MORNING SKATE NOTES
- Head coach André Tourigny shared there are no lineup changes for tonight.
- Forward Alexander Kerfoot and Logan Cooley participated in morning skate in non-contact jerseys.
- Forward Daniil But was assigned to Tucson on Wednesday.
Two Points Before the Break
Utah will play its final game before the Olympic break tonight against Detroit. The Mammoth are focused on getting two points tonight to head into the break on the right foot.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to finish strong,” Tourigny said. “We want to be at our best in those key games and that’s a key game just before the break. It can be a lot of distraction but for us, that’s an opportunity to be able to play a hell of a game, even if there’s circumstances around it. It’s the same for every team, so we’re all on the same level.”
Facing the Red Wings
Detroit is a team that can be hard to score against and is dangerous offensively. The Red Wings have the eighth-most high danger chances and sixth-most long-range chances. The Mammoth need to continue to apply pressure while maintaining coverage to keep their opponent from scoring.
“They’re a really skilled team and they attack the slot really quickly,” Tourigny explained. “We reviewed a few things this morning with the team and how they attack. At the end of the day, our pace will be our best strength against them. We need to make sure we’re ready to bring a lot of pressure … you need to be good on your pressure, but you need to be good on your coverage as well.”
Bringing a high level of compete and execution will also be key for the Mammoth. Captain Clayton Keller has seen the team buy-in and execute on the details to get wins.
“Speed, compete, just doing all the little things to win,” Keller said of the Mammoth’s identity. “I think, individually, everyone has chipped in more and more, and (we’ve) been winning more and starting to feel what it’s like and how hard it is to win every single night. When we’re doing this, it’s a lot of fun and you’re always happy coming to the rink.”
