Utah gets a quick rematch of sorts on Thursday night, and the timing could hardly be sharper.
After seeing elite talent from Toronto just two days ago, the Mammoth are back in the fire against another heavyweight attack in Edmonton. This one begins a home-and-home, with the Oilers visiting Salt Lake City again on Saturday after Thursday’s game at Rogers Place.
For Utah, the message is clear: what happened against the Maple Leafs needs to carry over. The Mammoth already had a full morning skate before facing Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and an Edmonton team that has started the season 5-0-1.
“I think some things we have to improve on are how we play against other team’s top players, so really no better test than tonight,” forward Dylan Guenther said. “Playing back to back games (against Edmonton), make sure we send the right message on the first one.”
Head coach André Tourigny pointed back to the Toronto game as a blueprint for what Utah wants to clean up.
“Auston (Matthews’) line played a really, really good game against us, give them a lot of credit,” Tourigny said. “But we would like to defend a little bit differently and having some physicality and cutting a little bit more time and space. That’s something we learned from Toronto.”
Edmonton has arrived rolling, and Tourigny said the Oilers have made a point of bringing more structure and bite this season.
“Edmonton, they’ve taken a lot of pride since the start of the season to have more depth and to check really hard and play good defense,” Tourigny explained. “You can see in the pre-scout that the pride they take in checking the body, and getting into the body, and slowing down opponents. So, it will be a good challenge.”
Guenther also has a personal layer to this one. He’s back in Edmonton, where he grew up and where he played junior hockey for the Oil Kings on the same ice he’ll skate on Thursday.
"It's cool,” Guenther shared. “I grew up watching a lot of these guys.
(It's) a little different being on the other side but always fun. I think to play in front of family and friends is always really special, so you always kinda look forward for this one."
Utah enters at 5-2-0 and has won its last two games. The Mammoth split a five-game road trip at 3-2-0, then returned home and edged the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-4. Daniil But, Vincent Trocheck, Mikhail Sergachev on the power play, Guenther and MacKenzie Weegar all scored, and Karel Vejmelka made 22 saves on 26 shots.
The early numbers have Utah near the top of the league in several spots. The power play is second in the NHL at 34.5 percent, the club’s faceoff win rate sits seventh at 52.5 percent, and the Mammoth are scoring 3.86 goals per game, fifth-best in the league, while allowing 2.71, which ranks ninth-fewest.
Nick Schmaltz leads Utah with six goals. He’s also tied with captain Clayton Keller and Sergachev for the team lead with nine points, while Keller’s eight assists pace the club.
In goal, Vejmelka and Sebastian Cossa form the tandem. Vejmelka is 4-1-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average, a .895 save percentage and one shutout.
Cossa has appeared in two games and is 1-1-0 with a 3.16 goals-against average and a .852 save percentage.
Thursday is the second of three games for Utah this week, and after this one the Mammoth return home for a two-game homestand against Edmonton on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Edmonton comes in with momentum of its own. The Oilers are 5-0-1, have won five straight, and just finished a three-game trip through California in which they outscored opponents 12-4.
Their latest win was a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, with McDavid posting a 1-goal, 3-assist night, Vasily Podkolzin scoring twice, and Draisaitl adding a goal and an assist. Devon Levi turned aside 39 of 40 shots.
The Oilers are tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the most goals per game at 4.83. They also rank eighth in faceoff percentage at 52.4 and seventh on the power play at 23.8 percent.
Podkolzin leads Edmonton with seven goals, while McDavid is the team leader in assists with 13 and points with 17. Evan Bouchard is right behind him in the scoring race with six goals, eight assists and 14 points. In net, Levi is 4-0-0 with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage, while Tristan Jarry is 1-0-1 with a 3.46 goals-against average and a .837 save percentage.
This is the first meeting of three between the teams and the first of two in Canada. The season series continues Saturday in Salt Lake City, with another matchup set for Dec. 19 back in Utah.
The game also comes with a few milestone watches around the roster and front office. Bill Armstrong is one win away from 200 career NHL wins.
Dylan Guenther is four assists from 100, five goals from 100 and eight points from 200. Barrett Hayton is five assists shy of 100.
Vincent Trocheck is seven assists away from 400. Andrew Peeke needs seven games for 400 career NHL games, Kevin Stenlund is eight points from 100, and Clayton Keller is 10 games away from 700.
By the numbers, Utah’s shot profile stands out. The Mammoth are averaging 31.3 shots per game, fourth in the NHL, while holding opponents to 23 shots per game, second in the league.
Edmonton is averaging 25 shots per game, 24th, and allowing 26, 12th. The Oilers’ 10 first-period goals are tied with the Washington Capitals and Seattle Kraken for the most in the NHL, while Utah’s 13 second-period goals rank third.
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