Schmidt has five points in his last three games (2G, 3A) and continues to be a strong presence both on and off the ice for the Mammoth.
“He’s an incredible teammate,” Crouse said of Schmidt. “A wise veteran (who) brings a lot to our locker room, and a very hardworking, team-first guy. Obviously, very happy to see him get rewarded and we were all cheering for him to get that empty net at the end there … but incredible game for him.”
“He’s a really good pro,” Tourigny said of Schmidt. “He’s in every day, smiling every day, bringing energy every day. Focused every day, urgent every day … nothing goes unrewarded in life and he’s a good example of it.”
The final score doesn’t necessarily reflect the tight battle all afternoon. Both teams traded goals in the opening three minutes. After Utah scored twice in the first five minutes of the second period, Seattle responded with two goals in the final five minutes of the middle frame. It was a tied game until the Mammoth scored three times in the final five and a half minutes of regulation. Utah’s ability to withstand the momentum waves was critical in the win, especially since Seattle continued to push with plenty of pressure.
“We talked about coming into the third and getting back to our game and we did that,” Crouse explained. “There were parts throughout the game that we didn’t love, but came away with a big two points.”
“I think as the year’s gone on, we’ve gotten in situations where we’re not panicking,” Schmidt said. “We’re a little bit more poised with pucks late in games. I think it’s something you have to have, and something that as you grow as a team, that’s got to be something that grows with you, right? I think that was a really big part of today’s game … that’s the way you want to finish it off.”
Utah scored its first shorthanded goal since Dec. 5, 2025, and the tally was the result of hard work from several of the Mammoth’s top penalty killers. Stenlund’s fourth goal of the season tied the game, 1-1, shortly after the Kraken opened the scoring. This goal was key to turn momentum around for the home team who were down a goal and shorthanded against one of the league’s best power play units. In addition to scoring shorthanded, the Mammoth’s penalty kill went 3-for-3 and held the Kraken to just one shot on the power play.
“Huge,” Tourigny said of the penalty kill. “The moment they scored the goal in the PK, it wasn’t just scoring a goal on the PK. At that moment, we were a little bit on our heels, to say the least. The kill of the five-on-three was absolutely huge.”
The Mammoth will wrap up a seven-game homestand on Wednesday when Utah hosts the Philadelphia Flyers. Tickets are available here!
