Mammoth having ‘a heck of a lot of fun’ in playoff push
· Yahoo Sports
And then there were two.
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The Utah Mammoth’s 4-3 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday means the league’s newest team has beaten 30 of the 32 teams in the NHL. And their next opponent, the Edmonton Oilers, are one of the two remaining squads.
Utah’s top line made all the difference in this one. Lawson Crouse scored twice in the first 10 minutes, and Nick Schmaltz scored a beauty and the OT winner. The two of them alongside Clayton Keller has been the Mammoth’s most consistent line this season.
But what makes them so effective? Crouse deferred to the longstanding chemistry of his line mates.
“They’ve played together so long, they know each other like the back of their hands,” he said. “That chemistry, it’s great to just jump in there and play. (I) just try and play fast for them, but smart and heavy and try and win battles, get to the net, open the ice for them.
“Obviously, they’re elite playmakers and finishers, so there’s a happy balance of getting to the net and trying to open up ice, but also being available for them to make quick plays to get shots on goal.”
Is this the nicest goal in franchise history? https://t.co/KOuF38z68J
— Brogan Houston (@houston_brogan) March 23, 2026
This year has been a complete 180 for number 67. His goal total alone surpasses his point total from last season, and the Mammoth still have 11 games left.
During training camp, I asked Crouse what he was doing to get his game back on track. He invited me to sit down while he laid it out.
“When you get in your own head, it’s not great,” he said. “As athletes, you need to do whatever you can to stay out of your head. When you let that affect your game, it affects the team’s game. I got away from what makes me successful as a player, so it’s just about getting back to that.
“... Ultimately, (I’m) just trying to be the best version of myself, and hopefully that’s contagious. Do the right things and lead by example.”
André Tourigny, who has had Crouse all five years of his NHL head coaching tenure, is not surprised to see him bounce back.
“You don’t always have your A year,” he said. “Sometimes, you have years where you (make) decisions you should have not, or things (don’t) go your way. That’s just life. But I think Lawson Crouse, his leadership, his commitment to the team, his professionalism, his focus, it’s always been something we’re really excited to have in our locker room.”
With the increased offense and the policing he’s done to keep his opponents in check, it’s probably safe to say “The Sheriff” has earned his badge back.
For whatever it’s worth, MoneyPuck now gives the Mammoth a 94% chance at making the playoffs.
Schmaltz has suffered through a lot of early golfing in his eight seasons since being traded to Arizona, and he’s glad to finally be in a favorable position down the stretch.
“It’s awesome,” he said after the game. “I mean, it’s way more fun playing these games than (it is when you know) you’re going to tee it up at the end of April or whatever.
“Super exciting to be in this position that we put ourselves in, and we’ve got some work to do left.”
The Mammoth’s game against the Kings was akin to playoff hockey in the sense that there was plenty of physicality, but the referees didn’t call any penalties unless they absolutely had to.
“Guys are fighting for their lives out there. It’s a lot of fun,” Schmaltz said. “A lot of competitiveness, a lot of stuff after the whistles. It’s a heck of a lot of fun out there.”
Utah and Los Angeles will meet again on Saturday, this time in Southern California. As it stands at the time of writing, the Kings are two points out of a playoff spot, so it’s bound to be just as hard-fought, if not more-so.
“We all know LA’s fighting to catch (up to us),” Tourigny said. “It’s a really important game.”