Forward Kailer Yamamoto brought a boost to the Mammoth as he scored in his season debut and finished the night with two points (1G, 1A). In addition to playing on a line with Anders Lee and Barrett Hayton, Yamamoto was on Utah’s second power play unit. He discussed how his line was able to click and make an impact following the win.
“I think our forecheck,” Yamamoto said about his line. “(Lee and Hayton) they work so hard. They get so many pucks back. I don’t know if they lost a battle in a corner tonight. So, they’re super easy to read off of. Obviously they’re very easy to read off when they always have the puck too, so it was nice.”
Defenseman John Marino also had a two point night (1G, 1A) and made some highlight reel plays, including his primary assist on Anders Lee’s tally in the second period. Lee’s goal late in the second period extended the Mammoth’s lead.
“I kept waiting for him to shoot it,” Lee smiled. “But he made his moves around, and a great poke to get it down to me. But I think tonight, (Marino) plays with such poise. He’s not (a) flashy guy, but he’s always making a smart play, defensively in breakouts, and that’s the kind of stuff that is so big for our group. I think just for him to get a nice little bomb from the top and get one to go is great. He had a great night.”
“(Marino) is a guy who has a lot of upside,” Tourigny said. “He reads the game like no one; his IQ is through the roof. I think when he’s engaged like he’s been tonight, he’s physical, moves his feet, skates with the puck, he’s an elite player.”
Utah’s power play got back on the board with goals from Nick Schmaltz and Marino. Schmaltz’s six goals are tied for the league’s lead, and tonight’s power play tally was his fourth on the man-advantage this season.
“I liked our power play, showed character,” Tourigny said. “They were not really good last game, we know that, but they did not let that affect their game. They played tonight with quickness; they attacked, they were confident. I really liked the way they played.”
Utah’s bench has kept a calm confidence throughout games, which has allowed the team to stay even keeled. The Mammoth were eager to bounce back with tonight’s game, and the composure on the bench helped in that regard.
“I think it was great,” Yamamoto said of the calmness on the bench. “I think last game was just an off game. Showed a lot of poise on the bench. That’s how we normally play, so I’m very confident in this group. Yeah, we showed it tonight.”
“I think we had a nice confidence, and especially in response to the other night,” Lee said of the team’s calmness. “There was a lot on the plate here for us to go out and accomplish on a tough road game at the end of a long trip. So, proud of the boys and their efforts, and everyone showed up from (Karel Vejmelka) on out.”
It was a challenging road trip as Utah traveled to five different opponents, and played six games in the first 10 nights of the season. However, ending the trip with a strong team performance was a significant accomplishment.
“It’s huge,” Tourigny said of the road trip. “We’re 4-2. We played five of our six games on the road, so that is pretty good. After a long road trip, coming back home, it’s always challenging. So, it’s important. We want to be a really good team, so you need to win games, and it’s a huge difference that game at the end of a road trip. You go back home, 4-2 instead of (3-3).”
“This early in the year, when everyone’s getting their feet under them, and we played in a lot of tough buildings with some good hockey teams, it’s a good trip,” Lee explained. “Now we have an opportunity to go home, get some rest over the weekend, and get in front of our fans again this coming week, so we’re pumped about that.”