On Tuesday night, we saw the Utah Mammoths embark on a four-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabers, who are in the middle of a three-game homestand.
This is the first time the two division rivals have met since the Mammoths traded Josh Doan and Michael Kesselin to the Sabers for JJ Peterka in a blockbuster trade this offseason.
game review
In the first quarter of this quarter, the Mammoths and Sabers traded chances back and forth. However, Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka and Sabers’ Alex Lyon combined to make seven high-danger saves in the period to keep the game scoreless through the first 20 minutes.
The second period brought more of the same. The Mammoths controlled most of their scoring opportunities, outscoring the Sabers 9-5 at midfield.
However, Lyon made six more high-danger saves in the period to keep the Mammoths off the scoreboard. Vimelka, on the other hand, was not tested as often. Still, he had the highlight of the period, denying Jack Quinn on a breakaway after getting past a Mammoth defenseman.
The Mammoths finally opened the scoring three minutes into the final frame. It was Nick Schmaltz’s eighth game of the season when he caught a nice seam pass from Clayton Keller while rushing the ball.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as Noah Ostlund scored his first career NHL goal, ricocheting off the base wall into the Mammoth net to tie the game.
The goal sent the game into overtime, where Keller danced around three Sabers on the ice and beat Lyon in the fifth hole 47 seconds into overtime to seal the 2-1 victory. It was the Sabers’ fourth overtime loss in five games and their fifth straight game going to overtime. With the win, the Mammoths ended a two-game losing streak.
These two teams will face off again in just over a week at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, ending their season series early. Before then, the Sabers will wrap up a three-game homestand against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The Mammoths return to action tomorrow for the second half of a back-to-back against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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