What do the Utah Mammoth and Cinderella have in common?
Mammoth coach André Tourigny employs the “Midnight Rule,” which dictates that, win or lose, you only get to dwell on the result of a game until the clock strikes 12. After that, you start preparing for the next one.
No exceptions — even if it’s the franchise’s playoff win and you’re in one of the most notorious party cities in the world.
“We were happy, obviously. There were cheers, but (it) was not like we achieved what we wanted,” Tourigny said in a Wednesday morning availability the day after the Mammoth’s 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Yesterday, there (was) a lot of pride, guys were happy about the game, but at the same time, they were really even-keeled — and that’s important because if you get carried away, one way or the other. ... that can have a long-term effect on the playoffs.”
To this point in the series, neither team has emerged as a clear favorite. Both teams have had their moments in terms of controlling possession, but neither has been able to run up the score. Both games were decided by one mistake.
That’s why playoff hockey is so intense. Any shift can be the difference between a win and a loss, and the guys treat it as such.
Utah’s second line of Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley and Kailer Yamamoto has embodied that mentality. According to MoneyPuck, they have controlled 90.9% of expected goals while they’re on the ice. That’s the second-best group in these playoffs in terms of that stat, behind the Dallas Stars’ line of Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene and Mavrik Bourque.
Not bad for the two youngest players in the lineup and a guy on a league-minimum, two-way contract.
I've gotten a kick out of all the major media members reacting to this goal.Mammoth/Coyotes fans have seen Guenther score the same way more times than they can count, but the rest of the hockey world is just starting to realize how lethal his shot actually is.#TusksUp https://t.co/l6YFwvfjKX
The series now shifts to Salt Lake City, where the Mammoth will host the Golden Knights for the next two games. After that, they will return to Sin City for Game 5, which is guaranteed now that each team has won a game.
Monday’s game begins at 7:30 p.m. MDT, but all start times beyond that have yet to be released.
“If it’s anything like the last month or so, it’s going to be super exciting and I’m sure they’ve got another level that they want to go to,” said Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar of the environment he anticipates at the Delta Center.
“... I’m sure they’re all anxious to get in that building and provide a lot of momentum for our group, so we’re going to be ready to go and I’m sure we’ll come out of the gates flying for them.”
For fans both attending the game and watching from elsewhere, there will be plenty of ways to engage with the team and with fellow fans, including:
For full details, including times, see this recent Deseret News article.