Utah’s Strong Effort Leads to 4-1 Win over Detroit

SALT LAKE CITY – In the final game before the Olympic break, the Utah Mammoth picked up two valuable points with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sean Durzi, Nick Schmaltz (PPG), Dylan Guenther, and captain Clayton Keller all scored in the win.

“Solid game by our special teams,” head coach André Tourigny said postgame. “Our goalie was rock solid. It was a huge win for us. Hell yeah.”

Speaking of Utah’s goaltender, Karel Vejmelka was sharp all night. He made timely saves and was a strong last line of defense on the penalty kill. Vejmelka stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced. Tonight’s win meant even more for him as Vejmelka’s uncle passed away recently and gave him extra motivation to win.

“He was a big sports man,” Vejmelka reflected. “He played tennis very well for a long time, so he (taught) me a lot. He was a great human being … I played obviously for him tonight. So, this one is for him.”

Vejmelka’s coach and teammates were impressed once again with his strong game. Utah’s starting goaltender recorded his 27th win of the season, and he leads the NHL in this category.

“He played unreal,” Guenther said. “Huge saves on the (penalty kill). It’s hard for us without (him and) how he played. I’m looking forward to watching him hopefully do that for (Czechia).”

“Helps you to win games, no doubt about it,” Tourigny said. “He’s been on a good stretch. Played a lot of hockey. He’s going (to) the Olympics. Happy for him.”

The Mammoth had a strong start with a pair of first period goals. 57 seconds in, Durzi’s fifth of the season gave Utah a 1-0 lead. The defenseman regained possession off a turnover and his shot snuck through. Eight minutes into the game, Schmaltz scored a power play goal and doubled the Mammoth’s lead. Utah capitalized on its 5-on-3 advantage and Schmaltz scored his 23rd of the year.

“Just a team effort,” Guenther explained. “We talked about our start, and it was really good, so happy with that.”

It took a full team effort to secure the win against one of the NHL’s best teams. The Mammoth had to ride momentum waves and pushbacks by Detroit. A connected performance held the Red Wings to a singular power play goal in which Detroit had pulled its goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage.

“(We had) just all the right intentions,” Guenther said. “Even if we made mistakes, I feel like guys were trying to do the right thing. They’re going to push. (They’re) one of the best teams in the league, but I thought we handled it well.”

“I think everybody contributed,” Tourigny explained. “I think our fourth line was key tonight in the third period, especially a big fight by (Brandon Tanev), but in the third period, every time they were on the ice, they got on the forecheck, they got the puck deep, and they spent some time (in the offensive zone), they (gave) us some energy. So that was really good. And same thing on the back end. I think we have depth; that’s one of our strength.”

As the Mammoth head into the break, they’re confident about how the team has played to its identity. Utah has a 12-4-1 record to start 2026 and the Mammoth will look to build off this success when games resume at the end of the month.

“I think (it says) we are (on) the right way,” Vejmelka shared. “We’re (playing the) right way and we need to keep the same mindset for the rest of the season. Use the break for (a) kind of reset for our mind but have that same mindset when we get back here.”

Additional Notes from Tonight

• Nick Schmaltz recorded two points (1G, 1A) tonight for his 13th multi-point game of the season, entering the Olympic break with six points over his last six periods (also Feb. 2 vs Vancouver; 3G 1A).
• Four of Durzi’s five goals this season have been game-tying or go-ahead tallies. His goal, just 57 seconds into regulation, marked Utah’s fastest goal from the start of any game at the Delta Center, and the third-fastest goal to open any game this season.
• Vejmelka has allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of his 15 appearances this calendar year. He. Has a 9-1-0 record in his last 10 starts at the Delta Center.

The Mammoth enter the Olympic break with a 30-23-4 record. Utah’s next game is on Feb. 25 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Upcoming Schedule

• Feb. 25: COL vs UTA
• Feb. 27: MIN vs UTA
• Mar. 1: CHI vs UTA