history that Utah has totaled three fights in a single game, and the team’s eight fights in 2026-27 are now the most of any NHL team.
Final Stats
Score: 3-1
Total Shots: MIN 30, UTA 27
Power Play: MIN 2/7, UTA 0/4
Hits: MIN 24, UTA 22
Blocked Shots: MIN 21, UTA 20
Face-Off %: UTA 62%, MIN 38%
Upcoming Schedule
