Anyone watching the Mammoth could see that Karel Vejmelka was sharp and focused while playing some of his best hockey of the season in Utah's 4-1 win over the Red Wings. 

After all, collecting 29 consecutive saves while only allowing a single goal to Dylan Larkin (keep in mind this was with a two-man advantage) is the kind of performance any team dreams of seeing from its goalie. 

But what nobody knew was that  Vejmelka was playing extra motivation in this game. 

As Vejmelka was interviewed on the ice, in front of the Delta Center crowd, he revealed that this performance was dedicated was to his Uncle, who had sadly passed away earlier in the week. 

"Yeah, he was a big, big, sport. You know, he played tennis very well for a long time, so he taught me a lot," said Vejmelka. "He was a great human being. This game was for him and I obviously performed for him tonight."

No one was surprised to see Vejmelka play a great game. He has played exceptionally this year, racking up a league-leading 27 wins on the season all while playing often- specifically playing in 44 games, tied for first in the NHL. 

But with the desire to play well for family, Vejmelka truly put on a performance that commemorates his uncle well. 

Now with Vejmelka on his way to Olympics to represent his home-country Czechia, it will come as no shock to see him continue to play well. 

What's better than playing for both your country and your family? 

There may be a few more games of the NHL before the Olympics, but for the Mammoth, a well-deserved break came a day early. 

And it finished on a high note too. Utah got a win over a top Eastern Conference team in Detroit and the game wasn't particularly close. 

It was also an important win because Utah's last three losses came against tough foes in Tampa Bay, Carolina and Dallas. Losses against top teams was not going to become a trend for this Mammoth team. 

If not for Larkin stealing a rebound late in the third and putting the puck in the net, this very well could have been Vejmelka's second shootout of the season.

But shootout win or not, Utah showed that it's comfortable hanging with top teams and can even win big against them.

“It's great. I think heading into the break while getting a couple wins, makes you feel good," said Guenther. "It lets you relax a little bit. It's not in the back of your head. So I'm just happy we got those two wins. And it's nice to take the time off.” 

Utah heads into the break in great position: as the top Wild Card team in Western Conference.

"More importantly, we challenged ourselves to say ‘hey, you win that game, you finish before the break in a playoff spot," said André Tourigny. "You lose, you may not.’ That was an important one for us."

For now, the final stretch of the NHL can wait as players shift their focus into the break or the even the Olympics for Vejmelka, Clayton Keller, JJ Peterka and Olli Määttä, who are all representing their respective countries in Milano Cortina. 

But when a team like the Mammoth is hungry for a playoff spot, simply playing into the break strong won't finish the job. It will need to stay focused even without any games to play. 

“I think just go have a good break, but stay in shape, while also taking advantage of this time," said Guenther. "We played well coming back last year, but not good enough. St. Louis was hot, and a lot of teams are going to come out flying. So we need to make sure that we're ready to go in the first game.”