Utah
Where did the Red Wings go wrong in loss to Utah? 5 thoughts
DETROIT — Just as the Detroit Red Wings looked like they were getting into a groove, they hit a stumbling block Wednesday in a 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth.
It’s only one game for a team that still sits atop the Atlantic Division, and none of the Red Wings players or coaches were going to panic in the aftermath. But a night after head coach Todd McLellan cautioned, “You can’t give it back,” after a strong run of recent play, a three-goal loss on home ice wasn’t the follow-up anyone was looking for.
Here’s what went wrong and some other thoughts from Wednesday night.
1. There was no doubt what McLellan thought the biggest issue was against the Mammoth.
“For me, the difference was obvious,” he said. “It was play around our net.”
And that was a theme on all four goals Detroit allowed. On the first, Simon Edvinsson drifted just off of Clayton Keller in the slot, giving him enough room to put home a big rebound off Cam Talbot. On the second, Ben Chiarot didn’t tie up Jack McBain on the back post. The third was a bit different, as no one really lost their man, but when Moritz Seider went to clear a trickling puck headed for a goal line, he ended up bouncing it off Talbot’s pad and right to Dylan Guenther for an easy goal. And on the fourth, Nate Danielson was a step or two off his check in the slot for a one-timer.
“It’s like sitting at your desk at school,” McLellan said. “You’re sitting there, but big deal. Are you doing any work? We’re in position. Do the work. Do the job. Get it done.”
McLellan also noted that Edvinsson and Danielson threw their heads back after the first and fourth goals, indicating they knew immediately what had gone wrong.
2. Though those goals against were ultimately the difference in the final score, Detroit also created far too little danger of its own against the Mammoth, especially at five-on-five.
Detroit’s top players, in particular, had uncharacteristic nights, with their first line (Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Emmitt Finnie) and the top defense pair (Seider and Edvinsson) all ending the night at minus-2, and with five-on-five expected goals shares below 25 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Finnie got the Red Wings’ lone goal on a third-period power-play blast that briefly gave Detroit life, but there just weren’t enough serious chances in the second or third periods to really threaten Utah.
Although Detroit’s power play eventually scored in the third, a pair of second-period opportunities on the man advantage went by uneventfully when the score was still 1-0. The Red Wings didn’t record a shot on goal in the first of those two chances, and the top unit managed just one shot on goal in the second as well.
“We had looks, we had zone time, we just didn’t get it done,” Larkin said. “Didn’t get pucks through. Credit to them, they had a tight diamond, and I’m sure Todd will tell you both on their penalty kill and five-on-five, they probably won the net play tonight, and that was probably the story of the game.”
Certainly, the lack of any five-on-five offense is a more damning proposition than a 1-for-4 night on the power play. But situationally, in a one-goal game, those were big missed chances to swing momentum. Utah scored just 22 seconds after killing off the second penalty to make it 2-0, and that ultimately proved to be the game-winning goal.
Still, with just one even-strength goal in the last two games, the Red Wings are going to need more there, and that includes their top players, who have really carried them offensively to this point.
3. Wednesday’s loss dropped the Red Wings to 1-5 in the second half of back-to-backs this season.
It’s a small sample, but that stands out, even with the inherent challenge of playing on consecutive nights. It didn’t seem to slow Utah too much Wednesday, for example.
Larkin acknowledged the Red Wings will have to be better in those situations, particularly with more on the horizon. Detroit will play three more sets of back-to-backs in the next two weeks, with a home-and-home against the Washington Capitals this weekend, tilts against the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs the following weekend, and then the Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins at New Year’s.
I asked McLellan if there was anything he could put his finger on with the back-to-backs, and he pointed out that Detroit hadn’t scored first in any of those losses. That is true, and it’s probably a symptom and a cause.
