3 Takeaways From Mammoth’s 2-1 Loss to Devils

The Utah Mammoth did a lot right on Friday. They played a solid game. They were the better team. The Mammoth should’ve won Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils to get their second win in a row and leapfrog the San Jose Sharks for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Hockey is a weird sport. Sometimes the other team sneaks out a win. The Mammoth know a little bit about that. Just a couple of weeks ago, they won a game against the Vancouver Canucks that they didn’t deserve to win. On Friday, they paid the devil…literally for that win. Here are some takeaways from Friday’s 2-1 loss.

Cheeks Gets His First NHL Goal

It was just a matter of time. It was coming soon. Daniil But has been one of the best players for the Mammoth in the past couple of weeks, with chances galore. Yet, he hasn’t been able to capitalize. It felt like his first NHL goal was just one shot away. It finally came on Friday.

It came on the power play halfway through the first period. The puck came to Sean Durzi on the blueline. Rather than shoot it, he chose to pass to But right in front of the net. The Russian forward received it and sent it flying to the top of the net with his backhand for his first-ever NHL goal.

First @NHL goal for Cheeks!!! ???? pic.twitter.com/yO76rMD9H4

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 20, 2025

You could just feel how excited the whole team was for But to score. They surrounded him and were giving him sticktaps. They knew how close he’s been. To finally get the goal, it was a relief for everyone.

“Awesome moment for him,” Alex Kerfoot said. “He’s a young kid who’s going to score lots of goals in this league. He’s had some looks, so it was nice for him to see one go in, and hopefully the floodgates open for him. I’ve thought that he’s been around the puck around the net, and it was just a matter of time before he got one.”

But started in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Tucson Roadrunners to begin the season. Right off the bat, he became the Roadrunners’ best player. You could tell he controlled the play whenever he had the puck and was often the best player on the ice on either side.

Some time in the AHL helped him adjust to the North American style of play, especially being on a line with Kevin Rooney and Sammy Walker, both of whom took the young forward under their wings.

Rooney actually said that he expected But to get his first NHL call-up sometime this season. Maybe it was earlier than what he thought, but But made his way up to Utah and has been playing great on a line with Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain. He’s had good looks on the power play as well. He just couldn’t break through until luck finally went his way on Friday.

“It was a matter of time,” head coach André Tourigny said. “He is playing good hockey, and there was no doubt it was coming. I am happy for him; it was an important goal for us.”

It’s a moment But will never forget. Not a lot of people get to play in the NHL. Fewer people get to score in the league. Now But is a part of that forever. He is only the second player in franchise history to score their first NHL goal with the team, and is the first forward to do so.

At the end of the day, though, there are mixed feelings for the young forward. Getting his first goal out of the way was great, but But really wanted to get the win for his team.

“I am not going to lie, it felt good when I scored,” But said. “But the most important thing is winning, and we lost today.”

The Penalty Kill Was Good but…

The Mammoth’s penalty kill was once again elite. The team killed four straight penalties, including back-to-back penalties right after But’s goal.

It’s been no sweat for the Mammoth when it comes to killing penalties. They’ve had one of the best penalty kill units in the league this season. They currently sit at seventh in the league with a 83% success rate.

“The commitment of everybody, there’s a high level of focus and urgency, and they take a lot of pride in what they’re doing,” Tourigny said.

Interestingly enough, the penalty kill isn’t the same structure that the team had last season. Kerfoot was a massive part of the unit last season, but hadn’t played a game this season until Friday. He thought the penalty kill looked solid. He wasn’t a big part of it during the game, but Kerfoot didn’t mind, especially considering how well they were doing.

“Our structure has definitely been different, and I think the guys have done a great job,” Kerfoot said. “I don’t want to come in and disrupt things at all. They’ve been doing a great job. When there are opportunities, I’ll go in and do my job. They’ve been doing a great job all season long. Did a good job again tonight.”