Hockey is back.
The Utah Mammoth kicked off their preseason with a double-header on Sunday, facing the Colorado Avalanche twice in one night with a pair of split-squad games.
Split-squad games are a way for more players to be able to compete in the preseason. The teams use completely different rosters for the two games, and in this case, they were played in different buildings in the same city.
Travel delays caused the start times for both games to be pushed back. The visiting Mammoth may have been disrupted by the switch, as they dropped the first game 5-1 and 3-2 in the second.
Here’s an overview of Sunday night’s action.
Mammoth hockey for dummies
Why did most of the top players not play?
Preseason games serve three main purposes: development, evaluation and practice.
For fringe players — the young guys and those who are teetering between the NHL and the AHL — the first two of those objectives can help them a lot. For the veterans, these games are mainly to get back into the swing of things.
Typically, the more established players don’t see preseason ice until the last few games — and they especially don’t play road games if they don’t have to.
That being said, there is a minimum number of veterans a team must dress in each preseason game: eight. But the qualifications for what counts as a “veteran” are pretty meager.
As the Mammoth’s preseason continues, and especially in the upcoming home games, you’ll see more of the Clayton Keller, Mikhail Sergachev-type guys.
Mammoth hockey for casual fans
Colorado’s stars came to play in game one
Although most of the top players didn’t participate, the recently crowned best defenseman in the world, Cale Makar, did — and it showed.
The 26-year-old, fresh off his second Norris Trophy win, tallied a pair of assists in the first game, lifting the Avalanche to victory. And he’s just as good in the defensive zone, where he rarely lets the world’s best forwards get by him, never mind the borderline NHL players you see in preliminary preseason games.
Gavin Brindley, whom the Avs acquired in an offseason trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, also had a solid showing with two goals, including the eventual game-winner. Calder Cup champion Tristen Nielsen matched with a pair of goals and Stanley Cup champion Valeri Nichushkin notched three assists.
Game one was a lopsided affair, but that’s expected when one team brings Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog, while the other team’s best players are John Marino and Michael Carcone.
Mammoth hockey for nerds
Utah’s young stars looked good, as a whole
While the results of these games don’t matter, their contents do. You want your players to look confident and prepared — which was the case for some of the Mammoth’s young stars.
Tij Iginla graced the top line in game one. He didn’t get on the score sheet, but he did have a number of scoring chances. While his small-ish frame still allows him to be pushed around, he didn’t look out of place at all.
Similarly, Cole Beaudoin seemed to be right where he belonged in the first game. He’s the opposite of Iginla in the sense that he’s as big and strong as anyone, but his skills and hockey sense aren’t quite as fine-tuned. That being said, he shows incredible potential defensively. On a Stanley Cup-winning team, he has the potential to be a perfect 3C.
Maveric Lamoureux struggled at the Rookie showcase, and he didn’t seem much better in game one on Sunday. The problem is his decision-making. Either he second-guesses himself or he makes the wrong decision under pressure. The good news for Mammoth fans is that these are coachable things. He might not make the team out of camp, but that doesn’t mean he won’t become a permanent NHL player.
It should come as no surprise that Logan Cooley had a great showing in game two. He played with incredible pace — dare I say Connor McDavid-like? Of course, he should dominate when the other team is largely comprised of non-NHL players, but it was a great sign for Mammoth fans nonetheless.
Daniil But has received a fair amount of criticism recently, but he showed on Sunday why he was such a high pick. He scored what might be the nicest goal of the preseason so far, roofing one on Trent Miner. He still has a long ways to go, but don’t forget how good he can be.
Dmitri Simashev looks NHL-ready. Time after time, he looked like his house mate, Mikhail Sergachev. At one point in the second period, for example, he made a nice move to knock the puck away from Josh Manson, an experienced top-four defenseman. The puck bounced to a teammate and Simashev had the wherewithal to join the rush, making it a 3-on-1 for the Mammoth.
Don’t be surprised if he beats someone out for a job out of camp.
One more note
Logan Cooley could be injured
Midway through the final period of the day, Zakhar Bardakov, whom the Avalanche signed out of the KHL this spring, caught Logan Cooley with a hit from behind (highly illegal, for those who are new to hockey).
Cooley went to the locker room shortly thereafter. It’s possible that the team just wanted to protect one of their most important players in a meaningless game, but it’s also possible that there’s a legitimate injury there.
That’s one of the problems with preseason games. Some guys are fighting for their livelihoods and others are just trying to get a good sweat. When you mix the two, it can be dangerous for the latter. Last preseason saw injuries to the likes of Drew Doughty and Patrik Laine.
There’s probably no good solution to this problem, but teams do need to make it clear to their non-NHL players that dirty plays are unacceptable — and the NHL Department of Player Safety should do the same.
The “code” in hockey dictates that a cheap shot warrants a beating. It happened in game one when Sam Lipkin caught Cale Makar with an elbow to the head, and Lawson Crouse made sure it happened again after Bardakov’s hit on Cooley.
What’s next?
The Mammoth are back in action on Monday with a trip to California. They’ll take on the Anaheim Ducks at 8 p.m. MDT.