SALT LAKE CITY – Following a tightly contested matchup through the first 40 minutes of play, the Utah Mammoth dug deep and relied on their goaltender during the third period in order to capture a much-needed victory over the New York Rangers.
Here are the key takeaways from Utah’s 3-2 win over New York.
JJ Peterka has been Utah’s best player in the offensive zone recently
Despite a tough stretch for the Utah Mammoth over the last few weeks, one of the most consistent bright spots for the team has been 23-year-old forward JJ Peterka.
Amidst a cold stretch for the Mammoth offensively with just 2.3 goals per game over the previous 10, Peterka has been on a heater with five goals and six points over the last six contests.
Against the Rangers, Peterka remained hot as he quietly made his way to the backdoor and tapped in a critical goal to get his team on the board in the first period.
JJ Peterka gets the party started!
🚨 1-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/UKmpMJmm4R
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 23, 2025
These are the kinds of moments that motivated Bill Armstrong to acquire Peterka in the offseason.
A young player who can create on his own, score in a plethora of different ways and provide a spark during moments of desperation.
That’s also why he’s found so much success on the third line recently.
Not that he was ineffective alongside Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley but playing with Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain has allowed him to play more his style of offense as those two create space on the forecheck.
So, while this hot streak for Peterka hasn’t translated to a win every night, it’s kept Utah within striking distance in several games, made a huge difference against New York and generated some much-needed confidence for the young forward.
Some big saves and a gritty stretch made the difference for Utah in the third period
Heading into the final frame against the Rangers, Utah had no choice but to find a way to win the hockey game.
After a collection of losses recently and points continuing to slip away, the Mammoth were tasked with breaking the 2-2 tie and crossing the finish line to obtain a crucial victory.
Obviously, they got it done.
But what made the difference to get the go-ahead-goal?
A collection of huge saves from Karel Vejmelka and a gritty sequence in the offensive zone to get the puck across the line.
Veggies best save of the season so far pic.twitter.com/eibxdu3Dar
— Cap’n Cook 🦣 (@JazzePinkman) November 23, 2025
Offering arguably his best performance in net this season, Vejmelka was not only locked in for 60 minutes, but he also recorded his most important individual saves of the season.
“Super consistent game [For Vejmelka],” JJ Peterka explained. “Huge saves. In the third, with four or five rebounds, it kept us in the game the whole game, and we did our job on the other side.”
Following a suffocating offensive zone possession by the Rangers, Veggie bounced between the posts and moved swiftly across his crease to stop two Grade A scoring chances.
Moments later, the Mammoth then sent the puck in deep, were relentless on the forecheck and maintained crucial possession that resulted in a blast from Nick DeSimone into the Rangers net.
DeSimone for the lead!
🚨 3-2, Utah. pic.twitter.com/zHRYlxtLjr
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 23, 2025
“We had a tough shift in the third where we turned it over, and then Cool’s (Logan Cooley) line went on the inside, and we talked on the bench about momentum and how to get the momentum back, And not just by their decision, but they scored a goal on top of playing the right way on that shift,” Head Coach Andre Tourigny explained.
“So that was good, and we need to give credit to Vej (Karel Vejmelka), because that key moment, like you just mentioned, he made a key save.”
Managing momentum is everything in hockey and for a team that’s been struggling with that recently, tonight was huge.
“We did really well and built momentum with each shift,” Nick DeSimone said. “We set everybody up for the next shift. Whether it’s setting them up for a forecheck or a good puck, we set each other up all night, which gave us momentum.”
The win over the New York Rangers has to be a turning point for the Utah Mammoth
Tonight’s win over the Rangers was a big deal for the Utah Mammoth.
Not only did it help somewhat right the ship, but it also elevated them back into the second wild card spot with 25 points and 11 wins.
Additionally, Utah is now just one point behind Minnesota who currently sits in the third Central Divisional spot.
Progress.
Crucial win for the Mammoth tonight as they jumped back into the 2nd WC spot and are only 1 point behind Minnesota.
Every game matters and there’s still plenty left.
Utilizing this result as a turning point will be huge. pic.twitter.com/8xJetsnL9p
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 23, 2025
However, all things considered, this simply cannot be a one-off victory for the Mammoth.
They’ve dropped far too many games in a row recently and need to build some momentum in the win column.
Now, that doesn’t mean they need to rip off another seven-game win streak, but beating Vegas on Monday feels like another must-win if they want to truly get back on track.
This team still needs to build up more confidence, especially as they prepare for six more games on the road beginning at the end of next week.
Don’t get me wrong, the win against the Rangers was huge.
But they need to do it again on Monday to prove to themselves and everybody else that they can consistently win hockey games.
What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
The Utah Mammoth will continue their four-game homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night at 7 p.m. MT.
The game will be available on Mammoth+.
All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
Take us with you, wherever you go.
