3 Takeaways From Mammoth’s 4-1 Win Over Canucks

Sergachev’s goal made it back-to-back games where the Mammoth have scored on the power play. After a November where the team scored on very few chances, they’ve now tallied a goal on the man advantage in two of the three games in December.

“They were both broken plays and lucky goals,” Sergachev said. “I don’t want to say anything. That’s thanks to hockey Gods.”

Call it luck, or whatever you want, it’s sure a lot better than having one of the worst power plays in the league. I’m sure the Mammoth would agree with that as well.

Sergachev also assisted on the second goal for the Mammoth. The game was the defenseman’s first multi-point game since Oct. 25. After some rough games in November, Sergachev has had a solid start to December. We’ll see if he can continue that momentum heading into the rest of the month.

Multiple Droughts Broken

It wasn’t just Sergachev ending an offensive-related drought. The three other Mammoth goals came from players who hadn’t scored in a while.

The second goal, as mentioned, came off a Sergachev shot. However, it was Nick Schmaltz who ended up tipping it into the back of the net. It was his first goal in nearly a month, with his prior goal coming on Nov. 12.

With the Canucks scoring early in the third period, the two teams played a hard-fought game heading into the final minutes. That’s when the fourth line came alive.

After getting a pass from Jack McBain, Kailer Yamamoto used his speed and rushed up the ice. Once in the Canucks’ zone, Yamamoto flipped around and passed the puck to Kevin Stenlund. Stenlund dangled past some defenders and put the puck in on his backhand.

Stenlund’s drought has been even longer than Schmaltz’s. He hadn’t scored since Oct. 15, which was the Mammoth’s first home game. It was a well-deserved goal. Stenlund has taken a beating in the past couple of weeks, including taking a hard hit from Vegas Golden Knights’ forward Cole Reinhardt that injured him and has forced him to wear a bubble.

Stenlund’s goal is a prime example of how the Mammoth have finally started to use their biggest asset again, their speed, to help win games.

“Our rush has gotten better since we were on the losing streak,” Sergachev said. “Our rush is better, and (so is) our attention to detail in the D zone.”

To cap off the game, John Marino easily slid the puck into the Canucks’ empty net with less than a minute remaining in the game to put the Mammoth up 4-1. It was his first goal since Oct. 25.

It’s hard to go that long without goals. Even if you’re a player who isn’t known for scoring, you know how good it’ll feel to get the next one. It’s part of the game. Sticking to your play and having a strong mentality despite the lows that you might suffer.

The same can be said about fatigue. The Mammoth have played quite a few games as of late. In December, they won’t have a break longer than a day until the Christmas break. That many games can be tough on players. However, it’s not an excuse. Every NHL team is going through the same thing thanks to the Olympic break. 

That’s why head coach André Tourigny and his group need to come into every game with a strong mentality and to play to their game. If they can do that, they’ll win games. 

“We can feel a little bit of fatigue here and there, but that’s the challenge for us, to stay strong mentally, and to make sure we manage the game the right way, and the team will do its best to take advantage of it,” Tourigny said.

Never Tell Me the Odds

Funny thing is, statistically, the Mammoth weren’t supposed to win on Friday night. The Canucks were better in almost every category. Yet, the Mammoth had one big thing going for them: Karel Vejmelka.

Vejmelka had another outstanding game where he proved that he’s a starter in this league and a good one at that. The Canucks dominated early in the game. No matter, Vejmelka saved every shot to keep the score knotted at zero. Brock Boeser has an easy rebound. Nope, the Czech goaltender saved that one, too.

“Sometimes the boys need help,” Vejmelka said. “Sometimes I need them. It’s a team win.”

The Canucks had nearly twice as many shots as the Mammoth had. They had the better zone time and pressure. It didn’t matter at the end of the day.

“That’s fun,” Tourigny said. “Don’t win the analytic battle and win the game. That has not happened a lot this year, but a really good job by Veggie (Vejmelka). I like our battle around the net. They put a lot of pucks at the net, and they put a fight up in the blue paint. We battled really hard, and our goalie stood tall. We were hard around the net. We’re all hard in our battle. I like that a lot.”

While Vejmelka’s shutout was ruined after five periods of not allowing a goal, he still walked away from the game with a .969 save percentage and the first star of the game. His overall save percentage continues to improve, now sitting at .896.

As Vejmelka mentioned, it was a team win. The defense played well, getting some huge blocks in. The offense capitalized on their opportunities, including scoring on the power play. It was a complete effort, even if the stats were in favor of the Canucks.

“Veggie was on top of his game tonight,” Sergachev said. “We had some big blocks, and when we had our chances, we scored. That’s what you want to see from your team.”

Something that is concerning is that Logan Cooley might’ve sustained another injury. In the third period, Cooley thought he had a breakaway. However, he ended up tied up with a Canucks player, and he crashed into the net with his leg wrapping around the post. He skated off the ice with barely any help, but it is something to keep an eye on, especially after the knee incident in the game against the St. Louis Blues.

Other than that, it’s another win for the Mammoth. Their second in a row as they now head into the final game of the road trip with a 2-3-0 record in those five games. In the past two specifically, you can tell the Mammoth have looked like themselves again. The players are starting to have fun again.

“It’s fun to play now,” Vejmelka said. “We did a really good job defensively. They had more shots than us, but it wasn’t that hard of a game.”

However, just like after their 7-0 win over the Ducks, the Mammoth need to move on quickly. Another win is good, but they need more of them. Consistency has been the main topic of discussion as of late, and while a two-game winning streak is great, three or more in a row is the goal.

They will be facing a team next that has done well in the past couple of games. That being the Calgary Flames, who have a 5-3-2 record in their past 10 games. Despite the Flames being near the bottom of the league, the Mammoth need to be careful and not overestimate them in order to win.

“What’s important is to move on,” Tourigny said. “We cannot get ahead of ourselves. Calgary won seven of their last 10. They’re playing better hockey. They’ve been on the road a ton since the start of the season. Now they’re back home, and they’ll try to take advantage of it. For us, it’s great, happy. The boys played good. We fought hard. We have two points. We’re happy. Let’s enjoy it until midnight, but let’s make sure we’re ready for the Calgary game tomorrow.”

Two wins in a row are great. However, three wins in a row could be something special. The Mammoth haven’t done it since their gigantic winning streak at the beginning of the season. Perhaps the final game of the long and winding road trip will change that.

The Mammoth will take on the Flames on Saturday. The Flames are 10-15-4 this season and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. These two teams last met at the beginning of October when the Mammoth won 3-1.