Utah Hockey Club almost completed their largest rally of the season. Instead they had to settle for a point that kept them in the Western Conference wild card race.
Michael Carcone, Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton scored in a three-goal second period that helped Utah rally from a 3-0 deficit. But Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner scored in the shootout to help the Maple Leafs escape with a 4-3 win on Monday at Delta Center.
"Even early on in the game, we felt good about our game," said Utah captain Clayton Keller, who had the team's lone goal in the shootout. "They got two power play goals but I think as the game went on we got better."
Keller credited defenseman Michael Kesselring's fight against Toronto defenseman Simon Benoit as an energy boost for Utah.
"That was awesome and really elevated us," he said. "We scored two quick goals. It sucks not to get the two points tonight but I think everyone dug in."
The fight came right after a disputed Toronto goal that Utah felt was scored with a high stick to give the Maple Leafs a 3-0 lead — a goal on which coach Andre Tourigny declined to comment..
"They're a good team," Tourigny said of the Leafs. "They made trades [at the deadline] because they want to win the Stanley Cup.
"We made a huge character comeback and we showed how resilient we were and how important it is for us to stick together and to be there for each other. I think the boys did an unbelievable job."
Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves in regulation, including this absurd paddle save on Morgan Rielly off a backhand feed on a spin-o-rama from John Tavares.
