The Utah Mammoth extended their losing streak to five games on Saturday, falling 6-5 in a shootout to the San Jose Sharks. Despite outshooting their opponents 32-21, the Mammoth were unable to secure a regulation win, marking their second consecutive shootout defeat.
Offensive Contributions and Defensive Depth
Zac Jones led the offensive effort for Utah, recording his first career multi-goal game in the NHL. His performance included a goal assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and a second strike from the middle of the zone. Jones has now tallied seven points, including three goals, over his last five professional appearances. “I feel good,” Jones said. “Not just the offensive part of the game. I felt like I controlled the puck well, defended well, and now I’m just going to take it and learn from it, and then hopefully take it in the next game.”
Ben McCartney also saw increased ice time, logging over seven minutes of play and contributing three hits. The team’s reliance on defensemen for scoring remains a notable trend, as three of the five goals on Saturday came from the blueline, including one from Mikhail Sergachev. While this highlights the team’s depth, head coach André Tourigny noted the imbalance, as the defense is currently outproducing the forward group.
Goaltending Concerns
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka struggled significantly, allowing five goals on 21 shots for a .762 save percentage. The performance prompted public criticism from Tourigny, who addressed the team’s need for better consistency in net. “Vej has to be better,” Tourigny stated. “I don’t want to say that about any of our players, but that’s just the way it is. So it is what it is.”
Tourigny acknowledged the difficulty of the situation but emphasized the professional requirements of the position. “He’s in a tough situation,” the coach added. “I feel bad for him, but that’s on the personal side. On the business side, he has a job to do, and he needs to do it now more than ever.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the loss, the Mammoth earned a single point, moving them back into the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. However, players expressed frustration regarding the team’s inability to close out games. “Having a good start, getting a lead. I think we just have to manage the game better,” said forward Barrett Hayton. “Ultimately, there’s gonna be games like that where it’s a fine margin of error, and yeah, it’s just not good enough.”
The Mammoth are scheduled to face the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. The Canucks currently hold the worst record in the NHL at 3-17-1.
