Utah Mammoth offer commendable effort despite preseason OT loss to superior Vegas Golden Knights squad

Sep 24, 2026 , 11:46 PM | Updated: Sep 25, 2026, 12:02 am

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Liam O'Brien, Utah Mammoth....

iam O'Brien #38 of the Utah Mammoth points at teammate Yegor Borikov #65 after Brikov assisted O'Brien on a first-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during their preseason game at T-Mobile Arena on September 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

COLE BAGLEY


Utah Mammoth Insider

SALT LAKE CITY – Despite losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in OT (again), the Utah Mammoth offered a commendable preseason effort as they battled for 60 minutes valiantly.

Facing a roster made up of mostly NHL skaters, Utah’s young prospects and AHL players pushed Vegas’s stars to the brink in a highly competitive contest that produced nine goals.

Utah Mammoth refuse to quit despite OT loss to Vegas Golden Knights

Coming into tonight’s matchup, nobody gave Utah a chance to win the hockey game.

Facing a vastly superior roster made up of mostly NHL stars who competed for Lord Stanley just a few months ago, the Mammoth didn’t stand much of a chance.

But that didn’t matter to a group of young prospects and AHL skaters in mountain blue looking to prove themselves.

“I want to see how our guys will react, how much they will compete,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said during morning skate. “We’re continuing to work on our team identity and make sure we’re getting back at who we are and how we have to play to be successful.”

As Tourigny noted in his press conference this morning, he wanted to see the guys compete against Vegas and they did not dissapoint.

Despite giving up the first goal of the game, Utah scored three unanswered going into the third period to take a 3-1 lead.

Now, unsurprisingly, Vegas eventually stormed back with three goals in the third and an OT winner by Jack Eichel to edge the Mammoth, 5-4.

However, there was still a lot to like about the way Utah fought throughout all 60 minutes.

Sebastian Cossa was calm and collected as he stopped 30 pucks. Barrett Hayton created scoring chances by consistently screening the goaltender. Kevin Stelund found his groove with three apples. Yegor Borikov continued to crowd the crease and Dmitri Simashev looked prepared to be a full-time NHL skater.

As noted in previous games, preseason matchups are not about the final score, but rather creating a culture, allowing veterans to shake off the rust, and giving young prospects a chance to show what they’re made of.

Tonight, Utah rose to the occasion with a commendable effort as they gave a superior Vegas squad a serious scare.

Liam O’Brien has made a strong case to be Utah’s last forward

As training camp wraps up this weekend, the Utah Mammoth have a lot of questions they’ll need to answer before the puck drops on October 1.

While everyone will be anxious to see what the top six looks like, and whether or not prospects like Daniil But or Dmitri Simashev will make the opening night roster, there’s another notable battle underway for the final forward spot.

If Daniil But has in fact proved himself worthy of a roster spot, Utah will be faced with a difficult decision regarding their healthy scratches.

Unable to keep all of their current forwards, one of either Brandon Tanev or Liam O’Brien will most likely have to be placed on waivers.

So, which player should they keep in that scenario?

Based on their performances in training camp and a collection of other notable factors, O’Brien has made a stronger case to be Utah’s last forward.

Beginning with their performances last season, O’Brien finished the year with three goals, one assist and a plus/minus of -6 in 38 games.

Meanwhile, Tanev only registered three assists and a plus/minus of -15 in 56 appearances.

Now, fast forward to the preseason, O’Brien has been a man on a mission while Tanev has continued to struggle.

Focused on proving himself worthy of more NHL appearances, O’Brien has since scored twice in two preseason games.

“My goal is to be in the lineup a lot more than I have been the last two years,” O’Brien said during morning skate. “I want to be someone who is in there every night. I want to do my job which is protect my teammates.”

“[I’m going to] push to be in that first game.”

As O’Brien has proven over the last two seasons in Utah, he’s the ultimate teammate and a perfect healthy scratch.

Whether he’s played six straight nights or sat in the press box for two months, he’s the same player.

He will show up whenever his number is called, protect his teammates, provide energy, crash the net, and answer any bell to drop the gloves regardless of what the opposition looks like.

“He’s a hell of a pro,” Tourigny told KSL Sports. “When he’s in the lineup, we’re winning. Say whatever you want. In the playoff, we’re 2-1 with him in the lineup. We didn’t win a game without him.”

“Same thing during the season. He has a winning record…when you feel like you’re slacking a little bit, you can’t with that animal around you. He’s ready and he’s rocking. He drives you in the fight all the time. He brings those intangibles…he has no fear. He doesn’t know what fear is.”

Notably, the other factor O’Brien has going for him is that Tanev would likely clear waivers given the size of his contract.

Whereas if Utah put O’Brien on waivers, they run the risk of another team snatching him up.

So, while this situation is entirely dependent on Daniil But making the opening night roster, O’Brien deserves to be the final forward in that scenario.

Not only has he produced more points than Tanev going back to last season, but he simply possesses more intangibles.

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What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?

The Utah Mammoth will wrap up the preseason on Saturday afternoon as they host the Colorado Avalanche at Delta Center at 3 p.m. MT.

The game will be available on SEG+.

All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).

Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Follow him on X. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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