The Utah Mammoth have a Cooley-sized problem

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mammoth are playing the best stretch of hockey this season. The scary part is, they've done it without their best player.

Logan Cooley has been sidelined since Dec. 5, when he slid awkwardly into the goal post in Vancouver in a game against the Canucks. The lower-body injury has forced Cooley to miss the past 21 games, but a return is imminent.

The Mammoth are 13-9-1 since Cooley went down, but they are 9-2-1 since the turn of the calendar and show no signs of slowing down.

The question is, what will Utah do when he returns?

Each line has brought something to the table and the Mammoth won't want to mess with something that is clearly working. Since head coach Andre Tourigny moved the team's goal leader, Dylan Guenther, to the third line and swapped him for rookie Daniil But, the Mammoth are 5-1-0.

Top line leaders

The offense has been humming, but the forward pairings have made key defensive plays, as well. Players are working well with each other and everyone's game seems to be complimentary.

The first line of Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse has not only set the pace for the rest of the team, but their play has brought plenty of clutch moments.

Keller just completed a great stretch of play at home, totaling 13 points in the team's seven-game homestand. His best performance came in Utah's 5-4 overtime victory over the Flyers on Wednesday.

Second in points this season behind Keller, Schmaltz has brought consistent play to the ice for the Mammoth. His clutch puck strip of Garnet Hathaway on Wednesday may have been the play of the year for Utah.

"Sometimes, not everybody will see that or you need to really pay attention when there's a highlight play like that," Tourigny said. "I like his performance and how he impacts our team."

Crouse has helped solidify that other first-line wing spot with his consistent play. It may not always show up in the statsheet, but Crouse has seemingly made the right play at the right time consistently. His play has been crucial to the Mammoth's recent success.

"Guys are reading well off each other all over the ice," Crouse said. "As a team, when we're playing at our best, that's the way that we're playing. We're reading off each other, we're playing fast. No one's getting slowed down. It's working."

'Middle six'

Utah's third line has displayed great chemistry since the lineup change. Guenther has enjoyed playing with Jack McBain; he stated as much that he enjoyed playing with him last season.

"We played well together last year," Guenther said. "(McBain's) a guy who the other team doesn't want to play against, so I like it."

Their chemistry is apparent on the ice, and then the team adds the tenacity Michael Carcone has brought, which completes one of the better third lines in the league — a trio of players that all bring something different to the table.

The return of Cooley to the lineup may not be as hard for Tourigny to make, as he has made it very clear he does not view having a second and third line.

"For me, there's no second and third line," Tourigny said. "If you look at the personnel for me, we have our first line, I won't lie about that. (Schmaltz) is our first line, but the other two lines for me, they're middle six."

Regardless of how Tourigny views his lines, figuring out where Cooley will best help the team will be crucial to not mess up what's working. Those types of moves are difficult, and it's likely someone will drop in the lineup and another may be scratched.

Sliding Cooley into the second line to play center seems to be the most logical option. By doing so, Barrett Hayton would likely slide over and take But's spot on the wing or fall down to the fourth line.

A second line of Cooley, J.J. Peterka and either But or Hayton at the other wing position could be the most ideal option for Tourigny, though it has felt like But has earned those minutes over Hayton in recent games.

Fellow forwards Branden Tanev and Liam O'Brien have struggled to make an impact offensively this season, with Tanev still searching for his first goal of the season. Scratching Kevin Stenlund would be a mistake, as his face-off prowess has come up big down the stretch of games.

Tourigny could pivot and operate the fourth line wings on a game-by-game basis, searching for the best matchups and who's game could give the team an edge.

Figuring out the bottom of the lineup might be a little tricky but having good depth isn't a bad problem to have. The players seem willing to play whatever position or role that is asked of them and as they chase a common goal.

"I think just the way I play, I feel like I can play with different guys and anywhere in the lineup." Guenther said.

Wherever line Cooley ends up playing on, Utah will be getting a massive boost at the right time. It's currently unknown if Cooley will suit up before the Olympic break but when he does, it could be the move that launches the Mammoth into the playoffs.

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