After a sluggish preseason opener, the Utah Mammoth responded with pace, physicality and resilience in a convincing 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
The Utah Mammoth looked much more like themselves Tuesday night.
After a slower start in their preseason opener, Utah brought a different level of pace, physicality and urgency against the Los Angeles Kings. The Mammoth pressured the puck, played with purpose and repeatedly found answers whenever Los Angeles threatened to shift the momentum.
The result was a 6-3 victory and Utah's first win of the preseason.
“I really (liked) our pace,” head coach André Tourigny told reporters after the game. “I think we were, like I said, we went at them. We were aggressive, we didn't give them a chance to execute.”
That pressure was noticeable throughout the game. Utah finished with a 35-22 advantage in shots and won 57.1% of its faceoffs, forcing the Kings to spend much of the night defending rather than establishing sustained offensive pressure.
Still, the Mammoth had to navigate several momentum swings.
Los Angeles cut Utah's lead to one early in the second period, but Nick Schmaltz quickly restored the two-goal cushion with his first goal of the preseason. The Kings pulled within one again early in the third, only for Liam O'Brien to answer and put Utah back ahead by two.
For Tourigny, the way his team handled those moments was just as important as the final score.
“Could have (been) more stingy when we took the lead, but it's training camp hockey,” Tourigny said. “It's a lot to ask. We'll review that, but really like the mindset. Guys wanted to do the right thing and we (applied) a lot of pressure. There's a lot of (positives).”
The Mammoth received offensive contributions throughout the lineup, with 11 players recording at least one point. Anders Lee led the way with two goals, while Daniil But, Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Liam O'Brien each found the net.
But continued to draw attention in his second preseason appearance. The young forward opened the scoring in the first period and later helped create Lee's second goal, giving Tourigny another opportunity to evaluate him against NHL competition.
“I’m happy about the response of (Daniil But),” Tourigny said. “I think (But) had a good night. Simpler, more direct, did a good job with those guys."
Tourigny also liked what he saw from several players throughout the lineup.
Yegor Borikov earned another positive review from his coach, who described his performance as solid. Tomas Lavoie also stood out on the blue line, while MacKenzie Weegar and Liam O'Brien were among the other players Tourigny highlighted.
“Really think Lavoie had a really good night,” Tourigny said.
Weegar made an especially strong impression on his coach.
“(MacKenzie Weegar) was a beast out there,” Tourigny said.
Andrew Peeke was another defenseman who made his presence felt.
Tourigny had spoken before the game about what Peeke could bring to Utah's blue line, and the defenseman's physical approach showed up against Los Angeles.
“Really like the game of Peeke,” Tourigny said. “Get under their skin, it was physical. There were a lot to like.”
The Mammoth's defensive play as a whole also reflected the aggressive style Tourigny wanted to see.
Rather than sitting back and allowing Los Angeles time to organize its attack, Utah's defensemen consistently stepped up the ice and challenged the Kings earlier in possessions.
“I think I'll give an example, our D,” Tourigny said. “They were really up the ice and really tight gap surfing a lot and not giving time and space to get organized.”
That pressure helped Utah control the flow of the game for long stretches.
Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves on 22 shots while playing all but eight seconds in net. Utah also went 1-for-4 on the power play and held Los Angeles to one goal on four opportunities.
The emotion on the bench was another aspect Tourigny appreciated.
Preseason games do not carry the same stakes as regular-season contests, but the Mammoth played with enough edge and urgency to make the game feel meaningful.
“If you like what you're doing, you're doing it right,” Tourigny said. “You have kind of a fun, you have emotion, you have pride in what you're doing.”
Tourigny also liked the way his players remained engaged from the bench.
“I like the presence of the guy on the bench,” he said. “I think they were into that game. They were focused. They played with urgency.”
For Utah, the performance represented a meaningful step forward from its preseason opener.
There are still things to clean up, particularly when protecting leads, but the Mammoth showed more of the pace, pressure and physicality that Tourigny wants to establish as part of their identity.
The preseason is still young, but Tuesday's performance gave Utah plenty to build on as the Mammoth return to action Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.
