Before the Utah Mammoth’s final game of March against the Los Angeles Kings, head coach André Tourigny made a decision that would change his team. Kailer Yamamoto, who had been utilized as a bottom-six forward for most of the season, was promoted to the second line alongside Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley.
It was an easy choice to make. Yamamoto had experience playing top-line minutes. Guenther and Cooley, while playing decently, weren’t playing with the consistency that was expected. Going into a critical stretch of games that would decide if the Mammoth would continue playing hockey into late April, the team needed the best out of all their players, especially their two star young players.
Fast forward to just before Game 5 of the Mammoth’s first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Cooley, Guenther, and Yamamoto line has been the best line not just for their team but for either team in the entire series. A line that seemed like a smart change has really paid off and is showcasing the best out of all three of these players. There’s no official nickname for the trio yet, but the “Speed Line” seems like a great option for the Mammoth’s highly offensive line.
Built on Speed and Skill
Before Mar. 28, Guenther and Cooley didn’t have bad production. Heading into the game, Guenther had seven points in the prior 10 games (albeit two of those games were multipoint ones), and Cooley had three points. Yamamoto, playing bottom-line minutes, only had one point.
In those 10 games, the Mammoth went 3-5-2. With teams like the Kings slowly crawling their way back into contention for the first wild card spot, Touringy made the aforementioned change.
The change worked instantly. In the Mammoth’s game against the Kings, Cooley had two goals, Guenther had an assist, and Yamamoto was a plus-one. In the stretch of nine regular-season games, the new line continued producing. Cooley and Guenther both had 12 points, and Yamamoto had five.
How did the line forge a chemistry so strong so quickly? The obvious answer is their speed. All three players ended up having a max speed above 22 miles per hour. Cooley, in particular, was fourth in the league in terms of max speed. Add on top of that the three know how to communicate really well on the ice.
“They’re very easy to talk to, off the ice and on the bench,” Yamamoto said. “We’re always trying to make better plays, read off each other, and stuff like that. I’m a fast player, and they’re both fast players, so I think we just read off each other very well on the ice.”
Cooley and Guenther have always been a dynamic duo, going back to the days of the Arizona Coyotes. When Guenther was recalled from the American Hockey League (AHL), midway through Cooley’s rookie season, the two formed a really good connection that was seen during the preseason. It helped the aforementioned forward reach 20 goals in his first NHL season.
Bringing Yamamoto onto the line makes the duo better in a lot of ways. It brings a player who can keep up with some of the fastest players in the league, something guys like Lawson Crouse couldn’t do on that line consistently. It also brings an experienced player who has played with star players like Connor McDavid and knows what it takes to play top minutes onto the line, something JJ Peterka doesn’t have.
“He is such a smart player,” Cooley said. “He reads off me and Gunner really well. It seems like he’s always in the right position, really poised with the puck. He’s a positive guy, too. He keeps us loose, and I feel like we have a lot of speed, and we read off each other really well, and it’s clicking right now.”
Yamamoto’s height has always been one that has limited his chances of being a top player for teams. He spent most of the season last year in the AHL despite incredible production. During this season, Yamamoto has spent a lot of the season on the bottom two lines, averaging just under 12 minutes a night.
However, he’s shown he brings physicality despite his height. Yamamoto wins a lot of puck battles and works hard, never complaining. It’s something Cooley and Guenther see as a great fit on their line, and why Yamamoto connects well with them.
“Yamo wins a ton of battles,” Guenther said. “He plays so hard and gets under guys. He has a really good stick, forechecks hard, and has a good finish. We are all pretty smart and work off each other, and we all work pretty hard, but I think it’s just our speed and pace in which we can attack them, put them under pressure, and force them to try to turn it over.”
Oh hot yam! 🍠🔥
Tied up, 1-1. pic.twitter.com/NCMXDH3rTk
— x – Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) April 4, 2026
It’s not just Yamamoto who brings a lot to the line. Everyone has their own role. Guenther, of course, has his lethal shot. It’s well regarded around the league to the point where even Golden Knights head coach John Torterella complimented it after Game 3.
