Don\u2019t look now, but the Utah Mammoth have a six-point lead over the best non-playoff teams in the Western Conference. With 21 games to go in the regular season, that\u2019s not a bad place to be.<\/p>\n
Their positioning comes with their 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Dylan Guenther got things started with an early goal, followed by another from Mikhail Sergachev shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n
Pierre-Luc Dubois got the Capitals on the board before the end of the first period, but the game of catch-up never ended. JJ Peterka and Ryan Leonard each scored before game\u2019s end and the Capitals made a strong push late, but it wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cLoved the response, loved the speed of our game, obviously power play came (up) big,\u201d said Mammoth head coach Andr\u00e9 Tourigny after the game. \u201c(Karel Vejmelka) made key saves at the end, so there\u2019s a lot of positives in our game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tidbits and takeawaysPower play consistency<\/p>\n
This section writes itself.<\/p>\n
All season long, the Mammoth have been among the worst power play teams in the NHL \u2014 despite finishing in the top 10 in that category last year. <\/p>\n
But with PP goals in five of their last six games, things are looking up.<\/p>\n
Tuesday was the first time since Jan. 1<\/a> that the Mammoth scored multiple power play goals in a game. Their success rate since the beginning of February is now 33.3%, which would lead the league if they could have maintained that the entire season.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been the difference for Utah\u2019s power play recently?<\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably heard the answer in every hockey player interview you\u2019ve ever watched: \u201cPutting pucks on net.\u201d It\u2019s that simple.<\/p>\n On so many occasions this season, Utah has opted to make the extra pass instead of shooting, and while there is value in holding out for quality scoring chances, good things happen when you put pucks on net.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you want to attack quickly, you cannot be complicated,\u201d Tourigny said. \u201c… When you\u2019re too slow to attack, the opponent gets inside, and now there\u2019s not really anything clean open, so now, because of that, if you want to get something, you need to force it. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, I think the fact we put more pucks at the net, that created some seams, created some holes on the next play because they have to get out of their structure. The fact (that) we don\u2019t let them get too set in their structure, that helps.\u201d<\/p>\n Clayton Keller, who tallied two assists on the night, agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cI think when we\u2019re moving it quick \u2014 myself included,” he said in response to the question of what Utah\u2019s top power play form looks like. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been parts of the year where I\u2019m holding it too much. I think, just, everyone having that attack mindset, just not letting the PK get set up, just snapping it around.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u2018line blender\u2019 strikes again<\/p>\n Whenever the Mammoth hit a slump<\/a>, Tourigny is not afraid to \u201cthrow the lines into a blender\u201d \u2014 switch up the combinations, in other words.<\/p>\n Sometimes it takes a game or two to find the right permutation, but it always seems to make a difference eventually. In this instance, the effects were instantaneous: two goals in less than 14 minutes of playing time.<\/p>\n Lines from today:<\/p>\n Keller – Schmaltz – Guenther Sergachev – Durzi
Peterka – Cooley – Crouse
McBain – Hayton – Yamamoto\/O\u2019Brien
Kerfoot – Stenlund – Carcone\/Tanev<\/p>\n
Schmidt – Marino
Cole – Maatta
DeSimone#TusksUp<\/a> #AllCaps<\/a><\/p>\n