Not scoring early has been a theme all season, though. Detroit has just 19 first-period goals in 35 games, which ranks 30th in the league, while giving up 28. The goals against number isn’t so bad — it’s still roughly league average — but it still translates to coming out of the first in a hole too often.
Cam Talbot hasn’t quite hit the same highs as earlier this season in recent games. (Rick Osentoski / Imagn Images)
4. Just as John Gibson seems to have found a bit of a rhythm for the Red Wings, Cam Talbot — who was Detroit’s rock in net early this season — has slipped into a bit of a funk. Not many of Wednesday’s goals were on him, but the rebound he gave up on the first goal (stemming from a low-percentage shot from along the boards) and then the trickling puck that led the third are atypical of where he was to start the season.
McLellan said he thinks the Red Wings have played better in front of Gibson of late, a reversal from early in the season, but that he’d “have a conversation (with Talbot) real quick, just let him know that we believe in him, because we do.”
5. After Tuesday night’s game, I noted Detroit had a tougher portion of the schedule coming up, with the back-to-back games against Washington and hosting a good Dallas Stars team to lead into Christmas.
Co-worker Dom Luszczyszyn pointed out to me that it’s actually more dramatic in the big picture. His model projects the Red Wings with the league’s toughest remaining schedule coming into Wednesday, and Detroit’s remaining opponents also have the second-highest collective win percentage.
That’s just one more reason that banking every point possible matters right now, especially from Eastern Conference foes they’ll be competing with for a playoff spot.
UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
PROVO — An organization that has been a beacon of hope for Utah children and families just got a big upgrade in Provo.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, marking the start of a new chapter in providing support for those who need it the most.
The new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse, 131 N. Olympic Blvd., replaces the organization’s former Provo clubhouse, which had been in operation for more than 50 years. Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County leaders said they had outgrown the aging facility and needed a larger, more modern space to support more community members.
“This new clubhouse is more than a building — it’s a central place where we can coordinate programs, support our staff, and amplify our impact across the region,” said David Bayles, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County, in a statement.
The organization’s mission was something the late former Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich was passionate about. His wife Marji and daughter Emily Sakievich attended Friday’s grand opening ceremony just as if he would’ve wanted to.
“He loved this project, and it meant the world to him,” Emily Sakievich told KSL. “This was actually one of the last places he went before he passed. (He) and my mom stopped by to just see how progress was going; he would be so excited to see this come together.”
The former commissioner died last December at the age of 72. Tom Sakievich resigned from the seat in September 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.
Emily Sakievich said her father was a big supporter of helping children in the Boys & Girls Clubs feel supported while he was in office.
“He would have all of them come to his office and talk about how government works and how they can be a part of it someday,” she said.
The new 20,000 square-foot facility expands on resources and programs offered at its previous site for community youth and families experiencing hardships.
The clubhouse will provide safe, engaging, and educational programs in a modernized building fit to serve more than 14,000 Utah children and teens.
A variety of programs including after-school, summer activities and STEM learning will be offered at the new facility. Other resources include internet safety programs, mental health support, nutrition initiatives, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve been able to increase the capacity so much and add preschool and other things; we can even benefit more families — and we can benefit them for a longer period of time, from younger to older, where there are no gaps.” Provo City Council Chair Katrice MacKay told KSL. “So I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic thing for the city and for our residents.”
Leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County say the new $6 million Provo clubhouse was designed as a welcoming space where children and teens can explore new interests, build life skills, and receive mentorship from caring staff.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs have been a cornerstone of youth development in Utah County for decades,” said Janet Frank, board president, in a statement “This new clubhouse strengthens that mission, allowing the organization to extend its reach and impact across the entire region.”
Friday’s event took place while children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs were in school, so another ceremony for kids and their families is planned for the end of the month.
“The Boys & Girls Club is for every kid out there,” Bayles said. “We want to accomplish what every parent wants for their kids — we want them to have a safe place to learn and grow, to be successful in school, to build social skills and to go on and be great members of society.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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