DETROIT, Michigan – The Utah Mammoth finished their road trip with a winning record after outperforming the Detroit Red Wings in a 4-1 win.
The Mammoth (17-16-3, 37 points) traveled to the Wolverine State to face the Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings (19-13-3, 41 points) on Wednesday, December 17.
Utah began the day fourth in the Central Division, two points out of playoff positioning with 47 games to play. The Mammoth are 9-11-2 on the road and are 5-5 in their past ten games.
The Hat Trick: Mammoth Score 5 Late Goals To Complete Improbable Comeback Over Penguins
Going home with a W 🙌 pic.twitter.com/N9MagaFngH
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 18, 2025
Detroit has only three players with 10 or more goals. Lucas Raymond (10 goals, 27 assists), Dylan Larkin (17 goals, 16 assists), and points leader Alex DeBrincat (20 goals, 19 assists) are shouldering a heavy workload.
DeBrincat, Raymond, and Axel Sandin-Pelikka enter the night riding two-game point streaks.
Utah’s scoring punch is more evenly distributed amongst four active skaters and Logan Cooley, who remains out with a lower-body injury.
Nick Schmaltz leads the way with 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists), followed closely by Captain Clayton Keller’s 10 goals and 18 assists. Dylan Guenther is the team’s goals leader with 15 red lamps lit and 12 assists. First-year Mammoth skater JJ Peterka has 13 goals and 12 assists to round out the quartet.
Pregame
Here come the boys.#TusksUP #LGRW pic.twitter.com/kcDgtJ6FTY
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Vejmelka in net.
DeSimone in for Maatta on the third pair. https://t.co/140qSDhUpP
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
First Period
Great defense from Marino to intercept a pass that was headed for the backdoor.
Red Wings would’ve scored if he hadn’t had his head on a swivel.
Good awareness.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
The first nine minutes were played almost even, with both teams attempting four shots. Utah proved to be the more physical club with six hits to begin the night.
Hayton to the box for holding.
Red Wings to the PP.
1P: 8:54 | 0-0
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Barrett Hayton earned the first penalty of the game when he was whistled for holding Ben Chiarot with 8:54 left in the period.
The Mammoth opened the night tied with Calgary for the fifth-best penalty kill unit in the NHL and had killed 19 of their past 20 penalties.
Utah back to full strength.
Good stuff from Vej. Made some big saves to bail out the defense. https://t.co/H5B3MyOQlV
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Great stick from Ian Cole at the tail end of the Red Wings power play right in the crease.
Originally, I thought Vej made that play to disrupt a pass coming across. Veteran move from Cole.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Utah’s best scoring chance came up empty when Michael Carcone ripped a shot off the crossbar.
Some puck luck for Utah as Copp snuck one past Veggie but it rolled on the outside of the post.
Bit of a defensive breakdown there. Got beat with speed and didn’t cut down the angle enough to the net.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Detroit outshot Utah 11-8, while both sides blocked four shots. The Mammoth held a 7-3 hits advantage after 20 minutes.
Scoreless after the first period in Detroit.
Chances on both sides but neither side able to find the back of the net.
Red Wings lead SOG 11-8.
40 minutes to go.
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 18, 2025
Second Period
Utah grabbed the game’s first lead 104 seconds into the second period when Clayton Keller whipped a wrist-shot rebound past Cam Talbot for a 1-0 lead.
CLAYTON KELLER SCORES ON A REBOUND AND UTAH LEADS 1-0!!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Get pucks to the net and crash.
Utah needs to keep producing this way. If so, a lot of good things will start to happen for them. https://t.co/4uKbbja8La
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Nick Schmaltz and JJ Peterka assisted Keller’s 11th goal of the season. It was also the 300th assist of Schmaltz’s career,
Detroit back to full strength. https://t.co/7Scj1aAQLp
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Keller to the box for interference.
Red Wings to the PP.
2P: 10:41 | 1-0 Utah
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Utah back to full strength.
Another stellar PK for the Mammoth. https://t.co/jXRNo1Pm8l
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Penalties continued to bite the Mammoth when Hayton was sent to the box with Utah’s third penalty of the period, and gave Detroit its fourth power play of the night.
Detroit began finding some space on the PP, peppering Karel Vejmelka with shots, but it was Utah that found the back of the net.
MCBAIN SCORES IN FRONT AND UTAH LEADS 2-0!!!!
What a feed!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Jack McBain gave his team a 2-0 lead on a shot that came 22 seconds after the power play expired. Carcone and Sean Durzi assisted McBain’s fourth goal. Three of his four goals have come on the power play.
Hell of a feed from Carcone.
Great finish by McBain.
Like I said, get pucks on net and crash hard. https://t.co/TYU9zAYN6K
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Schmidt was just tripped awkwardly, and Utah will head to the PP.
He seems to be ok.
2P: 2:15 | 2-0 Utah
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Durzi is tripped at the tail end of Utah’s power play and he goes crashing into the boards.
He’s up and seems to be ok.
Another penalty against Detroit. Fans are unhappy.
5 on 3 for 29 seconds.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
First PP expires.
This one is starting to get chippy.
O’Brien and Larkin are getting into it.
1:16 remaining on the second PP as the teams head to the second intermission. https://t.co/tmJwaGErSF
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Third Period
Detroit back to full strength. https://t.co/MqSPn8pcjb
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
But is tripped and Utah will have another PP opportunity.
Need to take advantage of this and put the game out of reach as much as possible.
3P: 17:06 | 2-0 Utah
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
I think Carcone just put another one off the pipe.
2/2 off the iron tonight for 53.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Detroit back to full strength.
Red Wings are 4/4 on the PK. https://t.co/O3YUoXNKoK
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Crouse just took a really poor roughing penalty near the benches.
Got baited into it.
Red Wings to the PP.
Massive PK coming up for the Mammoth.
3P: 11:48 | 2-0 Utah
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Red Wings score on the power play.
Could feel that coming.
2-1
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Next 2-3 minutes are critical here for Utah to stay in control.
Respond so the Red Wings can’t.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Crowd is into it here in Detroit…I also noticed they complain about every potential call. Anytime a player hits the ice they want a penalty 😂
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
DYLAN GUENTHER SCORES ON A REBOUND AND UTAH LEADS 3-1!!!!!!!
GRITTY HOCKEY BABY!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
KEVIN STENLUND SCORES AND IT’S 4-1!!!!
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 18, 2025
Stenny! Two goals for Utah in 31 seconds! pic.twitter.com/Tt8AwTfYCl
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 18, 2025
Going home with a W 🙌 pic.twitter.com/N9MagaFngH
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 18, 2025
Follow the Utah Mammoth with KSL Sports
The Mammoth welcomes the New Jersey Devils into the Delta Center on Friday, December 19. The puck drops at 7 p.m. MT.
Follow the entire 2025-26 Utah Mammoth schedule here.
The Smith Entertainment Group’s (SEG) streaming platform will also continue to carry all Mammoth games on SEG+ in 2025-26.
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Follow him on X. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
All Mammoth games will be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM). Occasionally, KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) also airs Jazz games.
Take us with you, wherever you go.
Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