Besides the iconic shot, Guenther obviously has his speed and puck-handling skills that allow him to thrive on breakaways. He knows when to pass as well, having 33 assists this season.
“He’s such a gifted player,” Cooley said. “He has one of the best shots I’ve seen in the league, and just how smart he is away from the puck, how he reads the play, it has helped our game a lot. I love playing with him. We’re starting to build a lot of chemistry over the past couple of years. It’s only going to continue to grow.”
Speaking of the two’s chemistry, Cooley is more of the passer out of the two. He’s set up Guenther all season long for the past couple of seasons, having a career high of 40 assists last season. As mentioned, it’s a big reason for the great chemistry between the two.
However, Cooley has become quite a solid goal scorer himself this season. He almost tied his career high of 25 goals in 21 fewer games. His speed, like Guenther’s, has given him quite a few breakaway chances. Cooley is also a hard net driver, not afraid to crash the front of the crease to get a goal.
“He’s a driver,” Guenther said. “These are fun games to play, and it’s a loud atmosphere. Everyone wants to be playing this time of year, but he’s a driver, he’s a gamer, and he wants to be in this position. He wants to be the guy going in these close games and in these important games. It’s just a treat to get to play with him.”
Both Cooley and Guenther have improved their two-way play tremendously as well throughout the season. It’s something Tourigny has really harped on every time he’s asked about either of the two players. It’s shown on the stat sheets as well. In the playoffs, each of the trio is a plus player in the plus-minus stat line.
The three complement each other really well with their speed, skill, and hockey IQ, and the line thrived in the regular season. In the playoffs, the trio has really taken their play up a notch.
No Inexperience Here
At first glance, the Guenther, Cooley, and Yamamoto line seems like the most inexperienced line in the postseason for the Mammoth. Before the series started, Guenther and Cooley had never played an NHL playoff game before. However, calling them inexperienced in playoff hockey would be wrong.
Cooley played with the University of Minnesota for a season, helping them go through the NCAA tournament all the way to the championship game, in which Minnesota lost in overtime to Quinnipiac. Cooley had eight points in four NCAA tournament games.
The forward also had 12 points in 10 World Championship games last summer, helping Team USA capture gold in the tournament for the first time in 92 years. Playing in those big games in those big tournaments really helped him prepare for his first playoff games.
“Anytime you play in meaningful games where the games are on the line, in those high-pressure moments, it helps you build confidence,” Cooley said. “Any situation, whether that’s the World Championships, anytime that you’re playing for something like that, it’s a big confidence booster.”
Guenther had a lot of postseason experience in the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 2021-22, he won the league championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings, producing 21 points in 16 games. The next season, he did it again with the Seattle Thunderbirds, putting up 28 points in 19 games, helping the team get all the way to the Memorial Cup Final.
Guenther won gold in the 2023 World Juniors tournament, scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game. To a lesser extent, Guenther played two games in the AHL playoffs in the 2023-24 season with the Tucson Roadrunners, scoring a goal. It’s a lot of experience for a guy who hadn’t played an NHL playoff game before this season.
“I won twice in Junior, so I feel like that helps a little bit,” Guenther said. “Being able to understand how to break teams down and break pressure down.”
Yamamoto played in 34 NHL playoff games before this postseason, all with the Edmonton Oilers. More recently, Yamamoto played in the Roadrunners’ playoff series last season against the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring a goal in three games. He remembers that run fondly because of how close the team was and how the Roadrunners were the underdogs in that series.
“I remember how fun it was,” Yamamoto said. “It’s just a fun time to be playing with those guys, going to war. It’s the most exciting time of the year. Anytime you can do that with a good group of guys, it’s pretty awesome.”
Despite only playing nine games with each other, everyone knew that Cooley and Guenther, in particular, would be threats going into the series. More specifically, their speed, something the Golden Knights needed to control heading into Game 1.
While the Golden Knights did take Game 1, they couldn’t contain Cooley, who got his first playoff goal. In Game 2, the “speed line” came alive, utilizing their speed and skill. Guenther and Yamamoto each ended the night with two points, and Cooley scored the game-winning goal.
