The Utah Mammoth haven’t lost at home this season and the Colorado Avalanche are unbeaten on the road, so something will give when the teams meet Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.
Utah, behind the duo of Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, has started the season 3-0-0 at home, the last a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. The Mammoth wrap up their four-game homestand Tuesday with a little payback in mind.
Utah opened the season with a 2-1 loss on Oct. 9 at Colorado, so this is a chance to even the season series. If Keller and Schmaltz keep up their hot play, then the Mammoth will give the Avalanche a rough time.
The two have combined for 12 points — six apiece — in the last two wins, with Schmaltz recording his second career hat trick in the 6-3 victory over San Jose on Friday night. Keller assisted on all three goals.
The teammates have played together for seven years and the chemistry is paying off.
“Any good player, to find another player who thinks like you, who will know where you are, will know where you will be — it’s not a matter of talent, it’s just a special chemistry,” Utah head coach Andre Tourigny said. “It’s just something you build over time.”
Utah was mediocre at home last season — its first since relocating from Arizona — but is off to a good start this season.
“I think our team has grown a lot,” Keller said. “We’re a more mature team. We have a lot of confidence, the guys are comfortable with one another, our chemistry seems to be good. We’re still jelling as a team and trying to be connected as much as possible and you just want to keep going forward and learning after every game.”
Colorado had two days off after beating Boston 4-1 on Saturday night, its third straight victory. The Avalanche are winning despite not having top goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood yet this season. Blackwood practiced Monday with the team, but is not on the trip to Utah.
Scott Wedgewood has made a case for staying in net even when Blackwood is healthy. He has a 1.48 goals-against average through the first six games and the only loss came in a 5-4 shootout against Dallas. He faced only 14 shots Saturday night, but made a spectacular save on Bruins center John Beecher in the third period.
“Obviously, if he keeps playing like this, he’s going to see more games,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s been fantastic. He’s played great hockey. His worst game was probably the Dallas game … In all the other games, I feel like he’s been outstanding.”
Bednar’s top line also has been outstanding. Nathan MacKinnon (six goals, four assists), Martin Necas (four goals, six assists) and Artturi Lehkonen (two goals, five assists) are the top three in points on the team, and all three contributed to Saturday’s win.
The defense has helped. The Avalanche have allowed just one goal in each of their five wins and nine non-shootout goals overall — best in the NHL.
