SALT LAKE CITY – Amidst a tough stretch for the Mammoth, Utah failed to right the ship against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night as adversity struck and the visitors punished the home team with three insurmountable goals in the second period.
Here are the key takeaways from Utah’s 4-1 loss to Vegas.
The Utah Mammoth may need to consider alternatives in net if the goalies can’t start winning games
As I’ve stated previously, I tend to shy away from primarily blaming goaltenders for their performances between the pipes as a lot of it can depend on how the other five skaters are contributing defensively.
However, with that being said, Utah’s goaltending continues to go from bad to worse and such was the case against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Following a scoreless and competitive initial frame, the Knights offense erupted in the second period with three goals on 17 shots (.823 SV%).
Undoubtedly an unacceptable number of shots by the defense but allowing three goals in one period will generally be a backbreaker for any team.
Number 9 scores his 9th of the season 🎰 pic.twitter.com/7aLvh4VrPU
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 21, 2025
Chef Hutty has goals in back-to-back games 🛖🔥 pic.twitter.com/W1gEupx8ky
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 21, 2025
that backhand from Jack Eichel is FILTHY 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DMsC0Npfow
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 21, 2025
Now, to be fair to Karel Vejmelka, the first goal was more on the defense as Utah failed to clear the zone, got caught puck watching and left Jack Eichel wide open for an easy tap in.
Did Vejmelka overcommit a little bit?
Maybe.
But the defense needs to be more aware and help him out.
As for the next two though, Veggie simply has to be better and stop at least one of those as he let in another to begin the third period.
So, what exactly do I mean by alternatives?
Potentially the trade market.
Not that I’m suggesting they trade Vejmelka or Vitek Vanecek, but there may be a team out there selling a reliable goaltender who could help Utah.
Perhaps Nashville’s Juuse Saros as the Predators are in a dark place and may be forced to sell on some of their more talented players.
I know this may seem a bit drastic, but this has been a consistent issue over the last month for Utah as the goaltenders aren’t doing enough to win games or bail the team out when they truly need it.
Despite allowing the fewest shots on goal to this point in the season (472), the Mammoth have the fifth worst save percentage in the league (.871).
Overall, it’s just not good enough and unfortunately, neither goaltender seems up to the challenge.
If that’s the case, the only thing a team can do is look elsewhere and Utah may be approaching that point between the pipes.
‘Winning needs to matter’ and attitudes need to change if the Utah Mammoth want to figure things out
It’s no secret that the Utah Mammoth are in a downward spiral right now.
Over their last 11 games, the team has a 2-6-3 record and have yet to find answers as they drop in the standings.
Doesn’t seem to matter who the opponent is, whether they’re on the road or at home, or how often the lines change, Utah simply can’t figure things out.
The issue?
Well, if you ask defenseman Ian Cole, winning does not matter enough to this group.
“We do a lot of talking but we need to put stuff into practice…It’s really disappointing to see some of the reactions we have to adversity,” Cole explained.
“Winning needs to matter to us. More than anything.”
Ian Cole says Utah’s attitude need to change:
“We do a lot of talking but we need to put stuff into practice…It’s really disappointing to see some of the reactions we have to adversity.”
“Winning needs to matter to us. More than anything.” pic.twitter.com/fW971mzFGn
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 21, 2025
He’s right.
This should be a playoff team.
A team that battles for a spot all season and finally gets over the hump.
A month ago, that’s what they looked like.
But as of late, the points keep slipping and there has yet to be an appropriate response.
Another issue?
They’re not responding to adversity the right way.
Against Vegas, they allowed a blindside hit to Kevin Stenlund and three second period goals to completely rattle them.
“I obviously did not like the way we responded to the emotion of the game,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said. “We had a good first period, then we arrived in the second, and stuff happened to Stenny (Kevin Stenlund).”
“I didn’t like the way we reacted to it at first. We got emotional and got out of our game. They took over, and it was difficult for us to get back at it. That was disappointing.”
There’s really not a whole lot more that can be said at this point but both Tourigny and Cole are right.
Attitudes need to change and there needs to be a better response to adversity.
“Adversity and frustration are part of the game. We cannot lose our focus like that because of a call, a goal, a hit, or whatever. We can’t lose our temper and start running around,” Tourigny explained.
If not, the final result will be the same as last year with another extended offseason in Salt Lake City.
It’s still not too late for the Utah Mammoth to right the ship
It can be tough to find positives when a team is struggling, but it’s important to note that the ship hasn’t sunk yet.
Yes, Utah is spiraling and they need to fix things quickly in order to get back on track.
But all things considered, the season is far from over and there’s still plenty of hockey left for Clayton Keller and his teammates to figure things out.
“You know that there’s going to be adversity. It’s a long season, it’s hard, it’s the best league in the world and I think our group has continued to stay motivated and confident, while still going through tough stretches,” Keller explained.
“That’s the good thing about, sometimes losing is that’s when you learn the most about your team and yourself and it makes it even that much better when things do go your way and you kind of get out of it.”
As of right now, the Mammoth are still well in the playoff race with 23 points (4th in the wild card race).
Better to have problems early with time to solve rather than when it’s too late.
However, Utah needs to find solution immediately.
This stretch has gone on far too long without the right changes or proper attitude adjustments.
So, on a positive note, it’s not too late.
But the margin for error is becoming increasingly thin as December approaches.
Time to get it done.
What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
The Utah Mammoth will continue their four-game homestand against the New York Rangers on Saturday 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.
