After But’s goal was the only tally in the first period, both teams found the back of the net in the middle frame. Utah scored four times in the second period, including Sergachev’s shorthanded goal, to take a 5-2 lead entering the third period. Trocheck and fellow Pittsburgh native, Logan Cooley, connected on a goal one minute into the second period, as their line with Dylan Guenther continued to build chemistry. The center reflected on what it’s like playing with Cooley on a line.
“It's actually awesome, it's just a blast,” Trocheck said. “I have so much fun it doesn't seem real at times. Sometimes it just feels like we’re playing shinny hockey in the summer. Such a good kid, obviously such a phenomenal hockey player, so he makes things a little easier on me out there. It's a lot of fun just being able to talk shop, talk about our game with each other, now just at an NHL level.”
Toronto pushed back with two goals in the final frame, and then had a power play in the final two minutes of regulation. With their goaltender pulled, the Maple Leafs had a 6-on-4 advantage; however, Utah survived with several big saves from Karel Vejmelka.
“Yeah, it was a lot more than five; he saved us a few times earlier in the game,” Trocheck said of Vejmelka. “He played great, and we needed it.”
“We were resilient out there, but obviously we didn't play the way we wanted to play in the third period,” Sergachev reflected. “We were backing off a little bit, not attacking as much as we should have been. But it's only game seven of the season, so I think it's going to be a quick turnaround.”
Even through the tougher moments of the game, the Mammoth stayed even keeled and were fueled by their home crowd. It made a difference.
“They always do a good job,” Sergachev said. “They're always behind us, cheering for us. Today in a tough situation, when they scored that fourth goal they were still cheering for us. Every good stick or blocked shot the crowd is on their feet. It means a lot to us.”
The Mammoth have two more tests this week with a home and home series against the Edmonton Oilers. Utah will look to clean up their game while building off the success the team has had to start the year.
“Our guys dug in, and they found a way, and they showed a lot of pride, so I'm proud of them for that,” Tourigny shared. “I think there are always things you need to be aware and manage to get better. It's important for us; even if we have success, we need to manage it the right way and learn from what we need to do better, so that we can keep being successful. The number one thing that we can’t do is mismanage our success. That will lead to failure, so we don't want to do that.”
Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)
- 18 of the Mammoth’s 19 skaters who have played at the Delta Center this season have points at home.
- Center Barrett Hayton extended his assist streak to four games with an assist tonight.
- Sergachev’s two-point night was his third multi-point game of the season. He’s tied with Guenther and Captain Clayton Keller for the most of any Mammoth skater.
- The Mammoth’s d-core is tied for the second-most goals in the NHL (6).
Final Stats
Total Shots: UTA 28, TOR 26
Power Play: TOR 2/5, UTA 0/4
Hits: UTA 17, TOR 14
Blocked Shots: TOR 15, UTA 10
Face-Off %: TOR 51.9%, UTA 48.1%
Upcoming Schedule
