The winning streak for the Utah Mammoth has hit Broadway. As the team kicks off a four-game road trip in the southwest, the pressure is on to accumulate as many points as possible to extend their lead in the wild card hunt as the Olympic break inches closer.
Fortunately, the Mammoth came up with two valuable points thanks to a great final 40 minutes of the game against the Nashville Predators. As a big Monday and Tuesday in the state of Florida await them, the Mammoth improve their road record as they continue to win. Here are some takeaways from Saturday afternoon’s 5-2 game.
Kailer Yamamoto Should Be an Every-Night Player. Here’s Why
It seems like this has been a popular opinion among most people who watch the Mammoth, but Kailer Yamamoto should be an every-night player at this point. After it was announced Lawson Crouse would miss Saturday’s game due to illness, Yamamoto drew into the lineup and was placed on the top line alongside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.
The game against the Predators was only Yamamoto’s third game of 2026, so if he started slow, it would’ve been understandable. That’s the thing, though, Yamamoto was great right off the bat.
Tied at one less than halfway through the second period, the Predators had the puck along the wall. Yamamoto swooped in and tried to knife the puck away, but Ryan O’Reilly didn’t give up easily, trying to outmuscle his opponent. Yamamoto kept at it and eventually managed to chip the puck to Michael Carcone, who turned on the jets and scored on a breakaway, giving his teammate the assist.
Around three minutes later, Sean Durzi slid the puck over to Mikhail Sergachev on the blueline. Sergachev unleashed a shot, which Yamamoto then tipped in, scoring his first goal since Dec. 12. The goal was his second point of the game, making it his first multi-point game since Dec. 14, 2023, when he was a member of the Seattle Kraken. Yamamoto was also named the first star of the game.
Yams deflected out front!
🚨 3-1, Utah. pic.twitter.com/ybd1Lj2a2E
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) January 24, 2026
Despite playing the fourth-fewest minutes on the Mammoth, Yamamoto came up big on Saturday afternoon. He made more of an impact in one game than most of the Mammoth’s depth players have had all season long. Why is that?
There are a couple of reasons why Yamamoto thrives, especially when allowed to play with high-level players. The first is obviously his speed. Yamamoto might be one of the fastest players on the Mammoth and is able to keep up with guys like Keller, who is also pretty fast.
“Kells (Keller) and Schmaltzy (Schmaltz) are two unbelievable players,” Yamamoto said. “Very easy to play with, read off of, and stuff like that.”
Yamamoto’s competitive level is also elite. He’s that type of player who doesn’t give up on plays and will try his best to outmuscle his opponents when he has to, as seen with the Carcone goal. That is hard to do, given his 5-foot-9 height, which is considered small in hockey.
Now at 11 points in 29 games, Yamamoto has had a really solid season, given the fact that he only appeared in 12 games last season and spent most of that season split between a healthy scratch in the NHL and a top player in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Tucson Roadrunners. So, what gives? Why isn’t Yamamoto playing every night?
My educated guess is that Yamamoto thrives in the top six when given highly productive players. You saw it with the Edmonton Oilers when he played alongside Connor McDavid. However, when he’s playing in a depth role with players who aren’t known for their offense, his play declines. It was exhibited in his lone season with the Kraken in 2023-24, where his numbers went down at a dramatic rate.
Related: Mammoth News & Rumors: Hebig Finally Called Up, Trade Deadline & More
Unfortunately, with the Mammoth, the top six is usually a bit crowded. When some members of the six players in the group, usually including Keller, Schmaltz, Crouse, JJ Peterka, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley, it’s hard to break into that group. Despite this, Yamamoto has played solidly in a depth role when needed, partially because he is given some weapons sometimes, like Carcone.
What is good for Yamamoto is that head coach André Tourigny knows he can jump into the top six when he needs him to. While it’s not as much as Yamamoto probably wants, the team and organization have faith in him, and it showed on Saturday.
“I always say to Yami (Yamamoto), he can play top six anytime, every time we need it, but when we have our top six, it’s tougher,” Toruginy said. “He proved it again today. He jumped into the top six. Made impact play at a key moment. He was a chain connector on that line. The guys like to play with him. He’s a really good player, and he showed it today.”
