3 Takeaways From Mammoth’s 3-2 Loss to Kings

The goal was But’s second of the preseason. When he and Dmitriy Simashev came over from Russia, it was expected that But needed more time to develop and mold into the best hockey player he could be. However, it seems to be the exact opposite as the forward has looked more notable and impressive than his teammate.

“He’s a big body, he’s got some skill, lots of skill, and I think he’s looked good,” Hebig said. “He can make plays. He’s got a good shot, and it looks like he’s got lots of confidence for a younger guy. It’s impressive to see, and I’m sure he’ll keep it going.”

One of head coach André Tourigny’s favorite things to see is how a player corrects his mistake. But was a part of the Kings’ second goal, losing the puck in the neutral zone and falling, which led to Andre Lee scoring. Instead of letting it define his game, But went out and produced two points. It’s something that Tourigny loves to see out of his rookies, and it didn’t change on Tuesday.

“He played well,” Tourigny said. “He made a mistake on their second goal, and he reacted right away. It did not phase him. He did not crawl back from there. It’s the reverse. He really pushed back and had a good assist, and then he scored a big goal. It was good to see that.”

It’ll be tough for But to crack the lineup. It’s been mentioned before. Especially if guys like Alex Kerfoot and Liam O’Brien are healthy come the regular season, the Russian might have to spend some time in the American Hockey League.

However, if he plays anything like the way he’s been playing in the preseason, it might be hard for the Mammoth to keep him down there. But has been one of the bright spots in a winless preseason for the team. It’s good to see that out of one of your top prospects.

Some Good, Some Bad From Boise

As mentioned, it was a mixed bag for the Mammoth in Boise. There was some good, like But’s performance, but there was also some bad.

Let’s start with the good. The second half of the game was all Mammoth. They had better opportunities in the second half of the second period. The Mammoth’s special teams were better. The forechecking was some of the best we’ve seen from the team all preseason long.

“There’s a lot of positives,” Tourigny said. “Our PK was really good. We had good O-zone possession. We checked really hard. We didn’t give them any time or space. They had second to none offensively. I’m really happy about our pace and our game and the way we managed the puck in the offensive zone.”

The two goals in less than a couple of minutes in the second period really got the Mammoth going. They were buzzing, outshooting the Kings in the final two periods. That included the team outshooting their opponents 11-3 in the third. 

“I think our confidence grew as the game went on,” Hebig said. “I think in the second, we made a good push there, and I think guys’ confidence was growing as every shift was going, and guys were rolling in the third period. I think that’s the positives you can build off of and keep building on offensively.”

Then you start to look at the bad in the game. Yes, Copley played well, saving 22 of the Mammoth’s 24 shots. However, the first period was mostly Kings. They had some really good chances that challenged Karel Vejmelka. They forced the Mammoth to take penalties. They capitalized on those opportunities as well.

You can’t blame the rosters either. The Kings arguably had the worst roster between the two, with their only notables being Andrei Kuzmenko (who really stood out during the game), Brandt Clarke, Alex Turcotte, Akil Thomas, and Copley. Meanwhile, the Mammoth had a lot of their top prospects like Simashev, But, Cole Beaudoin, and Tij Iginla on top of some veterans like Nate Schmidt, Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, Ian Cole, Lawson Crouse, and John Marino.

The Kings played like they needed it more, and they did. They deployed a lot of guys hungry for a roster spot who probably won’t get one in the end. As soon as the Mammoth stepped on the gas, it was all them, but the second they took their foot off, like during Taylor Ward’s eventual game-winning goal in the third, the Kings swarmed them. 

It wasn’t a bad effort by the Mammoth. Again, it’s just preseason. These games and the team’s record don’t matter. However, there needs to be more hunger from guys like Iginla and Simashev, who didn’t do much on Tuesday. The same hunger that came from guys on the Kings like Cole Guttman, Lee, and Ward, who helped their team win the game, and will get second looks throughout the season because of their efforts.

