There was momentum for the Utah Mammoth coming off an incredible comeback win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Even in the first 20 minutes of their game against the Boston Bruins, it seemed like the Mammoth would put up a fight to try to win their third game in a row for the first time since October.
Then the final 40 minutes happened, and the Mammoth found themselves losing their 16th game of the season. Problems and bad seasons from players that have plagued the team ever since the beginning of November reared their ugly heads and contributed to the loss as the team’s mediocre season continues. Here are some takeaways from the 4-1 loss on Tuesday.
The Power Play Was the Cherry on Top in the First
As mentioned, the first period was a strong one for the Mammoth. They were playing a really competitive game and getting chances. Right before the halfway mark of the period, they actually scored the first goal of the game.
On the power play, the second unit was buzzing. Daniil But, Lawson Crouse, and Michael Carcone were swarming the Bruins’ net with shots. It was a Sean Durzi shot from the blueline with 15 seconds remaining on the man advantage that broke through. Barrett Hayton knocked in the puck with a rebound opportunity to score his first goal since Nov. 26.
Barrett Hayton opens up scoring in Boston!
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 17, 2025
🚨1-0, Mammoth. pic.twitter.com/Sx94JBHveO
The goal was a good representation of what the Mammoth have struggled to do over the past couple of weeks, which is get bodies to the net. No matter if it was Carcone or even the rookie, But charging up to the net to knock in a rebound, the team had someone in front of Jeremy Swayman.
The power play, which infamously struggled in November, also stood out during the first period. The second unit, like previously stated, was fantastic. They didn’t let the Bruins rest. They kept attacking, and the hard work paid off.
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“We had some good movement there in Pittsburgh,” Hayton said. “Just found some rotations being interchangeable, always having to guide the net, and having an attack mindset. I thought we did a really good job on that first power play.”
Despite allowing Morgan Geekie to score towards the end of the period, the Mammoth looked like the better team. They outshot the Bruins 13-7 and seemed to be playing the same game they did during the third period on Sunday against the Penguins.
Unfortunately for the Mammoth, the first 20 minutes would be as good as it would get for the team. The next 40 would be a troubling showing from the team.
A Goaltending and Defense Problem?
23 seconds into the second period, Geekie scored his second of the game, and it was all downhill from there. While the score stayed 2-1 until halfway through the third period, the Bruins took over the momentum and the game.
The Mammoth took some penalties in the second, which gave them less time to figure out Swayman again. The Bruins used their physicality to outmuscle their opponents and prevent them from getting any chances.
“We dominate, and we start to feel too comfortable,” head coach André Tourigny said. “The level of urgency went down a little bit. We warned them, but they scored right away from the get-go. That’s unfortunate.”
Casey Mittelstadt and Michael Eyssimont capitalized on the struggling Mammoth in the third period to give the Bruins a 4-1 lead, and by that point, it was over.
What went wrong? Well, you can blame the power play for the lack of production in the final period, but that wasn’t the biggest problem. The biggest problem was the Mammoth’s defense and goaltending.
People have pointed out that Mikhail Sergachev hasn’t been great this season. That’s a fair criticism. Looking at numbers alone, in his past six games, he’s been a minus player in five of them. I’m sure even he would admit he hasn’t been good.
However, I will be the first to point out that it hasn’t been all Sergachev, and if you took him out of the lineup even for someone like Nick DeSimone, who has been good in his handful of games this season, this team is even worse.
Tourigny spoke about ownership after the game and how he wants to see more of it from the team going forward, especially after being pushed around by the Bruins in an embarrassing fashion.
“I want more ownership,” Tourigny said. “I don’t know if it’s accountability or ownership…We know they will push back. There’s one thing to say it in the room. There’s one thing knowing it. It’s another thing to buckle up and to push back, be ready for their answer, and double down on their answer instead of being the victim of their push.”
Speaking of accountability, let’s see who was to blame for the four Bruins goals.
Ian Cole was caught off guard on the third Bruins goal. He let an opponent sneak behind him, and while Dylan Guenther tried to catch up, it led to three Bruins swarming Vítek Vaněček, and Mittelstadt capitalized.
CASEY EXTENDS THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/4CuHBjsXg2
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 17, 2025
On the Eyssimont goal, the forward outpaced Olli Määttä, who eventually fell to the ice. Eyssimont then put the puck into the back of the net, despite Cole being right on his heels. It’s been a tough season for Määttä, who has not looked anything like his elite defensive play last season. His long-term contract, which he signed last season, is not looking good right now.
