Mammoth will need to adjust to Golden Knights’ physicality
The Utah Mammoth made their Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 1 of the first round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, but they got a strong “welcome to the playoffs” moment in the 4-2 loss.
While the two goals and standout effort had Utah in the lead after two periods, the physicality of a more experienced Vegas team eventually wore them down, with the Golden Knights’ 52 hits playing a key role in the eventual victory.
With Game 2 set for Tuesday night, the Mammoth will look to grab a win and return home for the first playoff games of the season, with the series tied 1-1. Yet, they might have to make some key adjustments.
On the latest episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Utah Mammoth reporter Cole Bagley of KSL Sports joined co-hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to break down the Mammoth’s playoff debut and whether physicality is a key area the team needs to improve on in Game 2.
Carter Hutton: One thing that stood out for me was the 52 hits by the Vegas Golden Knights. Do you think that was something that caught Utah off guard, the fact of that level of physicality and where they’re at, and does Utah have to change the way they approach that, or is it just kind of status quo they got to stick to?
Cole Bagely: I don’t think it caught them off guard necessarily. I think they always knew that Vegas was going to assert itself physically, but I do think that they need to adjust just a little bit.
Obviously, Utah is not known as an overly physical team. They’re fairly small, especially up front. In the top six guys, the biggest guy is Lawson Crouse, and he can be physical, but he’s not necessarily known as a bruiser.
I think for Utah, the whole kind of ideology going into this playoff series was they don’t want to try to be something that they’re not, but you obviously have to raise your level of play. You’ve got to be better in certain areas. I think Logan Cooley kind of got that message going into the series opener, where he was an absolute animal.
The team as a whole really needs to embrace that a little bit more, not that everybody needs to make themselves public enemy number one, but they need to bite back a little bit, they need to finish their checks a little bit harder, and be a little bit more aggressive on the forecheck.
When Utah is at its best offensively, it’s not that they’re necessarily delivering pulverizing hits every single time they enter the zone, but when they get in on the forecheck, when they pin teams in deep, and then they allow their skill and finesse and speed to take over. I’m sure they’ll be looking to make some adjustments, and I’m sure upping their physicality will be one of them.
You can catch the full episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE here, including the Utah Mammoth vs. Vegas Golden Knights breakdown here…