The Utah Mammoth are heading into Week 2 with momentum, but not without a few reminders of how quickly an NHL week can swing.
Utah opened the regular season 2-1-0, rolling past the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0 and the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 before dropping a 4-2 decision to the New York Rangers in the back half of a back-to-back. That Rangers game also brought a familiar face back to New York, as center Vincent Trocheck returned Sunday night and was honored with a first-period video tribute by the Rangers.
There was more milestone hardware in the opener stretch, too. Captain Clayton Keller reached 600 career NHL points on Saturday, and linemate Nick Schmaltz matched him with the 500-point mark in the same game.
Schmaltz has been Utah’s biggest early-season finisher, leading the club with four goals, while Dylan Guenther sits right behind with three. Five other Utah skaters have scored once, giving the Mammoth seven goal scorers through their first two games.
Goaltender Sebastian Cossa also logged a notable first on Saturday against Columbus, making his first NHL start and earning his second career NHL win after stopping 17 of 18 shots.
Special teams have been the early calling card. Utah’s power play is humming at 66.7 percent, while the penalty kill is perfect at 100 percent. The Mammoth are one of six teams yet to allow a power-play goal this season, and both units sit first in the NHL entering the week.
Now comes a three-game road swing to close out a five-game trip. Utah starts Tuesday in New Jersey, then heads to Boston on Thursday before finishing the week in Buffalo on Saturday.
The Boston matchup is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season, with the rematch set for Jan. 23 in Boston. The Bruins come in at 2-1-0 after opening with a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers, then beating the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime before falling 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild.
Boston has gotten goals from seven different players already, and former Mammoth forward JJ Peterka leads the way with two. Through three games, he’s averaging the second highest ice time out of all forwards.
When Utah arrives, Boston will be in the second game of its week and the second stop on a three-game homestand.
The trip wraps in Buffalo, where the Mammoth will see the Sabres for the first time this season. Buffalo split its first two games last week, losing 6-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets before bouncing back with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Jack Quinn leads the Sabres with two goals, while Owen Power’s three assists give him a team-best three points. Buffalo has six skaters who have scored through two games.
That meeting will also close out Buffalo’s week, making it the Sabres’ final game and the third of a four-game homestand.
In Other News...
Mikhail Sergachev's Status Suddenly Matters A Lot For Utah's Defense
Utah left New Jersey with a 5-3 win and a useful reminder of how much different the defense looks when Mikhail Sergachev is driving the play. Nick Schmaltz scored his fifth goal of the season, Sergachev picked up three assists and the Mammoth had enough offense to outlast the Devils, a result that should have been more about the standings than the blue line.
Instead, the bigger concern came late in the second period, when Sergachev exited after absorbing a puck and his status was left uncertain. With other injuries already thinning Utahs defense, any absence from one of its most important puck movers would ripple quickly, and it is the kind of situation that naturally leads to questions about whether the team might need outside help if the timeline stretches out. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Power Play Is Suddenly Making The Central Take Notice
Utah keeps looking like a team the Central Division may have to take seriously, and the latest proof came in a 5-3 win over the Devils that pushed the Mammoth to 3-1. Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller drove the offense again, but the more notable development for opponents has been how dangerous Utah has become with the man advantage, converting 8 of 13 power-play chances this season.
The night also brought mixed feelings around Mikhail Sergachev, who picked up a career milestone while the game was unfolding. He was involved in the offense before leaving after an injury, adding a reminder that Utahs early-season surge has come with at least a little concern attached as the club waits to see how its defenseman responds. [Read more 🡒]
Roadrunners Take Early Frustration Into A Defining First Road Test
The Tucson Roadrunners head into their first road games of the season this weekend with a chance to reset the early tone of their schedule, visiting the San Jose Barracuda on Friday and Saturday. After a stretch that has already given the team some early frustration, Tucson has also seen a few encouraging signs from its younger group, with rookies beginning to chip in and some of the familiar contributors from last season again carrying weight in the lineup.
San Jose should provide a stern test after a recent overtime win, especially with the Barracuda in the middle of a six-game homestand and looking to keep momentum at home. For Tucson, the question is less about survival on the road than whether this trip can start to reveal a clearer identity, one shaped by the blend of first-year players trying to find their footing and established pieces expected to set the pace. [Read more 🡒]