Logan Cooley emerges as villain in Mammoth’s Stanley Cup playoff debut

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) skates against Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) during the first period in Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) | John Locher LAS VEGAS — At the media meal ahead of the Utah Mammoth’s inaugural playoff game against the Vegas Golden Knights, one writer who has attended many a playoff game at T-Mobile Arena gave us Utah reporters some advice: Don’t bring a full cup into the press box. That’s because the building gets so loud it virtually registers on the Richter scale — and you don’t want your beverage to end up all over your laptop.

While the pregame festivities were very Vegas, Utah’s play in the first period and a half was enough to keep the crowd quiet. Logan Cooley scored in the dying seconds of the first and Kevin Stenlund beat Carter Hart with a quick, heads-up play in the second, with a Colton Sissons rebound goal in between. But despite being tied or leading until nearly halfway through the third period, the Mammoth dropped their first playoff game by a 4-2 score.

the absolute BEST celly from Dowds 🥹 pic. twitter. com/V5jz6sxPVX — y - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 20, 2026 By the time the Golden Knights took the lead, everyone’s beverages were already gone — which was advantageous because it was at that point that the volcano erupted.

What do the Mammoth need to change going into Tuesday’s rematch? It starts with the top line of Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse. That group typically leads the charge offensively for the team, but on top of not scoring, they were on the ice for four, three and two of the Golden Knights’ four goals, respectively.