Mammoth aiming to 'get the next step' into Stanley Cup Playoffs

WASHINGTON -- The Utah Mammoth players gathered around Andre Tourigny following their morning skate at Capital One Arena on Tuesday for a pep talk from their coach ahead of the opener of their five-game road trip against the Washington Capitals.

Tourigny, known affectionately as "Bear" by his players, wanted them to appreciate the opportunity they have with a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs within their control heading into the final quarter of the regular season. It's what many of them have been working towards during his five seasons as coach, the first three with the Arizona Coyotes before the team's assets were purchased and transferred to Utah in 2024.

"Since training camp, that's the position we wanted to be in," Tourigny said. "So we should be excited by that opportunity and situation. As much as we need to stay focused on the present, the present should excite us."

The Mammoth's chances of earning their first playoff berth look brighter following a 3-2 victory against the Capitals that maintained their hold on the first wild card in the Western Conference. With 21 games remaining, Utah (32-25-4) is one point ahead of the Seattle Kraken, which holds the second wild card, and four points ahead of the San Jose Sharks.

It was exactly the kind of response the Mammoth were seeking after a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

"A good bounce-back just right from the start," said captain Clayton Keller, who had the primary assist on Utah's first two goals. "We talked about it. It wasn't the way we wanted to play last game. We wanted to kind of flush it, and I thought we did a great job, and everyone contributed tonight. It was a great effort."

The road trip continues against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; Utah16, NBCSP) in their final game before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Utah general manager Bill Armstrong has made clear his hope to upgrade the roster before the Deadline, telling NHL.com last week, "We're never going to stop trying to improve."

Armstrong also stressed the importance of the Mammoth qualifying for the playoff this season as the pivotal next step in their progression, saying, "Right now, we're about where I expected us to be. And now it's time for us to get the job done."

No one needs to remind the players of that, especially those who have been through the lean times. Keller and fellow forwards Lawson Crouse, Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton are the only Mammoth players who were with the Coyotes for their final playoff appearance in 2020. That came in the Edmonton bubble during the NHL's Return to Play Plan from its pause for the COVID-19 pandemic (Schmaltz did not play because of an injury).

Armstrong took over as GM the following September. Tourigny was hired as coach after the 2020-21 season.

It's been a slow build through some lean seasons since then. The Mammoth made a late push for a playoff berth last season, but they were mathematically eliminated with four games remaining in their inaugural campaign.

So, it's not surprising Keller said they are "super hungry" to get in this season. They're almost close enough to taste it now.

"It's nice," Keller said. "Previously we kind of were in a different situation where it was not impossible, but it was a lot harder than it is now. So. for sure it's super exciting and it's where we want to go."

Utah has supported its young core by acquiring Stanley Cup winners such as defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (Tampa Bay Lightning, 2020, 2021), Ian Cole (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2016, 2017), Olli Maatta (Pittsburgh, 2016, 2017) and Nate Schmidt (Florida Panthers, 2025), forward Kevin Stenlund (Florida, 2024) and backup goalie Vitek Vanecek (Florida, 2025). But it also has young players who are desperate for their first taste of the playoffs, such as forwards Logan Cooley, 21, Dylan Guenther, 22, and JJ Peterka, 24.

They've been around long enough to understand what's at stake during the final six weeks of the regular season, but Tourigny reminded everyone Tuesday morning anyway.

"'Bear' talked about it," Guenther said. "He was like, 'We've waited five years to kind of be in this spot and to really have an opportunity to take that next step.' So, I think we've waited and we've earned it too. We're a hard-working team, and when we're playing really well, we're hard to play against."

The Mammoth demonstrated that against the Capitals, controlling play from the drop of the puck and jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Guenther and Sergachev in the opening 13:23. Utah had Washington on its heels for much of the first two periods before having to hold on in the third, when goalie Karel Vejmelka made 11 of his 23 saves.

"I thought we were on our heels a little bit, so definitely some teaching points there," said Guenther, who set an NHL career high with his 28th goal of the season. "… But I thought we just worked hard."

The Mammoth will need to continue to do that to bring playoff hockey to Utah for the first time. That's part of their motivation as well.

"We know what it would mean," Tourigny sad. "We're part of the market, we're part of the people, and we want everybody in Utah to be excited, and we want success for our organization. We want to have a championship organization and build one step at a time.

"It's important to get the next step."