How does momentum affect a playoff series?
Here’s what some of Utah’s leaders had to say.
Utah Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) centers the puck past Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) during the first period of game 3 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 24, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News One unspoken factor in a playoff series is momentum — sometimes from one game to the next, but always within a given game. In the Utah Mammoth’s ongoing first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights — which the Mammoth lead 2-1 — momentum has begun to take effect.
“In-game, there’s definitely momentum swings,” said Mammoth veteran Alexander Kerfoot, who’s currently experiencing his seventh Stanley Cup Playoff run. “If you get a big penalty kill, score a big goal on the power play, draw a penalty, all that stuff. “You can feel the building a little more in the postseason than you can in the regular season.
You can feel those momentum swings, and it’s about handling those positively and negatively. ” But even though momentum is acknowledged, if you spend enough time around pro hockey players, you’ll notice they all tend to employ the same motto: Never too high, never too low. The Utah Mammoth celebrate a goal by Utah Mammoth left wing Lawson Crouse (67) during the second period of game 3 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 24, 2026.
| Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News “It’s important for us to stay even-keeled,” said Mammoth head coach André Tourigny after practice on Sunday. “Not just when you have adversity or challenges. It’s when you have success, as well.