Don’t look now, but the Utah Mammoth are on a three-game win streak.
This home stand has been circled on the calendar for months as a time when the Mammoth have the advantage. They’re at home for seven straight games, including two against divisional opponents. If there’s ever a time to make major progress on locking down a playoff spot, it’s now.
The Mammoth’s 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday elevated Utah into the second wild card spot in the NHL’s Western Conference. All of their counterparts have games in hand, so now is not the time to let off the gas pedal.
That being said, Mammoth head coach André Tourigny says it’s still too early to be watching the standings.
“OK, we won two games. It doesn’t mean anything,” he said after the game. “I think we had our lesson early on. You need to win a lot of games if you want to make the playoffs. Not two games will tip the scale enough.”
Quick catchup
Utah Mammoth: 4
St. Louis Blues: 2
This was one of Utah’s chippier games of the season: Two fights, 42 hits and 42 penalty minutes between the two teams. It was the third meeting between the Mammoth and the Blues this season, and it became clear early that they don’t like each other.
“St. Louis is a team who plays physical,” Tourigny said. “You saw the playoffs last year. Their first round against Winnipeg, that’s the way they can play. So, we’re capable of playing that kind of game, we’re capable of answering the bell, and I think the guys did a good job.”
Utah opened the scoring 15 minutes in with a goal from Nick Schmaltz. He added another in the third period, but not before an evenly fought second period that saw two goals for each team.
Clayton Keller assisted on both of Schmaltz’s goals and added another helper when Lawson Crouse scored. That’s Keller’s fifth game this season with three points or more.
For context, last year was the most productive of his career and he had six three-plus-point games — and there’s still nearly half a season to go in 2026.
Next up for the Mammoth are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Tidbits and takeaways
The code
Hockey players treat their teammates like family, and if you’ve seen The Fast and the Furious movies, you’ll understand how they protect their families.
The last time the Mammoth and Blues met, Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko got a major penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Logan Cooley. Because Toropchenko got kicked out of the game, the Mammoth didn’t have the chance to respond.
Until Friday.
Right off the opening face-off, Jack McBain threw his gloves down — as did Toropchenko, who knew he had a bell to answer.
Toropchenko is a big guy, but this was only the third fight of his NHL career (McBain has that many this year alone).
It wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience for Toropchenko.
“We didn’t like the hit on Cools when we were in St. Louis,” Tourigny said. “That’s not the kind of thing that can come from the coach. I didn’t say a word about it, but I think it showed how much guys care for each other.
“I think that’s what it is, and I’m not saying it has to happen, I’m saying I didn’t mind it happening. Tell me how Logan Cooley feels right now. Seriously. Put yourself in his shoes: My teammate has my back.”
The game’s other fight was similar, but with reversed roles. Brandon Tanev threw a hard hit on 21-year-old budding star Jimmy Snuggerud, partially catching him in the head.
Blues captain Brayden Schenn, who has never been described as “soft,” used his fists to let Tanev know how he felt about it.
Some people disagree with fighting in hockey and others love it, but regardless of how you feel, it does make the rest of the game safer.
If you know you’ll have to answer to McBain or Schenn, you’ll think twice about touching Cooley or Snuggerud.
Stars and stripes
No U.S.-born teammates have factored on more goals in NHL history than Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Let that sink in for a second.
They tied and then passed Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat in that column on Friday, though the record could go back and forth a bit, as Kane and DeBrincat still play together with the Detroit Red Wings (they were also teammates with the Chicago Blackhawks for five seasons).
“Feels like we’ve been playing with each other for a long time, so we know where each other are at all times on the ice and always looking for each other,” Schmaltz said.
“It’s been a heck of a ride playing with him, and hopefully we’ve got many more great memories ahead.”
Keller’s efforts over the last couple of seasons were enough to land him on Team USA’s roster for the upcoming Olympics. That was one of his goals, especially after being left off the 4 Nations Face-Off roster last season.
“I’m so excited for that opportunity,” Keller said after morning skate on Friday. “It’s something that I’ve worked tremendously hard for and a dream of mine as a kid.”
Fresh Veggies
Speaking of Olympians, Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka had a big night Friday, too. His victory put him in sole possession of first place in the NHL in wins with 20.
Per the NHL’s stats department, he’s the second Czech goalie to ever lead the league with 20 wins. The first? Every Czech goalie’s idol, Dominik Hašek.
“When I was five, six years old, when I started to play goalie, Hašek was one of my favorite goalies,” Vejmelka said. “Obviously he was one of the best in the NHL already, so it was really fun to watch him. It was a different kind of hockey, obviously, but it was fun to watch him. It was insane what he did.”
It hasn’t been an entirely smooth sailing season for Vejmelka, but the bulk of December and all of January so far have been exactly what Utah’s fans came to expect from him last season — the type of play that earned him his five-year, $23.75 million contract extension.
“He’s been great. He’s played a lot of hockey, but he’s been a backbone all year,” Schmaltz said of Vejmelka. “He makes a lot of big saves when it matters, and hopefully we can get a bunch more wins with him in the net.”
Goal of the game
Sean Durzi strikes again
Off the ice, it hasn’t been an easy time for Sean Durzi, but on the ice, he’s on an absolute roll.
His goal on Friday was his second in the last three games, and he has points in 10 of his last 12. And, remember, he’s a defenseman.
Whether it’s due to confidence, a longer leash or a little bit of both, he has benefited from the ability to float around in the offensive zone.
Lots of the time, defensemen are confined to the space between the blue line and the top of the face-off circles for fear of not being able to get back and defend, but a few times per game, Durzi breaks away from that space — and it’s working out incredibly well for him.
What a pass by Schmaltz, too.