How Utah Mammoth are finding early success

As the NHL sees it, the Utah Mammoth are a new franchise with zero ties to its Arizona past. But the Mammothâ€s impressive start feels like a reward for all those years the Coyotes spent toiling away in the desert.

The young talent collected through several losing seasons in Arizona has blossomed in Salt Lake City. Utah (8-2-0) has reeled off seven consecutive wins to claim the top spot in the fiercely competitive Central Division. (The Mammothâ€s new mascot, Tusky, has never experienced loss, having debuted at the start of the winning streak.)

“We feel our team is different in the sense of, yes, we have the excitement, but instead of having excitement and hope, we have excitement and confidence,†Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny told reporters after Utah defeated the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

Here is how the Mammoth have stampeded to the top of the Western Conference:

The root of Utahâ€s success is its dynamic offence, which ranks sixth in the league, with 3.7 goals per game. It is powered by two of the leagueâ€s most potent forward lines. Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz are listed as the top line, though the combination of JJ Peterka, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther would hold that distinction on many other teams. (Four of those top-six forwards — Keller, Hayton, Guenther and Cooley — were top-10 draft picks made by the Coyotes.)

The Keller-Hayton-Schmaltz line has generated 65.8 per cent of the expected goals during its 81-plus minutes at five-on-five, which places it 15th out of 104 forward lines that have played at least 30 minutes.

Schmaltz, who scored roughly eight goals below expected last season based on his shot quality, has had no scoring issues so far. Thanks to a seven-game point streak, Schmaltzâ€s 16 points are tied with Vegas†Jack Eichel and Pittsburghâ€s Evgeni Malkin for the league lead. Five of Schmaltzâ€s seven goals have come from the inner slot, where his 18 shots are tied for second most in the league.

Schmaltzâ€s chemistry with Keller, formed over parts of eight seasons as teammates, is off the charts. Only Edmontonâ€s Connor McDavid (41) has completed more slot passes than Keller (35), who sports an impressive 58.3 per cent completion rate on those attempts. (The league average among the 175 skaters who have tried at least 20 slot passes is 46.7 per cent.)

The kids are more than all right

Although Schmaltz, 29, and Keller, 27, are by no means old, the 22-year-old Guenther and 21-year-old Cooley represent the future of the Mammoth. If their starts to this season are any indication, Guenther and Cooley could soon reach superstar status. They have combined for 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists) in 10 games, and their line with the 23-year-old Peterka (nine points) has outscored opponents 9-2 at five-on-five. That lineâ€s nine on-ice goals are second only to Coloradoâ€s Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas (11 on-ice goals at five-on-five).

Cooleyâ€s five goals and eight points in four games last week earned him “Second Star†honors on Monday. His overall shot quality ranks eighth in the league.

Guenther, meanwhile, is quickly earning a reputation as one of the leagueâ€s most clutch players. Guenther scored his fourth game-winning goal of the season Sunday in Winnipeg, tying him with Carolinaâ€s Seth Jarvis for the league lead. Ten of Guentherâ€s past 16 goals dating to last season have been game-winners. (Guentherâ€s greatest weapon is his one-timer; his goal Sunday came on his league-high 29th one-timer attempt this season.)

Utahâ€s game-winning goal in Winnipeg on Sunday perfectly demonstrated the teamâ€s tenacity. Peterka pressured Jets defenceman Haydn Fleury into coughing up the puck before Cooley and Guenther pounced. It was the Mammothâ€s league-leading 15th goal within 10 seconds of an opposing turnover at five-on-five this season. Eight of those have come within five seconds of a turnover — three more than the next-closest team.

A healthy serving of ‘Veggie‘

The Mammothâ€s defence has been solid, ranking 11th in expected goals against per game. Their top pair of rookie Dmitri Simashev (another Coyotes top-10 draft pick) and Mikhail Sergachev has done OK in tough minutes, posting a 40.5 XGF% at five-on-five but being charged with only two goals against in 81:10 of ice time. (Sergachev, who averages nearly 25 minutes per game and plays in all situations, has eight points, five of which have come on the power play.)

Karel Vejmelka, who at one point last season made 23 consecutive starts for the Mammoth, has erased most of his teammates†defensive mistakes. His 6.5 goals saved above expected are fifth at the goaltending position after finishing 13th in that category last season. He and stablemate Vitek Vanecek have combined for four steals in 10 games, meaning they have played a pivotal role in half of the Mammothâ€s wins.

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