Defenseman Sean Durzi was practicing in a regular jersey and head coach André Tourigny said the defenseman is day-to-day but not back yet.
By moving forward Barrett Hayton up to the top line and top power play unit, the Mammoth are hoping his strong inside game will help generate offense and chances down low.
“Hayton has a good inside game; he goes to the net for more net presence,” Tourigny explained. “So hopefully, it creates a little bit more of that. Same thing on the power play. He's back on the first unit... for the same purpose.”
As the Mammoth look to generate more power play goals, here’s how the units practiced at morning skate:
PP1: Sergachev, Keller, Schmaltz, Guenther, Hayton
PP2: Cooley, Peterka, Schmidt, Stenlund, Crouse
Coach Tourigny also shared more about the second power play unit and its strengths with the personnel changes:
“At the same time, that creates a second unit who can be a trap with the one-timer of JJ (Peterka), and Cooley quarterbacking the play on the left flank, and having (Lawson Crouse) in the slot. Crouse is really good on loose puck recovery, so hopefully that will help in that regard.”
Previewing the Golden Knights
This is the first of two games between the Mammoth and Golden Knights in the next five days. Although it’s a new opponent, Utah is aware of the high-end talent and strong offensive game that Vegas brings.
“They've got a lot of really good, top-end talent,” Nate Schmidt explained. “We have to make sure we pick up those guys on the rush. We can't let them wheel and deal and have free ice in the neutral zone tonight because that’s one of the biggest parts about their offense and how they generate.”
“Vegas is a really good team,” Tourigny said. “They are really good off the cycle, they are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team, at it. We will need (Vejmelka) to make key saves at key moments.”
Special Teams Battle
It’s a battle tonight between one of the best power plays in the league and one of the best penalty kills. Vegas’ sixth-best power play goes up against a Mammoth’s penalty kill that has killed off 21 consecutive penalties in regulation.
“We have a lot of confidence in our PK right now and it’s transferring right on over to our power play,” Schmidt explained. “You have to have guys that believe in what the coaches put forward, and we do, and (guys that) believe in their own abilities, and we do. You put them both together and you’ll have a good result tonight.”
Youth Movement
Per Mammoth PR: “Utah's last six goals have come from players aged 23 or younger: JJ Peterka (3), Dylan Guenther (2) and Logan Cooley (1). Utah's 25 goals from skaters 23 or younger rank as the fourth-most in the NHL.”
