The Mammoth’s most physical game of 2026 was a doozy
· Yahoo Sports
Rodney Dangerfield once gave a quote that perfectly characterizes Thursday’s game between the Utah Mammoth and the Washington Capitals at the Delta Center.
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“I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out,” he said.
On Thursday, Washington’s Tom Wilson set a new career high in single-game penalty minutes with 21. He’s known as one of the most physical players in the NHL, and he has more than 1,600 penalty minutes to show for it in his 897 NHL games — and this was the game that fired him up enough the most.
Utah’s Brandon Tanev also set a career high with 17 penalty minutes, and Lawson “The Sheriff” Crouse had 17 for his second-highest PIM game ever.
But Mammoth head coach André Tourigny was frustrated with the lack of discipline with his group in the 7-4 loss. Crouse got the extra penalty in fight with Wilson, which resulted in the Capitals’ go-ahead goal, and the Mammoth never got the lead back.
“(I’m) disappointed in how we controlled our emotions,” Tourigny said. “I’m a big believer in team toughness and showing up for your teammates and stuff like that, but there’s a way to do it, and the more important thing is that we got carried away emotionally.
“It’s part of the game, but you need to stay composed and you need to keep playing.”
It all stemmed from a hit Tanev laid on Matt Roy — directly from behind. Wilson and Trevor Van Riemsdyk both dropped their gloves and attacked him immediately, causing the first wave of penalties.
Shortly after Tanev stepped out of the box, Brandon Duhaime fought him, too.
Later on, Wilson delivered one of the hardest hits you’ll ever see on Jack McBain, which sparked Crouse’s fight with Wilson once the latter got out of the penalty box.
NOW WE GOT WILSON AND CROUSE DROPPING THE MITTS 🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/5X8kiiEfdI
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 27, 2026
Fans might also remember the dustup McBain and Wilson had at the Delta Center last season after McBain (albeit accidentally) broke Alex Ovechkin’s fibula.
Although the home crowd didn’t get the result it wanted, there was definitely nobody sleeping through Thursday’s game.
“It was definitely up there,” said Capitals forward Hendrix Lapierre on how loud it was inside the building. “... It just feels like every game’s a Game 7, basically. It’s really impressive.”
Mr. 1,003
After Mammoth fans witnessed Connor McDavid hit multiple milestones in Utah on Tuesday, they were relieved to know that Ovechkin had just scored his 1,000th goal (regular season and playoffs combined). No reason for him to be extra motivated for this game.
On top of that, Utah started Vítek Vaněček, who had never allowed an Ovechkin goal.
But none of that mattered when the puck dropped.
The “Great 8″ scored twice in the second period, becoming one of three players in this game to go on hat trick watch.
But he was the only one who actually completed the hat trick, getting it done on the empty net with six seconds left in the game.
Ovechkin made history with that final goal, as he passed Brett Hull for fourth-most hat tricks in NHL history with 34.
Through two games at the Delta Center, he now has five goals.
“I guess so,” he smiled in response to the question of whether he likes playing in Utah. “Good thing I didn’t get hurt (this time).”
Alex Ovechkin now has the fourth most hat tricks in NHL history! 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/DO78U8NoF8
— NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2026
Before the game, Tourigny remarked on how happy Ovechkin always is to score.
“From the outside, what I like a lot about Ovi is he always looks like a little kid,” Tourigny said. “He loves the game of hockey — he loves the game. He’s excited about playing hockey. He’s scored 1,000 goals now, and every time he scores, it’s like his first in the NHL. He’s excited, he’s happy.
“That’s what hockey’s all about. ... We’re so privileged to work in the game. We’re so privileged to do hockey for a living, and he is, for me, the poster boy of that.”
That being said, Tourigny didn’t hope to see that joy from Ovechkin on this particular night.
Goalie problems?
In Utah’s last two games, both Karel Vejmelka and Vítek Vaněček have been pulled after allowing too many goals. The Mammoth need to find a solution in net.
Tourigny sees it as a whole team issue, rather than just the two guys in the goalie gear.
“Offense is not (just) the forwards. Defense is not (just) the D, and same thing for the goalie,” he said. “It’s a unit of six on the ice. ... You need to play as a unit and connect. That’s the challenge, you know?”
That said, the Mammoth limited the Capitals to just 25 shots, so they had no reason to anticipate seven goals. The same goes for Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers: five goals on 26 shots.
With just one win in their four-game home stand, the Mammoth’s grasp on the coveted first wild card spot in the NHL’s Western Conference is slipping.
They’re fortunate the Nashville Predators also lost on Thursday, but they have some things to figure out before the upcoming three-game road trip, which begins in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring during the second period of an NHL game against the Utah Mammoth at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 26, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News