The Utah Mammoth have now made it three wins in a row to kick off the season at the Delta Center with a big 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. In a game where the Mammoth had arguably their toughest opponent in the first three games in Salt Lake City, they handled them well, getting their fourth win of the season.
The game showcased a lot of great connections between players on the team. From the first line to the second line, throughout the game, the Mammoth showed that this team is really gelling well together and that the full potential of the offense is coming. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s game.
Another Big Game From Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz
Friday’s game against the San Jose Sharks was a massive one for the top line of Barrett Hayton, Nick Schmaltz, and Clayton Keller. The trio scored nine points combined, including a hat trick by Schmaltz.
Going into their game against the Bruins, the Mammoth needed their offense to stand tall against a Bruins team that has been better than expected. They needed to match up to an offense that features David Pastrňák, who, with his two goals on Sunday, is up to four goals and eight points in the season.
Little did anyone know that Keller and Schmaltz would put on another show for the crowd at the Delta Center. It started on the power play with some excellent passing from Mikhail Sergachev and Keller. The latter player then fed the puck to Schmaltz, who shot it towards the net. It went over Joonas Korpisalo and hit Logan Cooley on the way in to give the Mammoth the early lead.
The next goal came on four-on-four. Schmaltz used the open ice to his advantage to move all around the Bruins’ zone. Once he got to the front of the net, he found an open Keller, who shot the puck into the empty net for the second Mammoth goal of the game.
These two have been unstoppable 🙌
Schmaltzy sets it up nice for Kells to tie the game, 2-2. pic.twitter.com/YhHDziYGfs
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 20, 2025
In his past two games, Schmaltz now has six points. Keller also has six, which helps negate the poor first four games of the season for him. The connection between the two is insane and is years’ worth of experience of playing on the same line.
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“Chemistry is tough to find in this league, and it takes time to really figure each other out,” Keller said. “It always feels like we know where one another is at.”
Perhaps the recent success has been due to the attendance of Schmaltz’s grandpa, who was at both Friday and Sunday’s games. In the three games he’s attended to watch his grandson, Schmaltz’s grandpa has seen him produce multiple points, including two hat tricks. Maybe it’s a good luck charm.
After not seeing any production from any line except the second, which consists of JJ Peterka, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley, the Mammoth have now witnessed back-to-back games where the top line hasn’t just produced, they’ve controlled the game.
“Any good player, to find another player who thinks like you, who you will know where you are, you know where you will be,” head coach André Tourigny said. “It’s not a matter of talent; it’s just a special chemistry, just something you build over time. We can talk about other duos in the league, where Marchy (Brad Marchand) and Bergeron (Patrice Bergeron), for a long time in Boston, because we’re just playing Boston, and they knew each other, and they knew what to expect. Those kinds of things take time to build, and I think they have that.”
Tourigny is right. To have the type of connection that Schmaltz and Keller have takes special players and time. To be compared to two of the three members of the “Perfection Line” is high praise, but with their play, Keller and Schmaltz deserve it.
Yet Another Game Winner for Dylan Guenther
Guenther ended up scoring the game-winning goal for the Mammoth. What else is new? In all seriousness, the Mammoth’s star player came in clutch once again, helping his team get their fourth win of the season.
Halfway through the third period, Peterka had control of the puck and was outpacing the Bruins defender on his heels. Guenther, meanwhile, slid into his usual spot near the faceoff circle, and Peterka fed him the puck. Unguarded, Guenther unleashed his powerful shot, and there was no stopping it as it beat Korpisalo.
🚨 There’s no stopping that one.
Gunner makes it 3-2, Utah. pic.twitter.com/ZSNUwPCTpL
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 20, 2025
The goal wound up being the game-winning goal, which was Guenther’s eighth in the past 36 games. It leads the NHL in that time span as the two closest players, Cole Caufield and Sidney Crosby, only have six. Funny enough, similar to Schmaltz, Guenther had some family in the crowd, too.
“It only took 25 years (to score in front of my parents), so this might have been the last road trip if I hadn’t gotten one,” Guenther said. “This one is special. Growing up as a kid, you’re always dreaming of playing in the NHL, and getting to score with your family in the stands is pretty cool.”
Besides the crazy stat of Guenther leading the league in game-winning goals in the past 36 games, the goal was also notable for another display of Guenther and Peterka’s connection, which they are forming. While it’s not on the level of Schmaltz and Keller, it has been dynamic in the first couple of games they’ve played with each other, and it’s been noticed.
Dylan Guenther, Utah Hockey Club (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
“I really like the way he (Peterka) responded,” Tourigny said. “He attacked right in from the first shift in the third period, and he attacked with a lot of speed. He (Guenther) elevated this game in the third, and on the winning goal, he had a great reload, great strip, made a good pass, and obviously, Gunner (Dylan Guenther) took a really good shot. I like that line in the third, and the way they responded.”
A valuable connection is definitely growing between the two, and you can throw Cooley into that conversation as well. If it keeps growing and producing like most expect the line to do, the Mammoth will have one of the best top six in the Central Division and perhaps in the Western Conference. With the long-term extensions that the duo just inked (and the one Cooley will sign in the next couple of months), the potential is sky high for the “Youth Line.”
Looking for the Sweep
The 3-2 win over the Bruins is the third win in a row for the Mammoth. All three have been at the Delta Center and, most notably, in the presence of their new mascot, Tusky.
Similar to the games before, the Mammoth had one really bad period. This time, it was the second, just like their game against the Sharks. It was the only period where the team was outshot, and Pastrnak capitalized on an opportunity. Everything looked off.
The final period was where the Mammoth played their best hockey. They dominated, which led to Guenther’s goal.
“We had a good third,” Keller said. “For whatever reason, our second hasn’t been great, but we’ve been able to bounce back and play hard in the third, get back to our style of hockey. I think we did a great job of that tonight.”
Vitek Vaněček looked solid in his second game starting for the Mammoth. It was far better than his first, and he made some massive saves, especially on the Bruins’ power play opportunities, to eventually propel his team to the win.
“V (Vaněček) was unreal all game,” Keller said. “Key saves at the right times, so it’s great to see him get a win here tonight at home. I’m sure that’s a huge confidence booster as well, making great stops and having an unbelievable game like that.”
While all three wins have been over teams that didn’t make the postseason last season, a win is a win, and the Mammoth have three of them to compile a 4-2-0 record to start the season. They’re undefeated at Delta Center, which is a great thing for the Mammoth fanbase.
“We’re trying not to get ahead of ourselves, in the sense that I don’t want to get too excited, but obviously, we’re happy about how it happened so far,” Tourigny said. “We know we have 41 games at home, and we want to take advantage of it. So far, so good.”
The three wins will hopefully spark the Mammoth to remain offensively consistent. Their next four games will all be against Central Division opponents who are seeking to prevent the Mammoth from getting any points.
To beat some of these teams, the top two lines will have to continue producing. However, most importantly, the bottom six will have to start producing. We haven’t seen a lot of offense come from them. It needs to change to beat teams like the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets.
For now, the Mammoth can go into Monday feeling good about themselves and then go into Tuesday looking to complete the sweep of the homestand. Even if they end up losing that game, winning three of the first four games at the Delta Center is a great start to their season.
The Mammoth will next play the Avalanche on Tuesday. The Avalanche are 5-0-1 to start the season and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Bruins. These two teams last met at the start of the season, where the Mammoth lost 2-1.
