3 Takeaways from Mammoth’s 4-1 Loss to Devils

In the four games the Mammoth have played against the Devils in franchise history, they have yet to win a single one. They’ve had their number each time.

It goes back to the stuff the Mammoth have done poorly. Lack of players in front of the net, defensive struggles, poor defensive structure, struggles on special teams, and lack of discipline.

“They play really hard,” head coach André Tourigny said. “They defend in the front pretty well. We could not create traffic. They apply good pressure. You need support. You get out of your structure to support, and you’re not in front of the net enough. That is the part we need to analyze to have better answers.”

Defensive lapses were also a massive issue. It allowed the Devils to get behind the Mammoth’s defense, which they often did throughout Saturday’s game. A prime example of this was on a Mammoth power play when Luke Glendening almost tapped a puck home shorthanded.

A lot of defensemen on the Mammoth’s blueline didn’t have great afternoons. Durzi is one of those players, and he’ll be the first to tell you that. It wasn’t a great look from what was expected to be one of the best D-cores in the Central Division.

The fact that the game wasn’t even close is a problem. Coming off a 7-2 win over the New York Islanders, who are higher in the standings than the Devils, it’s not a good look to drop the next game 4-1 and forget the way they played just a couple of days ago.

Inconsistency is Back in 2026

As mentioned, there were a bunch of problems on Saturday. Puck management, failing to break the Devils’ defense and goaltending, no net front presence, etc. You can name them all. However, there’s one overarching problem. Consistency hasn’t been a word in the Mammoth’s dictionary for a while.

It’s an issue that has plagued the Mammoth on and off the ice. On the ice, these past two games have been a great example. On Thursday against the Islanders, the Mammoth struggled in the first 15 minutes of the game. However, they corrected their mistakes and played better. The offense clicked, the special teams did well, and they exposed the Islanders’ mistakes.

Meanwhile, on Saturday against the Devils, the Mammoth started strong but then failed to build on what they started. Special teams didn’t do much, the offense barely did anything, and the Devils had their way most of the game. The two games essentially mirrored each other.

Inconsistency can kill a team’s season. The Mammoth are extremely lucky that the teams around them in the Western Conference have also been inconsistent. However, the team knows that if this keeps going, they’re going to run out of opportunities to pick up points.

“Every night in the NHL right now is a battle,” Durzi said. “Points are as critical as ever. We got to try again. Got to go on a run here. You can’t have one good game and then one bad game, one good game. We got to string together a lot of good ones.”

It’s even more frustrating because everyone, including the team, knows that the Mammoth can string together wins. While October feels like years ago, they did string quite a few together during that month.

So, what does it take to be consistent in the NHL? Durzi says it’s all mental, and owning up to the mistakes that they make in games.

“Some plays aren’t going to go your way, whether it’s your fault or not your fault,” Durzi said. “Goals against here and there, you can point fingers, but we don’t do that in our group. I think it’s owning everything we do out there and moving on and being focused for the next shift. We use that Roger Federer quote. He only won 54% of the points he ever played, but 80% of his matches. You’ve got to be able to be laser-focused. Move on to the next play, move on to the next moment, and own it from there.”

A Big Game in the Big Apple on Monday

So, what’s next? Well, it’s a big game on Monday in the heart of New York City. The Mammoth will take on the New York Rangers, fresh off their big Winter Classic win over the Florida Panthers. 

The game against the Rangers will be the final game of the Mammoth’s New York road trip. They’ll then head back home and have their longest stretch of home games this season. Going into that homestand on a winning note is very important. Starting the year 1-2-0 while trailing in the wild card chase by even more points will not fare well.

You can have all the small wins in a game as you would like. At this point in the season, the Mammoth need results, which come in the form of wins and points.

“We don’t want a moral victory,” Tourigny said. “We want a result. Today, it didn’t go the way we wanted. We’re going to reflect on it & make sure we arrive at good answers. We need to review that game, analyze it, & make sure we have the right answers to move forward.”

The Mammoth will have a day off between Saturday and Monday’s games. It gives the team a chance to reset and get ready for what will be, no doubt, a tough game against the Rangers. They are another team fighting for a playoff spot.

Excuses are wearing thin, and time is running out. It’s time to dial in and start winning games. Otherwise playoffs will just be a dream for next season.

“We got to be laser-focused,” Durzi said. “We got to own it. There’s a period where we break it down, but then it’s hit restart. It’s the NHL. Games are going the other way every night. We have a good chance to finish on a good note in New York. We know we have to do that.”

The Mammoth know what they have to do at Maddison Square Garden on Monday. We’ll see if they can play up to their potential or, once again, fall to their inconsistent and disappointing ways.

The Mammoth will face the Rangers on Monday to conclude their New York road trip. The Rangers are 20-18-5 and are coming off a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers in the 2026 Winter Classic. These two teams last met in November, where the Mammoth won 3-2.