3 Takeaways From Mammoth’s 6-4 Win Over Sharks

Throughout the 40 minutes, it wasn’t just offense where the Mammoth dominated. It was in every category. In the first period, the Sharks didn’t even fight back. Every time they gained the puck, the Mammoth would simply forecheck and eventually take it back. It became the same story in the third period, with Askarov continuously bailing out his team, as the Sharks were outshot 12-3.

“We loved our first period,” Tanev said. “A lot of good things to take away from it, but things got away from us in the second there. Ultimately, we dug down, and we understood what we were doing was wrong, then we had a great third period. There’s a lot of stuff that we liked and that we didn’t like, and it’s improvements throughout camp. You play the preseason, and there are a lot of games, moving bodies, a lot of things, and it’s understanding each other, how to play, and how to play the right way.”

The two periods were undoubtedly the best periods of hockey the Mammoth have played in the preseason. From special teams to goaltending, it was a good outing for the team and a lot of the players as well. Unfortunately, playing a full 60 minutes of hockey is something the Mammoth have struggled with in the past, and it continued into the final preseason game.

Second Period Blues

Throughout last season, the Mammoth struggled to play a good second period. A lot of the time, they had a solid beginning and ending, but for some reason couldn’t continue that play in the second period. Heading into this season, a goal was to fix that flaw in their game. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen in the preseason.

Tyler Toffoli started the scoring for the Sharks early in the second period. Barclay Goodrow followed the goal up with one of his own after a poor defensive lapse for the Mammoth, which allowed him to get behind them. The Sharks caught up with the Mammoth on a power-play opportunity, where they completely dominated, allowing Will Smith to score.

The second period was the only period in which the Sharks outshot the Mammoth. It was also the only period where the Mammoth looked off and sloppy. The Sharks capitalized on that, and it almost cost them the win.

“I did not like the second period,” head coach André Tourigny said. “I think it’s a good opportunity for us to learn. We were not as fast in the second period. We were not on our toes, and that cost us. I think we learned from there, and I really like the way we respond in the third.”

Tourigny went on to say that his team became passive in the second. If you rewatch the goals, that was clearly the case. There were some really careless and sloppy mistakes made by the Mammoth defense. The speed and hard forechecking that the Mammoth are known for weren’t in play either.

“There’s a timeline between being smart in your decision and being passive,” Tourigny said. “You have to be patient, but you cannot be passive; we were trying to be patient in the second, and instead of being patient, we became passive. We take our best asset out of the game, which is our pace, our speed, our aggression on the forecheck, aggression on the track, and aggression on the way we close the neutral zone. So I think it was a good teaching moment for us to draw the line between passive and patient.”

It’s ironic that the near-collapse happened against the Sharks as well. Nearly a year ago, in one of the team’s first games, the Mammoth were up 4-1 at the end of the third period. The team then fell apart as the Sharks rallied back to score four straight goals, including the overtime winner. Luckily for the Mammoth, that scenario didn’t repeat on Saturday.

However, the second period offers some teaching moments for the Mammoth as they seek a playoff appearance this season. 

“Moving our feet,” Keller said. “I think that’s the biggest thing for us. We talked about it, and we’ll get better. We had chances last year of the same thing for whatever reason. So we’ll keep working at it, making sure next time you know what to expect from another team.”

The preseason doesn’t matter. But the games on Thursday and beyond do. Messing up on Saturday is okay. Repeating the same mistake in Denver won’t be. It’s something to keep an eye on heading forward as the team continues to work on protecting the lead.

Notables From Game 7

Before talking about the notables from the game, there were some cuts between the past two preseason games for the Mammoth. Matt Villalta, Cameron Hebig, and Gabe Smith were all cut, with the first two names being assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL).

That leaves a couple of guys who weren’t in the NHL last season still at camp. Included in that group are Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But, Curtis Douglas, Tij Iginla, and Agozzino.

Agozzino was one of the notables from the seventh preseason game. He was in the right place at the right time a couple of times throughout the game, including on Sergachev’s goal, but didn’t get anything on the score sheet. Finally, his moment came when J.J. Peterka’s shot rebounded off Askarov and right onto Agozzino’s stick for his first goal of the preseason.

It’s been a great camp for Agozzino. However, it’s hard to imagine he beats out someone in the bottom six for a roster spot. However, he and Hebig have both proved they can thrive in that group if ever called up to the NHL. Calling one of the two players up is definitely something the Mammoth should consider if issues arise with their depth.

Yamamoto was another standout for the Mammoth who could be on the cusp of either making the lineup or being sent down to the AHL. His first goal of the preseason, along with his good two-way play throughout the games he’s appeared in, has arguably earned him a spot in Utah. The question is, do the Mammoth want to roll with more of a physical presence? Maybe a younger lineup? Whatever happens, Yamamoto has made Tourigny’s job even tougher.

Of course, Dylan Guenther once again made an impact for the Mammoth. What else is new? His fourth goal of the preseason led the team. Most people are expecting a massive season for Guenther. It wouldn’t be surprising if he challenges Keller for the goal-scoring title for the team.

Lastly, Sergachev, as mentioned, had a big night as well with his three points. Similar to Guenther, there’s no surprise there at all as he continues to mold into one of the best defensemen in the league.

The Mammoth finished the preseason with a 2-4-1 record. Now comes the toughest part for Tourigny and his staff. Trimming the roster, which will include sending multiple players who have impressed and made it this far to the AHL or juniors. The Mammoth currently have 28 players on their roster that aren’t on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). They’ll need to cut five of those players unless they put someone like Alex Kerfoot or Liam O’Brien on LTIR.

Will the youth prevail, and players like Simashev, But, and Iginla beat out some veterans? Maybe guys who have made an impact in the AHL, like Agozzino and Yamamoto, will reign supreme. Only time will tell, but what is definite is that the 28 players still on the roster have each made some sort of positive impact throughout the preseason. The next couple of days will be hard for the organization, but choices will be made to make sure the team has the best roster possible for Thursday’s game.

The Mammoth will take on the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday at Ball Arena to open up the regular season. The Avalanche are coming off a 3-2 loss in their final preseason game against the Dallas Stars, but will play the LA Kings before playing the Mammoth. In four matchups against each other last season, the two teams split, each winning a pair of games.