MIKEY TURNING ON THE JETS 💨 pic.twitter.com/8PIuK22tN7
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 17, 2025
The only two defensemen who didn’t end the game as a minus on Tuesday were Nate Schmidt and John Marino. Makes sense since those two have been the best blueliners on the team.
Then there’s the goaltending problem. The Vaněček revival project has not worked for the Mammoth. He has barely played, and when he has, it hasn’t been pretty. He overcommits to certain saves, which leaves him open for rebounds. That’s what happened on the first Bruins goal.
In his 10 starts, Vaněček has only two wins and now has a .873 save percentage. His numbers are some of the worst in the NHL.
The Mammoth knew that Vaněček hadn’t been a reliable goaltender since his third season in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. Even on a good team like the Florida Panthers, he struggled. Yet they took the risk anyway, knowing that Connor Ingram probably wasn’t going to return to the team.
At this point, the Mammoth might be better off calling up someone like Matt Villalta or Jaxson Stauber. However, neither of them has been fantastic in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Mammoth could try to trade for a backup, but the goaltender market is pretty dry right now, especially with the recent Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry trade.
So, the Mammoth are stuck with a struggling tandem of Karel Vejmelka and Vaněček. How can that be improved? The defense needs to be better. It’s as simple as that. The blueline needs to be better so the two goalies aren’t making as many saves.
It goes back to accountability. Most, if not all, of the defensemen on the Mammoth need to step up and admit that the defense has been questionable for the past couple of weeks. That then needs to translate into a plan or finding a way to get better.
If that doesn’t happen, the Mammoth will lose more games the way they lost Tuesday’s game. Their opponents have scored four or more goals in six of the team’s past eight losses. That needs to change.
Hurting Today, What About Tomorrow?
If it hasn’t been clear enough in recent times, this loss made it clear. The Mammoth are hurting, and it reflects in their record. They are now 16-16-3 and are two points back of the San Jose Sharks for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
It’s interesting because the media has talked about how bad teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks have been, but not the Mammoth, despite them having one of the worst records in the league in the past couple of games.
A big reason more pressure might not be on them is the fact that the Mammoth have managed to win some games. However, most of those losses have been against struggling teams. That includes the Seattle Kraken, the Buffalo Sabres (twice), and the Canucks. It has placed a shadow over their losses.
Despite there not being a lot of external pressure, there is internal pressure, no doubt. The Mammoth should be a better team than a .500 team that is outside the playoff picture currently. Tourigny said it best. It’s about accountability.
“We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror,” Hayton said. “First and foremost, you’ve got to take accountability for your actions and do everything you can for this group to win. That’s a huge thing.”
The Mammoth have been exposed constantly over the past couple of weeks. They are a team that doesn’t have a lot of physicality and is lacking consistently good defense and goaltending. It’s led to a familiar type of loss every time the Mammoth are sent to the locker room in silence after three periods.
Which loss is going to snap the Mammoth back into their normal rhythm? Tourigny says the hurt will catch up to the team sooner rather than later, especially with the way the Mammoth are losing.
“Sometimes, you need to let us let it hurt a little bit,” Tourigny said. “It’s not just a loss, it’s the way we’ll lose it. I don’t like it. I think when you play against those teams that are physical, you need to be able to insert the belt, and we didn’t.”
That’s fine and all, but the Mammoth now have as many regulation losses as they do wins, so when is the hurting going to be done? When is the inconsistency going to stop and the winning ways return?
The Mammoth are hoping it’s Wednesday. The team will quickly fly to Michigan to prepare for their game against the Detroit Red Wings, which starts in less than 24 hours after Tuesday’s game. It could be a great rebound game. It could also send the Mammoth back home with a sub .500 record. It’s a big game for the Mammoth.
“We need to rebound quickly and be all in on that game,” Hayton said. “We got to be locked in from the get-go, a lot of urgency. It’s a huge one.”
Being the last game on the road trip, a loss could cause more concern around the team. A win could send the Mammoth happily home for their final three games before the Christmas break. Either way, some sort of rebound is a requirement for Wednesday.
The Red Wings are 19-12-3 this season, are at the top of the Atlantic Division, and are coming off a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. The Mammoth faced them twice last season, with the two teams each winning a game. The Red Wings won the most recent game by a score of 5-2.
