Schmidt's 4 points powers Mammoth to 6-3 win over Kraken

SALT LAKE CITY — Some players bring championship DNA, and Nate Schmidt is one of those players.

A 4-point performance from Schmidt helped the Mammoth recover from a slow start, where he netted a goal late in the third period that would go on to be the difference maker in the team's 6-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken.

Schmidt signed a three-year deal with Utah this offseason after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season. Schmidt was also a part of the inaugural Vegas Golden Knights season that ended with a Stanley Cup appearance.

"He's a really good pro," Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny said. "He's in every day, smiling every day, bringing energy every day, focus every day, urgent every day. From the moment he stepped in the building, everything he does, his therapy or his prep or his training or his practice. Nothing goes unrewarded in life and he's a good example of it."

The experience Schmidt has of playing in so many high-stakes games showed itself on Saturday.

After getting out to a 3-1 lead in the second period, the Kraken stormed back and closed out the period with a pair of goals to tie things up.

In a game filled with momentum shifts, it felt as if Seattle had regained control after scoring two consecutive goals. The Mammoth didn't flinch.

Clayton Keller found Schmidt positioned in front of the Kraken's crease and ripped a pass to him. The one-timer from Schmidt found the net and gave Utah the lead in the final period, a lead they would not relinquish this time.

"I just felt like they were on a change," Schmidt said. "As a defenseman, I know how bad that sucks when you're stuck out there sometimes and you don't really want to go back and get one and you're tired, and then the team turns the puck up. Clayton's an elite level passer, and he makes that play and gives me a chance in front."

The Mammoth added two more goals to pad their lead, including an empty netter from Barrett Hayton. Lawson Crouse picked up a goal to give Utah the two-goal lead as he finished the game with three points.

"He knows he does everything right," Tourigny said of Crouse. "He does the extra session, the extra video session, extra skill session. At the same time, he takes care of his body, making sure he's recovering. He's tuned in. He's just in his zone because he knows he doesn't cut corners."

The result is exactly what Utah was looking for, picking up two points against a team that is also competing for a playoff spot in what will likely go down to the wire.

Even with the positive result, things didn't always go in favor of the Mammoth.

Seattle's Jordan Eberle got the action started as he got a shot past Karel Vejmelka within the first two minutes of play to help the Kraken take a quick lead.

It looked like Seattle was poised to take full command with the way they began the game. The Kraken came out with more aggression than Utah and were getting plenty of shots on net. This helped Seattle secure the game's first power play.

Despite being shorthanded, Lawson Crouse picked his way through two Kraken players before dumping the puck off to Kevin Stenlund who knocked in a goal with his one-timer.

With Seattle still on the power play, things went from bad to worse as Jack McBain was called for a penalty right after the faceoff.

The penalty kill group dug in and escaped the five-on-three advantage for the Kraken despite having to hold on for nearly two minutes down two men.

"I think one of the key moments was the five on three," Tourigny said. "There's no doubt about it. I think that was a huge moment for us, and I think that the momentum definitely shifted quickly."

The momentum clearly shifted in favor of the Mammoth, who ramped up their shots with some great looks but they couldn't seem to get one to go.

Schmidt picked up where the team left off at the start of the second period, launching a powerful slapshot towards the net and right past Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer to give the Mammoth their first lead.

Crouse picked up his second assist on a pass and score from Nick Schmaltz, who lit the lamp with his 18th goal of the season.

Just as it had flipped for Utah after a string of penalty kills, the Kraken regained momentum when Matty Beniers took advantage of some chaos near the crease that resulted in him getting a goal past Vejmelka.

Chandler Stephenson would complete the comeback for Seattle after he slipped past the Mammoth defense to set up a breakaway opportunity. Stephenson took advantage as he slid the puck underneath Vejmelka to tie things up at three.

The defenseman who seemed to do everything right found fortune once again. Schmidt wouldn't miss on the setup from Keller as he scored the game-changing goal and powered Utah to its seventh win of the new year.

"Big win," Tourigny said. "I think it's a team we're racing with, so it's an important win, it's a big two points. I like the way we were opportunistic and we found a way to score a big goal."

The star of the game, Schmidt, received praise from his teammates for his play.

"A wise veteran, brings a lot to our locker room, and a very hard working team first guy, and obviously very happy to see him get rewarded," Crouse said.

The Mammoth are finding themselves in a groove at the right time. They have taken full advantage of their seven-game homestand by coming away with a point in the first six games with the final game coming this Wednesday against the Flyers.

As for Schmidt, the veteran said postgame that he has enjoyed his time in Utah and praised the organization, which is high praise coming from a player who's hoisted the sport's most prized trophy.

"It's been great," Schmidt said. "The way that this organization has kind of built itself, and how it has started, and it kind of set the standard for how they want to move forward and how the team wants to move forward long after I'm gone. It's really quite a testament to not only the fans, but to the Smiths and everybody that they've brought in here so far."

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