SALT LAKE CITY – Daniil But has had several close calls in his brief NHL career, but he finally broke through with his first career goal with a beautiful backhand against the New Jersey Devils.
But’s first-period goal gave the Mammoth a 1-0 lead
The Mammoth (17-16-3, 37 points) is hosting New Jersey (19-14-1, 39 points) at the Delta Center on Friday, December 19.
Utah Mammoth Vs. New Jersey Devils Blog: Live Updates, Analysis, And More
First @NHL goal for Cheeks!!! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/yO76rMD9H4
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 20, 2025
Nine minutes into the first 20 minutes, Sean Durzi dumped a pass to But, who was skating through the slot near the front of the net.
The 2023 first-round selection controlled the puck before casually flicking a backhander top shelf to beat Jacob Markstrom in net.
The 6’5 Russian rookie’s first red lamp comes in his tenth career game.
Mammoth defenseman John Marino reaches the 400 career games milestone
Recognizing the need to beef up the backend of its defense, Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong made veteran NHL defensman John Marino one of his first trade acquisitions after the club arrived in Salt Lake City last summer.
The former New Jersey Devil was limited to 35 games in his first season with Utah, but his influence on the team was evident from the start.
“A lot of poise, a lot of brains, he’s super smart,” head coach André Tourigny said when asked about Marino’s milestone. “Smart hockey player. He’s a good puck mover; he moves the puck well. Even in crunch situations, I think he’s capable of making those high-level plays with the puck.”
RELATED: Getting To Know 2025 Utah Mammoth Defenseman John Marino
Congratulations on 400 career @nhl games, Johnny! pic.twitter.com/RX9TBIEr0i
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 20, 2025
The Massachusetts native scored one goal and added 13 assists late last year as the club made a late playoff push that ultimately came up short.
A fully healthy Marino already has two goals and 15 assists this year and is +14 in more than 20 minutes on the ice per game.
Tonight is Marino’s second game against his former team.
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Utah completes a two-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, December 21. The puck drops at 5 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.
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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.