Notables From Preseason Game 5

So, who stood out for the Mammoth on Tuesday? There were actually quite a few standouts, just maybe not from the guys you’d expect, though.

As mentioned, this was probably But’s best game for the Mammoth so far. Most of the game, he looked like the best player on the ice for either team.

Vejmelka, of course, looked really good. That’s pretty much the norm at this point. However, out of the two games he’s played so far in the preseason, this was his best one. He made some big saves, stopping some two-on-one opportunities from the Kings and shutting the door on Guttman, who had a wide-open net in the first period. It sounds like Tourigny doesn’t want to name an opening night starter until the day comes, but I think this game expelled anyone who had a single doubt in their mind that it wouldn’t be Vejmelka.

This was also the best preseason game we’ve seen Hebig play. The goal, of course, was fantastic for him, but he made a lot of physical plays that kept his team going. While he did take a penalty early in the game, he made up for it. 

Hebig has been a part of an NHL training camp multiple times before, but he’s shown in this one why the Mammoth chose to sign him to a two-way contract last season and a two-way extension in the summer rather than giving him another AHL deal. He’s been really noticeable, and it’s thanks to what he’s learned from players in the NHL.

“It’s been great to be here, learning from some of the top guys like Keller and Schmaltz, and learning from Coach Bear, who’s very attentive to detail and the systems, and I’ve learned so much from the coaching staff,” Hebig said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Hebig’s energy and passion for being the best he can be are attributes that rub off on younger players. It’s why he’s a popular guy down with the Tucson Roadrunners, and it’s why someone like Tourigny smiles every time he’s mentioned.

“I like his energy,” Tourigny said. “You know what you will get from Biggie all the time. He works really hard. He’s heavy on the puck as well, and he brings a lot of energy.”

While it won’t be surprising if Hebig is part of the next round of cuts, this has to be his best preseason to date. It’ll be hard for him to push into the NHL, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he has a solid season with the Roadrunners, and the Mammoth get the chance to rest some of their players thanks to an early playoff clinch.

Hebig’s Roadrunners teammate, Ben McCartney, had a pretty big role in the game as well. After Ward laid into Iginla pretty hard, McCartney challenged him to a fight. It was a long one, and the Mammoth forward kept pace with Ward. While similar to Hebig, he’ll probably be part of the next round of cuts, but the Macdonald native had a pretty solid game and camp.

The final honorable mention has to be Curtis Douglas. Originally, he wasn’t expected to play, and O’Brien was projected to go to Boise. However, something happened, and Douglas took his spot in the lineup. Despite the late notice, he played pretty well and had a noticeable presence on the ice.

“I really like his game since the start of training camp,” Toruginy said. “He’s stable. He’s always in the right spot. He’s playing structure. He’s not a high risk, and he has a presence out there. He’s doing a good job.”

Tourigny did mention that the Mammoth will most likely use a veteran-heavy lineup for their next preseason game on Thursday, meaning rookies and AHL players might be cut by the time the game rolls around. As preseason nears its end, it’s the correct move as AHL and junior camps open up.

If this is the last we see of some of these players this preseason, like But, Hebig, and Douglas, it was a good effort by all of them. While the Mammoth failed to record a win, they made some good impressions on Tourigny and the coaching staff. The past two games have been the best the Mammoth have played so far, showing that the team and the players are heading in the right direction.

Tuesday’s game might’ve been a loss for the Mammoth, but there was a lot of good to come out of it. It was perhaps the best time for it to happen to the team as well, playing in front of a nearly sold-out crowd in Boise. Who knows? The phenomenal efforts of someone like But could’ve made a new fan during the game. That’s the biggest win you could ask for in the preseason.

The Mammoth are now 0-4-1 in the preseason with two games remaining. They’ll play the Kings again on Thursday, this time at the newly renovated Delta Center, which will be the Mammoth’s first official home game since April.