Is it time for the Utah Mammoth to consider a change in net after Sunday’s ugly loss in Philadelphia?

Nov 1, 2026 , 6:02 PM | Updated: 6:17 pm

Karel Vejmelka, Utah Mammoth....

Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Utah Mammoth stretches before the game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on October 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

COLE BAGLEY


Utah Mammoth Insider

SALT LAKE CITY – Following a thrilling overtime victory in Pittsburgh, the Utah Mammoth split their Pennsylvania road trip after suffering an ugly loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

Despite limiting Philadelphia to just 21 shots, goaltender Karel Vejmelka surrendered five goals, raising some serious questions about Utah’s goaltending situation.

Is it time for the Mammoth to make a change between the pipes?

Utah needs to start having some difficult discussions about their starting goaltender

Despite an impressive 9-6 start to the season and a spot among the Central Division’s top three teams, the Utah Mammoth have been plagued by remarkably poor goaltending.

According to HockeyStats.com, Utah currently ranks dead last in goals saved above expected at -8.7, meaning its goaltenders have allowed 8.7 more goals than expected based on shot quality and volume.

Making matters worse, the Mammoth’s collective save percentage sat third worst in the league at .867 even before Sunday’s disappointing loss.

So, where does Utah go from here?

Following a 6-3 loss to the Flyers in which starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka surrendered five goals on just 20 shots (.750 save percentage), the Mammoth are quickly approaching a point where some difficult conversations may be necessary.

Vejmelka has now lost four of his last five starts while posting a .838 save percentage over that stretch (.815 in losses). Simply put, he hasn’t been giving Utah the level of goaltending necessary to consistently compete and win hockey games.

Now, to be completely fair to No. 70, Utah was outscored 20-9 over those four losses.

Clearly, the Mammoth haven’t done Vejmelka many favors in front of him, and not every goal can be pinned solely on the goaltender. The team as a whole has struggled to execute, making it difficult to place the blame entirely on him.

“We were working and trying to win the game, but our execution wasn’t there,” Mikhail Sergachev said. “In the third period we kind of started cheating. Leaving the zone and exposed ourselves…that’s all on us.”

“I think we know what went wrong. It’s the same thing again. We’re down a couple goals and we’re trying to cheat the game a little bit and it bites us. It’s the same thing that happened before.”

It’s tough for any goaltender to consistently make stops when he’s being left out to dry by the skaters in front of him.

However, at some point, a netminder has to step up and make an unexpected save when his team isn’t playing its best.

That’s why the Mammoth should strongly consider giving Sebastian Cossa the start against Toronto on Tuesday.

While his overall save percentage hasn’t been particularly impressive either (.857), Cossa is 3-1 through four starts, has won his last two appearances and is coming off a strong performance against Pittsburgh, where he stopped 31 of 34 shots (.912 save percentage).

Give him a legitimate test against the Maple Leafs and see what happens.

If he rises to the occasion and delivers a big win, keep him in net. If not, turn back to Vejmelka the following night, but make the starting job more of a competition moving forward.

At this point, neither goaltender has done enough to establish himself as Utah’s unquestioned No. 1 option this season.

It’s time to see what both guys can do with a little more pressure and a legitimate opportunity to earn the starting role.

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What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?

The Utah Mammoth will continue their six-game road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at 5 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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