In front of an excited home crowd inside a newly renovated Delta Center, the Utah Mammoth defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 for their first win of the preseason.
“Great job by (Vaněček),” Utah Mammoth head coach André Tourigny said postgame. “I think (he) was rock solid, gave us the opportunity to win. I like the way we played in the PK. I liked the way we’re mature at the end of the game. Obviously there’s still some stuff to clean up, especially on our breakout … but for the rest, we’re happy.”
Vaněček, who signed in the offseason after winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, stole the show by stopping 32 of 33 shots in his Utah debut at Delta Center. The veteran netminder stopped all 13 third period shots, including an impressive sequence where he stopped three consecutive shots on a Kings breakaway late in the third to preserve the Mammoth win.
“(Those) couple shots in the first period always help,” Vaněček said about getting more comfortable throughout the game. “You’re feeling better after that, but the guys helped me. They blocked their shots, then cleared the pucks so that’s a big help for me.”
In addition to the win, Utah played its first game of the year in the renovated Delta Center. The building’s energy was palpable from warmups until the final whistle. Whether it was a big save by Vaněček, a successful penalty kill, or a close chance, the fans kept the building loud. When the Mammoth scored, Delta Center shook from excitement.
“I was looking forward to that all day,” Crouse smiled when he discussed the goal celebrations. “A lot of the returning guys were.”
“We cannot wait to play a (regular) season game,” Tourigny smiled. “But at the same time, we need to remain focused on the task at hand and we’re not there yet. We’re getting close to (being) ready, we hope to have at least one guy back (from injury) next game, so that will keep improving our lineup and our chemistry.”
Mammoth center Kevin Stenlund had a strong night and opened the scoring on a redirection off a Lawson Crouse pass that beat LA’s goaltender, Anton Forsberg, five-hole. Kailer Yamamoto picked up a secondary assist on the play.
Early in the second period, the Kings tied the game, 1-1. A miscue by defenseman Nate Schmidt trying to clear the puck led to a turnover and Samuel Helenius got the puck to Alex Turcotte who quickly shot and scored.
Three minutes later, the Mammoth responded. The play started on the far end. John Marino took his time with his pass to Mikhail Sergachev, and then Sergachev passed back to Marino in the neutral zone. Marino found Crouse as the team entered the offensive zone. Crouse’s shot above the left circle got through Forsberg and increased the Mammoth’s lead to 2-1.
In the second half of the middle frame, the team experienced some penalty trouble. With 46 seconds left on Nick DeSimone’s hooking penalty, Nate Schmidt was called for hooking as well. However, the penalty kill delivered, as it has the entire preseason. Marino, Stenlund, and Sergachev kept the Kings from scoring and got a huge clear which led to fresh players on the ice. Utah also killed off both penalties and gained confidence from the kill’s success.
The Mammoth defended its 2-1 lead throughout the third period and secured its first win of the preseason. Following the win, Associate Captain Lawson Crouse shared what he saw out of the group, especially during the third period with the lead.
“Urgency, I think being comfortable with the lead with five minutes left,” Crouse reflected. “This maturity of the group. They put some pressure on us, but we believed in each other and got the job.”
Tourigny gave the coaching perspective following the game and shared how strategy changes in the final minutes depending on the score.
“The balance with the puck,” Tourigny shared. “Balance between keep playing, keep making plays, but you need to go higher in your percentage. When you chase the game, you will try more plays. When the game is even, you’re careful. But when you lead, it has to be even higher. You need to make sure of every decision (to not cause) any offense for the other team.
“On 50-50 battles, on the loose puck battles, you need to get on the right side,” Tourigny continued. “That’s the part where we were not as good as we will be moving forward. That’s what it’s all about.”
Utah will have one final preseason game on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks. It’ll be the team’s last opportunity to work on chemistry and systems before the 2025-26 season starts in Colorado on Oct. 9.
Additional Notes from Tonight’s Game
Tonight was the first time Utah has played a significant NHL roster in preseason. As these players develop chemistry between lines and defensive pairings, their connectedness will grow.
“That’s the first time those guys played together, we spread the lineup all the time (in preseason),” Tourigny explained. “I think we need some time still, but I think it was a step in the right direction.”
The penalty kill continues to shine for the Mammoth. Utah has killed off 18 of its 20 penalties this preseason and looks in mid-season form when the team is a man-down. Following the game, Crouse discussed what elements have helped the team find success quickly on the PK.
“I think attention to detail and we’re trying to do whatever we can to kill the clock,” Crouse shared. “When your goaltender (is) your best PK, it makes it easier on everyone, and just an incredible job by everyone.”
