SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Mammoth won their second-straight game for the first time in nearly a month after 21-year-old forward Logan Cooley caught fire and recorded the first four-goal game in club history against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Here are the key takeaways from Utah’s 5-1 victory over Vegas.
Logan Cooley is the Utah Mammoth X-factor after recording first four-goal-game in club history
After underperforming through most of November, Utah Mammoth forward Logan Cooley erupted offensively against the Vegas Golden Knights with a blistering four goals and five points.
How’d he do it?
With speed, grit, confidence, awareness and an undeniable chemistry alongside linemate Dylan Guenther.
“He [Cooley] didn’t complicate his game,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said. “He didn’t try to get the play of the week. He will be on the play of the week because he scored four, but it was speed and space behind, and when he does that it’s special.”
The awareness of Cooley here is so good.
Recognized Guenther followed in behind him and served the puck on a platter. https://t.co/LwfhFthE3R
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 25, 2025
A night 4️⃣ the history books. 👏 pic.twitter.com/OU5vBiyEHI
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 25, 2025
With only seven combined points through the previous 11 games, it’s been a rough stretch for both of Utah’s young stars.
However, what’s important to note is that for the majority of those contests, the two were separated and played on different lines.
So, how’ve they performed when they’ve play together?
In addition to 31 combined points, Utah is 11-5 this season when Cooley and Guenther on the same line as opposed to just 1-6 when they’re separated.
Notably, Utah is also 8-3 this year whenever Cooley gets on the scoresheet.
Coincidence?
No, and as demonstrated by those numbers, those two should never be separated again.
They simply work too well together as Cooley creates with his speed and Guenther applies the finishing touch with one of the best shots in the NHL.
“Our chemistry is only going to continue to grow…when we’re using our speed together, we’re tough to contain,” Cooley explained.
“That’s a glimpse of what you saw tonight. We need to continue to play our game.”
Cooley on how dangerous he & Guenther are together:
“Our chemistry is only going to continue to grow…when we’re using our speed together, we’re tough to contain.”
“That’s a glimpse of what you saw tonight. We need to continue to play our game.” pic.twitter.com/Cfs3vylYA8
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 25, 2025
There’s no denying the kids are special, but they need to keep playing together in order to bring out the best in each other and live up to their full potential.
Both of them have what it takes to be an X-factor, if not the primary X-factor on any given night.
Keeping them on the same line will be the key to replicating that.
Karel Vejmelka was a wall in net against Vegas as he offered his best performance of the season
While Cooley stole the spotlight with the first four-goal game in Utah Mammoth history, Karel Vejmelka was arguably just as good between the pipes.
With 33 stops on 34 shots (97 SV%), this was by far Vejmelka’s best game of the season as he was poised, reactive, quick and hyperaware throughout the night.
“Yeah, obviously, this one feels really good. It’s a big two points against a really good team, one of the best so far this season. So, it feels really good,” Vejmelka explained.
Vejmelka needed this kind of a performance as it’s been a rough season for him in net, especially compared to last.
However, sometimes, all a goaltender needs is a performance like this to regain their confidence and individually right the ship.
“Yeah, I think we are a really good team, and if we want to be successful, we need to find a way every night, and that’s part of being one of the best teams in the NHL. So, we need to find a way every single night, no matter what, and we did it tonight. We showed up, and it feels really good,” Vejmelka said.
As I pointed out in a recent column, Utah needed one of their goaltenders to go out on the ice and win them a hockey game.
Veggie did that tonight.
Now, does it help when a teammate scores four goals?
Absolutely.
But Veggie deserves a lot of the credit too as he kept Utah in the game during several critical stretches where the Knights easily could’ve tied things up.
Instead, he reminded everyone just how good he can be when he’s at his best.
The Utah Mammoth needed that win to get back on track
Taking a step back, Utah simply needed Monday’s victory and everything that led up to it.
For a team that has struggled to consistently win games during the month of November (4-5-3), beating Vegas in that manner was easily the best medicine.
Cooley and Guenther broke out, Vejmelka was a brick-wall, the PK remained strong, they kept their emotions in check, and they responded in the third period after a poor middle frame.
“Obviously in the second, they had a hell of a push…we knew they would have a say in what will happen out there, but the intensity and the urgency we have in those situations and the way we protected that front, even if we’re not perfect and even if there’s a number of things we would like to get better at, I think the mindset is always the most important thing,” Tourigny said.
“I think the guys were really good with it. We were composed, we were intense, and we were even keeled.”
When this team is playing with confidence and energy, they are undoubtedly a playoff squad.
Not to say that Vejmelka is going to stop 97 percent of shots or that Cooley will score four goals every night, but it’s the energy and effort that made the difference in each of those critical areas.
“I feel like in the past, we’ve been up and kind of get comfortable and teams start to bury us,” Cooley explained. “I think the game against the Rangers and tonight, that’s how we know how to play.”
“When we’re doing that, you see the results we get. For us, it’s about staying consistent with this process and not changing anything. There’s still stuff to clean up, but overall, I was really happy about our performance the past two nights.”
Cooley is absolutely right.
When they get comfortable and sit back on their heels, opposing teams smell blood in the water and bury them.
But when they stay locked in for 60 minutes, they put themselves in a favorable position to win any hockey game.
That’s the difference.
Look, no team is going to play perfect hockey for three full periods.
But if they can remain even keeled and give a complete effort, they will stay with anybody and win plenty of games.
That’s why they needed tonight.
To prove to themselves and everyone in the league that Utah is relevant.
Now let’s see how they respond against Montreal on Wednesday.
What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
The Utah Mammoth will conclude their four-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night at 7:30 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.