ick Schmaltz #8 of the Utah Mammoth celebrates his goal with Dylan Guenther #11 against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena on April 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Mammoth remain the NHL’s only team yet to suffer back-to-back losses this season, bouncing back once again with a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After making changes to all four forward lines, the Mammoth found a much-needed offensive spark to secure the win.
In addition to sporting black buckets with their road whites, the Utah Mammoth looked a little different against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
Mammoth wearing black helmets tonight with their white sweaters on the road.
I’ve heard that the league has been encouraging teams to experiment with dark helmets on the road for better contrast on TV and visibility against DED signage.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 3, 2026
Coming off an ugly 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon, head coach Andre Tourigny shuffled his forward lines in an effort to create more balance and physicality throughout the lineup.
Lots of line changes.
Lee with Hayton & Keller up top. Crouse joins Cooley & Trocheck. Schmaltz centers McBain & Guenther on the third & Carcone joins Stenlund & O’Brien on the fourth.
DeSimone in for Duda. Cossa in net.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 3, 2026
The results were evident.
The Mammoth displayed a suffocating forecheck, forced turnovers in the neutral zone, generated clean zone entries, executed proper reloads and sustained extended offensive-zone pressure. The increased pressure also resulted in numerous power plays, plenty of shots on goal and, most importantly, pucks finding the back of the net.
“I thought we were really good,” Nick Schmaltz said. “All the lines were playing the right way. We were creating a lot. Especially in the first two periods.”
“I think they had a push in the third, but we weathered it and found a way to get a win.”
Quick release from Gunner! 🎯
1-0, Utah. https://t.co/sJSrf03BYQ
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 4, 2026
🚨 Peeker puts this one in!
2-1, Utah. https://t.co/SXTNzTOzhJ
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 4, 2026
Schmaltzy puts it home on the power play! 🔥
3-2, Utah. https://t.co/mYF2AXNBnj
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 4, 2026
Entering Tuesday’s matchup, Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz had combined for just two goals over their previous seven games.
Despite playing alongside Clayton Keller on the top line, the trio had struggled to generate consistent offense, largely due to an ineffective forecheck and an inability to sustain offensive-zone pressure.
Against Toronto, however, all four lines found ways to establish extended offensive-zone time, putting the Maple Leafs under constant pressure and forcing them to take penalties.
Right on cue, Guenther opened the scoring on the power play in the first period before Schmaltz eventually put the game away with a greasy goal in the final frame.
“I think we were just confident with the puck,” Schmaltz explained. “We’ve got a lot of skill throughout our lineup. I think when we’re making plays when the play is there. If not, we’re working off the forecheck. We’re a tough team to play against when we’re rolling like that.”
Sometimes, a simple shake-up is all it takes to get an offense back on track.
Credit to Tourigny for recognizing what wasn’t working, finding the right combinations and getting all four lines moving in the right direction to defeat the Leafs 3-2.
Following an abysmal five-game stretch from Karel Vejmelka, head coach Andre Tourigny elected to make a change between the pipes in Toronto.
Giving rookie goaltender Sebastian Cossa the biggest opportunity of his young career, the 23-year-old rose to the occasion against a formidable Maple Leafs offense.
Cossa turned aside 27 of 29 shots (.931 save percentage), displaying composure throughout the night while making several key stops. He also weathered a suffocating third-period push from Toronto and refused to surrender a 6-on-5 goal during the final two minutes.
“He made some great saves, clutch saves at crucial moments,” Andrew Peeke explained. “He played a heck of a game.”
“Makes us feel comfortable back there as a team.”
As Peeke pointed out, there’s a certain level of confidence that comes with having a goaltender capable of delivering when the game is on the line.
That’s not to suggest the Mammoth lack confidence in Vejmelka, but having a netminder who can consistently come up with those timely, momentum-saving stops can make a significant difference throughout the lineup.
It gives the players in front of him the confidence to play aggressively, knowing they have someone capable of bailing them out when necessary.
That’s exactly what Cossa has provided over his last two starts.
With a 4-1 record this season, three consecutive wins and a .919 save percentage over his last two outings, Cossa has certainly made a compelling case for another opportunity between the pipes.
After a performance like Tuesday’s, he deserves the start in Montreal.
The Utah Mammoth will continue their six-game road trip as they debut their new “Hometown Remix” sweaters against the Montreal Canadiens 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.
