On Tuesday night, the Utah Mammoth closed out a four-game homestand hosting the Colorado Avalanche at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
This was the second time these two Central Division opponents had matched up this season, following their first meeting in the season opener, when the Avalanche beat the Mammoth 2-1 in Colorado.
Since then, the Mammoth have gone 4-1-0, while the Avalanche remained undefeated in regulation entering play through six games.
Game Recap
The Mammoth had the first couple of good chances in the game, but it would be the Avalanche who opened the scoring on a Cale Makar wrist shot from the point that Karel Vejmelka did not see. Zakhar Bardakov and Parker Kelly assisted on the goal. It was the 2021 seventh-round pick’s first career NHL point in his second career game, and it was Kelly’s first point of the season.
The Avalanche carried the one-goal lead into the first intermission. However, the Mammoth finally broke the ice shortly after the midway point of the game on Nick Schmaltz’s fourth goal of the season. It was his fourth straight game with a point and eighth point over that stretch.
The Mammoth then took the lead on a goal where Kevin Stenlund made a nice pass to Lawson Crouse, who scored on a one-timer for his first goal of the season. Michael Carcone also had an assist on the play, being the initial shooter Stenlund fed before recovering the puck off a blocked shot and finding Crouse.
The Mammoth held that lead until the second break. But the Avalanche fired back 70 seconds into the period on Jack Drury’s first goal of the season, where he buried a rebound off a Ross Colton shot.
However, the Mammoth took the lead right back with just under five minutes to play on a shot from the top of the right circle that beat Scott Wedgewood. It was Mikhail Sergachev’s first goal and point of the season.
The Avalanche did not go away; they clawed back once again, with Martin Necas tying the game on an unbelievable shot with just over two minutes to play in regulation to avoid their first regulation loss of the season.
This goal forced overtime, where Dylan Guenther tapped in a wicked backdoor pass from Clayton Keller to close out the 4-3 victory 33 seconds into the extra frame. With the win, the Mammoth draws back even with the Avalanche in the season series.
These two teams will meet two more times this season, with the next matchup scheduled for Dec. 23 in the Mile High City. Before that, the Mammoth are heading out on a four-game road trip with the first stop being in St. Louis, while the Avalanche head back home to square off with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
