André Tourigny explained how costly mistakes and a slow start ultimately doomed the Utah Mammoth in their 4-1 preseason loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
For two periods, the Utah Mammoth looked like the team in control.
They dictated possession, spent long stretches with the puck and largely kept the Colorado Avalanche from generating much offensively. But a sluggish opening period and a handful of avoidable mistakes eventually caught up with Utah, turning a competitive preseason game into a 4-1 loss Sunday night at Ball Arena.
For head coach André Tourigny, the result offered a useful reminder of where his team stands this early in the preseason. The effort improved as the night went on, particularly in the third period, but Utah is still learning how to eliminate the kinds of mistakes that can be harmless in practice and costly once another NHL team is waiting to capitalize.
“I think we didn't play with pace,” Tourigny told reporters. “We were slow (to react).”
The Mammoth found another gear after the first period, and Yegor Borikov provided Utah's lone goal of the night. Tourigny also pointed to the work of Vincent Trocheck at the faceoff dot and praised the third-period performance of Gabriel Smith's line, which he felt controlled play while maintaining possession and creating chances.
The biggest lesson for the young, Mammoth, however, was committing costly mistakes that turned into opportunities for the opposing team.
“You play, you practice all summer without consequence,” Tourigny said. “You make a mistake, it doesn't matter. Now you're making a mistake, the other team puts the puck in the back of the net.”
That difference is one the Mammoth will have to learn quickly as the preseason progresses. Tourigny believes the solution is less about eliminating every mistake and more about understanding the urgency that comes with making one once the games begin to count.
“So now you need to reprogram your brain and say, OK, there’s urgency on the mistake and urgency in playing the game the right way and not guessing and not taking any risk and having that worst-case scenario mentality,” Tourigny continued
For all the mistakes that ultimately proved costly, Tourigny saw plenty worth building on. Utah responded after its slow opening period, improved its pace and structure and continued to push back against an Avalanche team that had plenty of NHL experience in its lineup.
“I like the effort the guys did to get back at it,” Tourigny said. “I like the fact we played better after the first period.”
Borikov was among those who stood out to Tourigny, and not simply because he scored Utah’s lone goal. The Mammoth head coach liked the way Borikov handled the puck and controlled the pace of his shifts, giving Utah another positive to take from an otherwise frustrating result.
“I really like the game of Borikov,” Tourigny said. “I think he played a solid game, not just his goal.”
The Mammoth get another chance on Tuesday when they square off against the Los Angeles Kings on the road from Crypto.com Arena. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. local time.
