3 Takeaways From Mammoth’s 3-1 Rookie Faceoff Loss to Sharks – The Hockey Writers – Utah Mammoth

Going into the rookie faceoff, there was one team everyone knew would make some noise during the weekend: the San Jose Sharks. Going into Sunday’s game, the Utah Mammoth had a tough test ahead of them.

While on paper, it was a loss, the 3-1 outcome isn’t something to be disappointed about. Against a team that matched their physicality, speed, and skill, the Mammoth rookies played well. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s loss to the Sharks.

Miko Matikka Continues Great Tournament Ahead of Critical Season

Last season was a big one for Miko Matikka. After a year where he split time between the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL, the forward stayed in Tucson the whole season. While it only amounted to 51 games, it nearly doubled the amount he had played in 2023-24, and it came with 10 more points as well.

This season, however, Matikka wants to take another step forward. The forward wants to play more and produce more, getting closer and closer to the production rate he had with Denver.

“I just want to be comfortable with the structure and playing professional hockey,” Matikka said. “It’s a little different from college and junior, and I thought last year was a good learning experience, and this year is a time to ramp it up and have a better one than last year.”

Once again, Matikka has played well during the rookie faceoff. He scored the very first goal in the first game against the Vegas Golden Knights. In Sunday’s game, he produced an assist and registered two shots.

For Matikka, these three games the Mammoth are playing are more of a warm-up for the two training camps he’ll likely take part in. 

“The first few games are always to take the dust off the legs, but I thought I had a good start to the first game and the second game,” Matikka said. “I just need to keep it rolling, keep ramping it up, and keep playing a structure, and the skill will come from there.”

It’s going to be a big season for Matikka, especially with his entry-level deal expiring next summer. If the forward can continue his play from the rookie faceoff going into camp and the regular season, it could be a big season for him. However, we’ve seen Matikka have good rookie camps and then not do much in the AHL. This season, more than the past two camps, needs to be different.

Michael Hrabal Stands Tall Once Again

Michael Hrabal has arguably been the best goalie in the entire rookie showcase. Across two games, he’s only allowed two goals. On Sunday, he made 19 saves on 21 shots, giving the Mammoth every chance there was to win.

One of the biggest saves he’s made in the tournament was late in the game on Sunday when he stopped the most recent number two overall draft pick, Ivar Stenberg, on the breakaway. It was a stop that kept the Mammoth within one of tying the game up.

Hrabal also came up massive on the three Sharks power plays, only allowing a power play that went perfectly against the Los Angeles Kings on two opportunities on Saturday to score one goal. 

Last season, Hrabal finished his collegiate career and came to the Roadrunners, where head coach Steve Potvin got the chance to coach him for the first time. Across five games, the goaltender posted a 3-1-1 record with a .897 save percentage. Since then, Hrabal has done his best to work out and get ready for his first full pro season during the summer. Potvin has already seen improvement.

“His skating’s improved,” Hrabal said. “He looks better in his stance, and he looks pretty solid. He’s given us a chance to win tonight. He made some big saves on the PK, and late in the game when we gave up a breakaway. It looks like he’s had a really good summer. He gave us a chance to win both games.”

It’s likely Hrabal will start Tuesday’s game against the Kings to finish out the tournament playing all three games. The Mammoth want to give him every chance possible to play his best before heading down to Tucson and becoming the main starter down there. Hrabal has been one of the best players on the Mammoth throughout the past two games, and he certainly is someone for fans to keep an eye on during the season.

Other Standouts From Game 2

Jake Gustafson was the main reason why the Sharks got the 3-1 win. The forward scored twice in the first period and eventually got the game-winning goal as well. Andrei Molgachev scored the lone goal for the Mammoth towards the end of the first period, a cleanup of an Artem Duda shot near the front of the net.

🚨 Andrei Molgachev gets us on the board.

Live stream the 2026 Rookie Faceoff here: https://t.co/xh9JvnzaQP pic.twitter.com/tu76o5b6tp

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) September 14, 2026

Duda is now up to three points in two games, including a goal. He’s been one of the main standouts during this camp, which is good to see considering he’s coming off knee surgery on his knee.

Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev were once again good during the game against the Sharks. But especially had some great opportunities that allowed him to get behind the Sharks’ defense and have opportunities to score. The forward led the team in shots with six.

However, yet again, Florent Houle was a standout for the Mammoth. He finished his checks on every shift, often pinning players against the boards. If he was punished, he wasn’t afraid to take the body. Houle also made some smart passes to get the puck in front of the net. Considering this is his first rookie camp, his performance in the past two games should get fans excited for his season back in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and next season’s camp.

Tomas Lavoie and Gregor Biber both got in fights during the game. Both were involved in tilts with Carson Wetsch. Physicality was once again a factor in the Mammoth’s game plan, something that Potvin has made a point of heavily factoring into this tournament. For Matikka, it’s a way to show the team is willing to stand up for each other no matter what.

“I love it,” Matikka said. “That’s how we play. We stick up for each other, and those guys put their body on the line. Everyone does it for the guy that’s out of them, and I thought that was good. I love it.”

Another fight. Another big hit on Musty leads to Wetsch once again defending his teammate, this time fighting Biber. #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/8zvDsGWOP4

— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) September 14, 2026

However, the big issue with Sunday’s game for the Mammoth is they still can’t score on five-on-five. All four goals that the team has scored this weekend have been on the power play. It’s not for lack of trying. The Mammoth outshot the Sharks 29-22. 

Heading into Tuesday’s game, the Mammoth desperately need to score an even-strength goal. That comes with better puck management and keeping the momentum going their way.

“It’s heartbreaking a little bit because the guys are working hard and they’re not able to get a goal five-on-five,” Potvin said. “They’ve had some real good chances in the slot. We just need one to go in. I thought our guys, for the most part, played a pretty good game. There were some times where we lost momentum because of our puck management at the end of shifts, and they were able to gain some momentum back on us. It took us three or four minutes to get back into it. That always puts us on our heels for a little bit.”

The Mammoth certainly have the talent to win another game. It helps that they will have an off day on Monday to rest. The one thing they’re lacking is that five-on-five goal, which can easily be scored if the Mammoth can continue getting shots on net and continue applying pressure. Tuesday’s game will be one of the last chances a lot of these players will have to make an impact with the shortened training camp. The pressure is certainly on.

The Mammoth will round out their time in San Jose at the rookie faceoff on Tuesday as they take on the Kings. The Kings are 1-1-0 at the tournament and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.