3 Takeaways From Mammoth’s 3-1 Win Over Senators

There was a lot of momentum going into Wednesday’s game for the Utah Mammoth. The team was going into a seven-game homestand after winning in overtime against the New York Rangers, thanks to a Sean Durzi goal, which he scored weeks after his grandpa died. Not to mention the Mammoth went 2-1-0 in the trip overall. Oh, and it was announced that they would be hosting the Winter Classic right before the game. 

So, there were a lot of positives for the Mammoth going into Wednesday’s game. Unlike prior games, the team rode the momentum and beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1. A hot start by the Mammoth and a big goal by a rookie helped them win their second straight game. Here are some takeaways from Wednesday’s game.

A Great Start

Like the entire team, first periods in games have been inconsistent for the Mammoth. In the past three games, they’ve had a bad start against the New York Islanders but managed to win the game, a good start against the New Jersey Devils but ended up losing the game, and a good start against the Rangers that ended with an overtime win. Was the pattern going to continue on Wednesday? The answer ended up being…no.

Nearly four minutes into the game, Clayton Keller passed the puck to himself off the boards and skated behind the net. Initially, what looked like a wrap-around attempt, he instead passed the puck to Lawson Crouse on his backhand, who shot it into a wide-open net to make it 1-0 Mammoth.

Keller serves it up for Crouse to give Utah an early lead! pic.twitter.com/K0jvQ0WV9L

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) January 8, 2026

We have to talk about Crouse for a second. He’s returned to his normal production after a God-awful 2024-25 season. After only producing 18 points in 81 games, he’s already beaten that number with this season’s totals. Crouse has 20 points in 44 games and is two goals away from tying his 12 goals from last season.

A couple of minutes after Crouse’s goal, the Mammoth struck again. The puck got to the blueline, where Keller was waiting. It’s unclear if Keller intended to do so (if it was, it wouldn’t be surprising at all), but he ended up taking a shot that bounced off the boards and right to John Marino, who capitalized immediately to make it 2-0.

Johnny off the boards!!! ????

????2-0, Utah! pic.twitter.com/EvERGtxnJ2

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) January 8, 2026

Talk about another guy who has rebounded after a disastrous season. Marino didn’t play most of the 2024-25 season due to injury. This season, he has 19 points in 44 games. That means he’s on pace to beat his career-high 26-point campaign from the 2019-20 season. With three goals, he might also beat his career-high in goals from the same season (6).

“We wouldn’t be here without our defense, and they contribute all over the ice, defensively and offensively,” Crouse said. “It’s great to see Johnny (Marino) get one. He’s obviously a great guy and really good with the puck, and makes some solid plays. It’s nice to see him get rewarded.”

Ridly Greig scored late in the first period, but by then, the Mammoth had already won the period. Despite the Senators outshooting them, the Mammoth locked it down defensively. After scoring twice out of the gate, all they needed to do was play with the lead, which is something they’ve struggled to do in the past. On Wednesday, they did what they needed to do.

“We got those first two goals early, and we had a big push there in the first,” Marino said. “They played well, and they outworked us at times, probably overall in the whole game, but we snuck away with that one. I think the way we were able to sustain pressure, at least, and just limit their grade A chances.”

Cheeks With the Insurance Goal

As mentioned, the Senators started pushing hard late in the first period and continued to do so in the next two periods. They ended the second period outshooting the Mammoth 14-5. In the third, they once again outshot their opponents, this time 12-7. Yet, it was the Mammoth who scored in the middle frame, and it was thanks to the rookie.

With momentum on the Senators’ side, the Mammoth needed to get the puck to the net, and that’s what they did. Brandon Tanev tried a wrap-around shot, but Leevi Meriläinen stopped it. However, what Tanev did was get the puck to the net. The Mammoth quickly swarmed it, swatting and batting the puck at Meriläinen.

The Mammoth dug and dug until finally the puck trickled past the Senators’ goaltender. At first, it looked like Tanev had his first with the Mammoth. The Senators challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood, and the score remained 3-1. It was after the review that it was determined Daniil But was the last one to touch the puck; therefore, he ended up scoring the second goal of his NHL career.

Goal changed to But with assists from McBain and Tanev. https://t.co/RQq0JflXC4

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) January 8, 2026

How good has But been recently? While critics will call the forward out for not producing a lot of points, his two-way play has been the best we’ve seen from him. He’s gotten pucks to the net but has also done a good job at protecting the puck and embracing the physicality of the game. The best thing he’s done recently? Not being afraid to go to the front of the net and battle to put the puck in the net. That’s how he scored his goal on Wednesday.

“He understands the game,” head coach André Tourigny said. “He understands when it’s time to pass, when it’s time to shoot, when it’s time to block the shot, when it’s time to make a play on the breakout, and when it’s time to cut at the net. He has a good IQ in that sense.”

Four points in 17 games isn’t great, and But needs to produce more in the future. However, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther weren’t the best in their rookie seasons, and they turned out just fine. Not everyone is going to be a Rocket Richard candidate in their first NHL season, and that’s ok as long as they show signs of development somewhere.