Golden Knights can't keep pace with Mammoth in Game 2 loss, series tied
Published in Hockey
The Utah Mammoth use their speed well. The Vegas Golden Knights fell victim to it on the goal that decided Game 2 of their first-round series.
Mammoth center Logan Cooley scored the winning goal with six minutes remaining, and the Knights lost 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday to even the best-of-7 series at a game apiece.
Utah winger Dylan Guenther, who scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal in the second period, entered the offensive zone with speed and got around defenseman Shea Theodore.
His initial shot was saved by goaltender Carter Hart, but he gathered the loose puck and found Cooley in front to give the Mammoth their first playoff win for the newest team in the league.
“They had a push, which we knew they would,” center Brett Howden said. “They are a good team and we knew it wouldn’t be easy.”
Game 3 is at Delta Center in Salt Lake City at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Captain Mark Stone and winger Ivan Barbashev each scored for the second straight game, but the Knights were outshot 23-11 in the final two periods.
“We had decent looks,” winger Mitch Marner said. “We have to do maybe a better job of sustaining pressure.”
The game didn’t have any flow for the first half because of a revolving door of penalties. The teams combined for 16 penalty minutes in the first period alone, finishing with 28.
Hart made 26 saves in his first loss in eight starts.
It’s the first regulation loss under coach John Tortorella, who had gone 8-0-1 since becoming the Knights’ coach on March 29.
Stone notched his second power-play goal of the series when his centering pass from below the goal line bounced off Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev’s stick and at 11:42.
“I thought we were going to take off after that first,” Tortorella said, adding he thought the first period was one of their best since becoming coach. “I really did.”
Utah got its own puck luck five minutes later. Mammoth defenseman Mackenzie Weegar’s point shot was saved by Hart, but the rebound bounced in off defenseman Rasmus Andersson’s skate.
An eventful first period saw 16 penalty minutes — matching the total from Game 1 — and a combined 36 hits after 82 Sunday, a 4-2 win for the Knights.
The Knights toned down the physicality with 33 hits after having 51 in Game 1. Utah finished with 39.
Guenther’s one-timer from the top of the left circle gave Utah a 2-1 lead with 5:04 left. Barbashev responded 1:02 later after forcing a turnover, getting back onside, walking in on Vejmelka and scoring far side with a backhand.
The goal was one of four shots the Knights had in the second period.
“We have to get more play in the offensive zone,” Howden said.
Cooley became the youngest American player in NHL history (21 years, 352 days) to score in each of his first two career playoff games. Utah captain Clayton Keller (22 years, 6 days) set the prior record.
The Knights dropped to 5-7 all-time in Game 2 after taking a 1-0 series lead at home.
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