The Utah Mammoth faced the longest game in franchise history during Game 5 of the NHL playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite their young team's growth, the experience of the Golden Knights proved decisive.
Key points
Utah Mammoth faced longest game in franchise history
Game 5 against Vegas Golden Knights
Experience of Golden Knights showing through
Young core of Mammoth is learning and growing
Playoff tribulations are part of team development
Utah MammothVegas Golden KnightsShea TheodoreNHL playoffs
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore, second from right, celebrates after scoring against the Utah Mammoth during the second period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas.
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore, second from right, celebrates after scoring against the Utah Mammoth during the second period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Itâs no secret that experience counts in the Stanley Cup Playoffs â and the only way to gain experience is to go through tribulation.
In that sense, the Utah Mammothâs last two losses are steps in the right direction.
Their young core is learning and growing, which is the goal at this stage in the teamâs build. But in the here and now, these particular playoffs, the experience of the Vegas Golden Knights is showing through.
At a number of points throughout the series, the Mammoth have managed to score key goals to both tie games and take leads.
But the Golden Knights, a team filled with Stanley Cup champions and Olympic gold medalists â both on the ice and behind the bench â have learned to never fret. In two consecutive games, that experience has translated into third-period comebacks followed by overtime wins.
Wednesdayâs match took double overtime, in fact, with Brett Howden scoring his second short-handed goal in as many games to give Vegas the 5-4 win and the 3-2 series lead.
Q&A
What happened in Game 5 of the NHL playoffs between the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights?
Game 5 featured the longest game in Utah Mammoth franchise history, highlighting the team's struggles against the experienced Vegas Golden Knights.
How are the Utah Mammoth's recent playoff losses beneficial for the team?
The recent losses are helping the young core of the Utah Mammoth gain valuable experience, which is essential for their development.
Who scored for the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 against the Utah Mammoth?
Defenseman Shea Theodore scored for the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of Game 5.
What does the experience of the Vegas Golden Knights mean for the playoffs?
The experience of the Vegas Golden Knights is proving to be a significant advantage in the playoffs, especially against less experienced teams like the Utah Mammoth.
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Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) blocks a shot by Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the second period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) attempts to tip the puck past Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the third period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) scores against Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the third period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) checks Utah Mammoth right wing JJ Peterka (77) during the third period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
APTOPIX Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore, second from right, celebrates after scoring against the Utah Mammoth during the second period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden, center, celebrates after scoring against the Utah Mammoth in the second overtime of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Utah Mammoth left wing Brandon Tanev (13) attempts to shoot against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (6) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Utah Mammoth right wing Dylan Guenther (11) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) covers the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Utah Mammoth right wing JJ Peterka (77) celebrates after teammate Michael Carcone scored against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) celebrates after scoring against Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the third period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
The teams head back to Salt Lake City for Game 6, which is set for Friday at the Delta Center. Mammoth associate Lawson Crouse expressed confidence in his group, along with a point of focus.
âYouâve got to be able to adapt. Youâve got to be able to change,â he said.
âWeâre happy about the way we played,â he said. âI think we progressed in our game. I think we have some adjustments we made and (they) gave us a little bit more rhythm. Thereâs more things we need to keep cleaning up, but I think we played a really good game.â
Although there were a handful of plays the Mammoth would like to have back â as is the case in any game â Tourigny said there wasnât one guy who he thought played particularly poorly.
âI think each game, weâre learning, weâre getting better, and we have to continue to do that,â said captain Clayton Keller.
â... These are the most fun game to be a part of. Down 3-2, we get to go home, play in front of our fans. If youâre not fired up for that, then youâve got something wrong with you.â
Not-so-special teams
This season has been three separate stories for the Mammothâs power play.
It struggled the bulk of the regular season, but found its way in the final months, helping the team reach the playoffs. Now, through five games, it has allowed more goals against than it has scored, and is operating at a success rate of 7%.
For context, the worst power play record in the NHL this regular season was more than twice as good as that: 15.7%.
âPower playâs got to be better,â Keller said. âWeâve got to find a way to score. They had one (power play goal), and we had some looks, but thatâs something that weâll look at, going into Game 6.â
As bad as the power playâs record is, the Mammoth are moving the puck well with the man advantage. But the Golden Knights have found success by taking away two threats, rather than five. Let me explain.
Of the Mammothâs 46 power play goals this regular season, 20 came from Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther. Rather than scrambling to cover all five guys at all times, the Golden Knights simply make sure to always have an eye on Schmaltz in the slot and Guenther on the left wing.
If they can prevent those two guys from doing what they respectively do best, their odds at killing penalties increase drastically.
The Mammoth have two ways to go about changing that. Either they can find a way to free those guys up, or they can plan for Keller, Logan Cooley and Mikhail Sergachev to shoot more, rather than passing.
Mammoth Golden Knights Hockey
Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden, center, celebrates after scoring against the Utah Mammoth in the second overtime of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. | John Locher
