\u2014 Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n But why?<\/p>\n According to Head Coach Andre Tourigny, the coaching staff is hoping the scratch will result in a reset for But as he\u2019s struggled to play impactful hockey despite sound positioning.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking for a little bit of physicality & spark & a little bit of a restart with But,\u201d Tourigny said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s playing really well positioning wise, but his execution right now is not as good as it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Young players are very fragile, especially in their first season.<\/p>\n While great stretches of hockey can set the tone for their careers as it did for skaters like Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, poor stretches can also ruin players.<\/p>\n So, when a rookie is struggling and their confidence begins to fade as pucks refuse to cross the line, the coaching staff has to intervene.<\/p>\n Such was the case with But as he failed to register a point since January 21 or score a goal since January 13.<\/p>\n That\u2019s simply not good enough.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a former first round draft selection who has an incredibly high ceiling and consistently puts himself in dangerous areas.<\/p>\n However, pucks simply aren\u2019t going in.<\/p>\n Of the 43 shots on net he\u2019s taken this season, only three have gone in (seven percent).<\/p>\n That is the second-lowest shot percentage of any forward on Utah\u2019s roster and 18th worst on the team.<\/p>\n Thus, correction was required and somebody had to fill the roster which is why No. 38 entered the lineup.<\/p>\n Like Tourigny said, But needed to come out of the lineup for a little reset.<\/p>\n He hasn\u2019t registered a point since January 21 & hasn\u2019t scored since January 13.<\/p>\n He is sound in his positioning but he hasn\u2019t been very effective as he\u2019s struggled to finish opportunities.<\/p>\n \u2014 Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that this is not about O\u2019Brien versus But.<\/p>\n Rather, it\u2019s about protecting But\u2019s development, giving him some time to reset and providing him with an opportunity to succeed.<\/p>\n Utah\u2019s power play finally found the back of the net with a simplified approach<\/p>\n Good things generally happen when teams put pucks on net and that\u2019s exactly how the Utah Mammoth finally connected on the power play against Vancouver.<\/p>\n After going 0\/10 over their last four games, Utah simplified their game against the Canucks as Mikhail Sergachev blasted one from the point with traffic in front to light the lamp.<\/p>\n What a beauty \ud83e\udd29<\/p>\n Sergy makes it 3-1 with a power play goal! pic.twitter.com\/p0imMYw7w2<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n While there has yet to be a long-term solution to drag Utah\u2019s power play from the 14.8 percent depths at the bottom of the NHL, the simple fact is that the Mammoth have not been shooting enough.<\/p>\n Far too often, Utah sets up in the bumper power play and while they swiftly circulate the puck, they neglect to move properly or shoot.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, we\u2019re kind of struggling,\u201d JJ Peterka explained after the loss to Dallas. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to go back to making easy plays, getting more shots on net, maybe scoring one or two greasy goals and just moving on from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking back at the goal against the Canucks, Utah scored because Sergachev decided to go back to the basics.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we didn\u2019t recover well enough, but the mentality was there,\u201d Sergachev said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd yeah, I just took the shot. There was no screen, which was not great, but it went in. It was kind of lucky, but it was a big goal for a power play that made us confident we could shoot and go get rebounds to score.\u201d<\/p>\n After trying to break down Vancouver\u2019s defense with Barrett Hayton in the bumper position, the puck eventually went back to the point and No. 98 let it fly.<\/p>\n The result?<\/p>\n A much-needed power play goal as Marcus Petterson screened his own goaltender perfectly and Kevin Lankinen couldn\u2019t see the shot coming.<\/p>\n Like Peterka pointed out on Saturday, Utah needed to play basic hockey to find success on the man advantage.<\/p>\n That means circulating bodies, creating extra space, crowding the net front, passing with intent and getting pucks on frame.<\/p>\n Hockey is a funny sport.<\/p>\n While it is a very complex game, it\u2019s also very simple and sometimes that\u2019s the best way to find success.<\/p>\n The Utah Mammoth took care of business as Nick Schmaltz got his second Hatty<\/p>\n That win felt good, eh?<\/p>\n After two tough losses in a row against very good teams, Utah got back on track as they seized an opportunity to bury the worst team in the NHL by a margin of 6-2.<\/p>\n How\u2019d they get it done? An energetic start, simplified approach and Nick Schmaltz registering his second hat-trick of the season.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udde3\ufe0fSchmaltzy makes the crowd go WILD!<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 1-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com\/Moc7VPTQpE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Schmaltz AGAIN! \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 2-1, Utah. pic.twitter.com\/acbfwnRCsL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n HATS ARE FLYING AT THE DELTA CENTER \ud83e\udde2\ud83e\udde2\ud83e\udde2 pic.twitter.com\/6Zo07h0g6S<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Against Dallas, Utah not only started painfully slow, they also didn\u2019t take a whole lot of interest in the game until it was too late.<\/p>\n In addition to registering a season-low 14 shots against the Stars, the Mammoth were hesitant to go to the net front, lost battles, turned the puck over in dangerous areas and failed to set up their offense.<\/p>\n However, against the Canucks, Utah flipped the script with a polar opposite approach.<\/p>\n They clogged passing lanes, denied zone entries, won the neutral zone battle, ferociously attacked the net and move the puck with intent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had the intensity,\u201d Head coach Andre Tourigny explained. \u201cWe recovered loose pucks. I liked our special teams. We were really opportunistic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe found a way to score a big goal at a key moment early in the game and throughout the game.\u201d<\/p>\n While the team as a whole played with a ton of intensity, it was Nick Schmaltz who yet again stole the spotlight with an explosive four-point night.<\/p>\n With 51 points through 56 games, No. 8 is on track for roughly 75 points (would be a career-high).<\/p>\n To put it simply, Schmaltz has been the heart and soul of the team this season and if his recent performances haven\u2019t convinced you Utah should bring him back, perhaps this quote from Tourigny will.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Schmaltzy was really good everywhere,\u201d Tourigny explained. \u201cHe was good defensively, stripped pucks, and his body position was good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I say? He\u2019s an assistant captain, he\u2019s a great leader on our team, he has a special chemistry with our captain. I often say he\u2019s the brain of the operation\u2026you want to know what\u2019s going on with our team? Talk to Schmaltz.\u201d<\/p>\n Individual performances aside, this was a great team win that put them back in a wild card spot with momentum as they approach the final game against Detroit before the Olympic break.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next for the Utah Mammoth?<\/p>\n The Utah Mammoth will conclude their three-game home stand against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. MT.<\/p>\n The game will be available on Mammoth+.<\/p>\n All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM\/1280 AM).<\/p>\n Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports.\u00a0Keep up with him on X here<\/a>.\u00a0You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
\nTake us with you, wherever you go.<\/p>\n
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