A Disappointing Loss for the Utah Mammoth

After a 7-2 victory on Long Island on New Year’s Day, fans of the Utah Mammoth were optimistic that their team could go the entire year of 2026 without a loss. That hope was short-lived.

The Mammoth fell 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, marking their fourth consecutive loss against the Devils in franchise history. After the game, Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi expressed his frustration, stating, “Clearly not good enough. We shouldn’t be happy about that.”

Quick Catchup

New Jersey Devils: 4

Utah Mammoth: 1

Despite being the fifth-lowest-scoring team in the NHL, the Devils showcased a balanced offensive attack. Before the game, there was a three-way tie for the team’s goal-scoring lead, with no player exceeding 11 goals this season. For context, that’s tied with the St. Louis Blues for the fewest goals scored by a team’s leading scorer.

On Saturday, the Devils’ top scorers moved up together. Timo Meier and Nico Hischier, who were tied for the lead, both found the back of the net, as did Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton, who are close behind. The Devils scored consecutively, putting the Mammoth down 4-0 before the end of the second period.

Michael Carcone managed to spoil Jacob Markström’s shutout with a goal just after a Mammoth power play expired, but it wasn’t enough to secure a comeback win.

“Puck management early in the game cost us a lot,” said Mammoth head coach André Tourigny. “It’s a team with a tight gap, and we tried to play in front of them and we paid for it. And then, when we were trailing, they played good defense. We had good opportunities, but we could not bury it.”

Tidbits and Takeaways

Finding Consistency

The only consistent thing about the Mammoth this season is how often the word “consistency” has come up. Since their seven-game win streak ended in late October, they haven’t been able to win more than two games in a row.

Their recent 7-2 win against the New York Islanders was a morale booster, but it didn’t matter much when they lost by three the next game. Durzi echoed the team’s sentiment in his postgame interview, saying, “We’ve got to try to get on a run here. We can’t have one good game and then one bad game. We’ve got to string together a lot of good ones.”

Durzi, like many of his teammates after previous losses, defended the team’s decision-makers, who have faced criticism from the fan base this season. “There’s a lot of heart in our room. There’s a lot of character. We’re wanting it. There’s no separation within the group. There’s no pointing fingers. We’re owning it, and we know we’ve got to be better. We have the right leadership, we just have to do it — and that’s what it comes down to.”

Unlocking Daniil But

When I was six years old, the Vancouver Canucks traded Todd Bertuzzi to the Florida Panthers. At the time, I didn’t fully understand his impact, but I do know how much the market has longed for a player like him since.

Bertuzzi was a physical presence at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. He was known for his ability to bully his way to the front of the net and for his aggressive style of play. The Canucks have been searching for “the next Todd Bertuzzi” ever since, trying players like Zack Kassian, Jake Virtanen, and others, but none have matched his dominance.

The Todd Bertuzzi archetype is rare in today’s NHL, with only Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres coming close. However, the Mammoth have a player with potential to grow into that role: Daniil But.

But displayed his rhino-like characteristics against the Devils, as he has done multiple times this season in both the NHL and AHL. In this particular instance, two minutes into the game, he intercepted the puck in the neutral zone, chipped it past the defender, took a few hard strides, and powered his way to the front of the net.

Aside from Carcone’s goal, it was Utah’s best scoring chance of the game, and it came from nothing but hard work. But has the size and scoring ability of a Bertuzzi-type player. His offensive numbers haven’t been there yet, but he gets as many scoring chances as anyone. Once he fully adjusts to the NHL level, the goals will come.

The only thing he needs to add now is the meanness. He’s a really nice person, so maybe it’s a lot to ask — but even if he can throw the occasional big hit or drop the gloves here and there, his ceiling will be much higher than 6-foot-6.

Goal of the Game

Michael Carcone Strikes After the Power Play

Utah’s second power play unit has been performing well in recent weeks. Carcone’s goal happened just after the Mammoth’s power play had expired, so it won’t count on their record, but for all intents and purposes, that’s exactly what it was.

PP2 is still hot.