As Cool(ey) as it gets! 👏 pic.twitter.com/5mtJtNIGqv
— x – Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) April 22, 2026
Game 3 was a quieter game from the line. Yamamoto assisted on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, and Guenther scored another postseason goal. Game 4 was also a quiet one with only Guenther getting a point, an assist on Michael Carcone’s game-tying goal. However, taking a step back, the aforementioned forward is tied for the team and series lead in points with four. Yamamoto and Cooley aren’t far behind with three. The line also has the most combined shots out of the four lines, with 31.
Tourigny has put more trust in the line, too. He deployed the line late in the game as the Mammoth tried to keep their 4-2 lead in Game 3 in the dying couple of minutes, despite a late heavy attack by the Golden Knights. Tourigny has liked what he sees from the line, not calling them dominant, but instead referring to them as a hardworking line.
“I cannot pinpoint just one thing they do good,” Tourigny said. “They’re good players who skate, who have hockey IQ, and they compete on both sides of the puck. They do a really good job defensively as well. It’s a wear down. It’s not like every time they’re on the ice, they dominate, and they’re in the ozone and so on and so forth. They play good against a good team. It’s back and forth, and they have talent, and they make key plays and keep moving.”
A Special Line Coming in Clutch at a Crucial Time
Hard work is one of the most underrated things that Guenther, Cooley, and Yamamoto bring to their line. Yes, their speed and puck-handling skills are very attractive and eye-catching, but they are grinders. They have physical presence and an underrated two-way game. They know how to pass well and, of course, score goals.
At 27 years old, Yamamoto isn’t a veteran by any means; he’s just entering his prime. Yet, on this line, he basically is a mentor with Guenther being 23 and Cooley being 21. He knows the best has yet to come, not just in these playoffs but in the young careers of his two linemates. That means a lot coming from a guy who has played alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
“They’re two unbelievable, skilled young players who are going to do absolutely tremendous things in this league for a long time,” Yamamoto said. “We just use our speed, and we read off each other very well. Guns got an unbelievable shot. Things are clicking right now.”
It’s not just the on-ice chemistry that has helped this line click. The three are good friends off the ice as well and communicate well with each other. Those things are huge underrated factors in what makes this line so special.
“When you’re friends with guys off the ice, it definitely helps and translates on ice play,” Guenther said. “We’re vocal on the bench, too. We’re talking a lot and talking about what we see, but we have to keep doing it, and I think that’s important.”
With Yamamoto being just 27 years old, this really could be a line that could be the Mammoth’s best for years to come. Yamamoto’s contract does end after this season, so the question does become do the Mammoth re-sign him? His chemistry with Cooley and Guenther, helping the two become more offensively consistent at the biggest time of the season, does really help his case.
GPS said it’s Gunner’s turn 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pofjPelOhA
— x – Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) April 22, 2026
Whether the “speed line” becomes a permanent thing for the Mammoth going forward or just a great one-year story during this playoff run, one thing is for certain. They’ve become the Mammoth’s greatest weapon, and it’s placed all three of the players on everyone’s watchlist.
Their success hasn’t just come because they’re all great at skating, passing, or scoring goals. It’s because of their underrated experience that has come through hard work and the chemistry they’ve created, because each of these players wants to continue growing and improving. It’s not just Yamamoto bringing out the best in Cooley and Guenther, or Guenther bringing out the best in Cooley. It’s all three of the players bringing out the best in each other.
“We’ve built great chemistry off the ice, being around each other so much, especially in the playoffs, hanging out at the hotel all the time and being together,” Cooley said. “We have such a close group, not just us three, but in general, we love being around each other. We love competing with each other and pushing each other. That’s what makes us a special group.”
Whatever happens to the trio of Guenther, Cooley, and Yamamoto after the playoffs, the past month together have shown that this is a special line. However, the postseason isn’t even close to being over for the Mammoth. The best is yet to come for the three as they continue to show the Golden Knights and the hockey world they’re a force to be reckoned with.
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