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Utah Evens Series with Game 2 Win

The Utah Mammoth recorded their first ever playoff victory with a hard fought 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night.

The win was monumental in several facets as it was not only the first playoff victory, but it also proved this young team can play and succeed in a tough environment and fight through adversity.

Utah lost Game 1, 4-2 and despite being severely outplayed in the third period of that game against the more experienced Golden Knights, they responded 48 hours later. The Mammoth started to find their game in the second period. Dylan Guenther, who led them with 40 goals in the regular season, gave them a 2-1 lead with a wicked one-timer from top of the left circle.

Ivan Barbashev tied it 2-2 just 1:02 later. The Golden Knights seemed in good shape entering the third period, considering they have been perhaps the best third period team in the NHL this season and had outscored the Mammoth 3-0 in the third in Game 1.

However, Utah responded again. With 6:00 remaining Logan Cooley delivered the eventual game winner after Guenther flew past defenseman Shea Theodore on the left wing and fired a shot. Carter Hart made the save, and Guenther clanked the rebound off the left post. Cooley drove to the net and scored on the follow up.

“We got a couple of things to fix,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said, "but that’s why it’s a series.”

After being the more physical team in the opener, Vegas outhit the Mammoth 51-31. In Game 2 Utah flipped those numbers to a 39-33 advantage.

Both games featured several 4 on 4 situations as penalties played a big part. The Knights scored on their only power play in Game 1 but were not as successful in this contest going only 1 for 4. The also could not score despite having a one-man advantage in the final 2:51 with an empty net situation.

The Golden Knights came into this series as a heavy favorite and now find themselves in a fight as Games 3 and 4 will take place in Salt Lake City, which is expected to be a madhouse for the franchise's first home playoff game. Game 3 is Friday night at 6:30pm.