Crouse will more than likely draw back into the lineup during the Mammoth’s next game on Monday, but with a game like the one he had on Saturday, Yamamoto deserves to stay in the lineup somewhere. He has nearly four times the amount of points that guys like Liam O’Brien and Brandon Tanev have. He’s a hard worker, as seen on Saturday, and is someone who can put up points if in the right situation. Yamamoto is a guy who deserves to play night in and night out, and his two-point performance shows that.
They Had Me in the First Half
You could probably ask every Mammoth player in the locker room on Saturday about the team’s start to the game. Every single one of them will more than likely tell you that they didn’t play well to begin the game.
Less than five minutes into the game, Steven Stamkos scored on the power play off of a one-timer opportunity. While the Mammoth ended up outshooting the Predators in the first period 10-8, it felt like we weren’t seeing the same Mammoth team that had gone on a four-game winning streak.
After the first intermission, the Mammoth hit the ice and appeared to have their swagger back. Mikhail Sergachev unloaded a shot that bounced off Juuse Saros and right onto the stick of Keller, who potted it in to tie the game.
After Carcone and Yamamoto scored to make it 3-1, it appeared that the Mammoth might be on their way to an easy fifth win in a row. However, Roman Josi, after being celebrated for playing 1,000 games, scored late on a wrist shot to make it 3-2, a critical one at that.
The Predators came out strong in the third period, but the Mammoth hung on. Finally, Guenther wristed a shot to the net on the power play before Barrett Hayton put it in on his second rebound opportunity. It gave the Mammoth a little breathing room, which was increased when Peterka was awarded an automatic goal.
Hayton power play goal 👏
4-2, Utah. pic.twitter.com/m9wF52iVwf
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) January 24, 2026
“I think we had a little bit of a slow start,” Tourigny said. “We came up strong, stronger in the second, third; they played really good on the other side. They have a good stick. They create a lot of turnover. But I thought our battle level was there.”
It was indeed a slow start for the Mammoth, but unlike some games they’ve played before, they found a way to stay confident and produce good results. With that, they were able to play their usual game and produce three unanswered goals.
This is a game the Mammoth should keep a good memory of, especially because they exhibited and performed the right way to come back in a game. Alongside the Wednesday game against the Philadelphia Flyers, these are prime games that have shown off the determination and grit of the Mammoth.
High Five to Keeping Warm
With the win, the streak has hit five straight games with a win. The point streak, meanwhile, has improved to nine games. Stacked up against a divisional opponent, getting two points was an important task, especially given the fact that the Predators have been sneaking around the wild card spot.
“They’re right behind us, very close in the standings,” Yamamoto said. “To be able to get a win against them, it’s huge growth.”
There were certainly challenges in their way of doing that. Saturday’s game was pushed to start two hours earlier due to the horrible weather. The new start time threw everyone and everything off.
I do want to give a quick shoutout to the Predators organization. Due to the new start time and the poor weather, the team invited fans who were sitting near the top to come down and enjoy the game from the lower bowl. It was a great gesture from the home team.
Missed this. Due to the earlier start time and reduced attendance, the Predators encouraged fans to move to the lower bowl to enjoy the game against the Mammoth. Awesome move by the organization. #TusksUp https://t.co/G2xgsF0JoU
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) January 24, 2026
Despite the hurdles, including the deficit after the first period, the Mammoth played some great hockey and beat the Predators. With the win, the team now has a three-point cushion for sole possession of the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.
With the Olympic break coming up, we’re at a critical point for teams where it’s almost necessary to be in a playoff spot by the time of the break if they want to make the postseason. It’s not an exception for the Mammoth as they look to continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack vying for a wild card spot.
“We’re in the stretch where we know what we have to do,” Tourigny said. “We try to not complicate everything. We try to simplify and simplify and simplify. And I think we need to keep going that way.”
Their next three games on the road aren’t going to be easy. The Mammoth will head to Florida to play the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Last time the Mammoth were on that road trip, they lost a close game in overtime to the Panthers and then were dominated by the Lightning.
The team has to be ready for those games. Their opponents won’t be easy to beat. If they can continue what they did in the second period against the Predators, they should have a chance. Resilience is key, and the Mammoth need to continue showing they won’t back down despite setbacks or a deficit.
The Mammoth will play the Lightning next on their road trip. The Lightning are 32-14-4 and are coming off an 8-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. These two teams last met in November, when the Mammoth lost 4-2.
