^{Second period implosion derails Utah’s win streak}

The Utah Mammoth rolled into Edmonton, riding high on a record breaking 7 game win streak. Edmonton rolled into Edmonton struggling to score, and floundering with a 4-4-2 record. Things seemed like they were in the Mammoth’s favor tonight, and for a period, they were.

As you would expect from one of the best teams in the league in this early season got a quick jump on the Oilers. A rush chance less than a minute into the game saw Lawson Crouse crash the net with a sharp angle shot which was stopped; he had another good chance about a minute later, with a similar result. Utah controlled the early pace, allowing a scoring chance about 3 minutes in, which Vejmelka stopped. Crouse had another chance, JJ Peterka had some solid defense and forced a turnover for a chance to Guenther, but aside from one more effort from Hayton going high, Utah had pressure but not many actual scoring chances.

Meanwhile, the Oilers had a little pressure but nothing significant. The main opportunities came from a nearly 2 on 1 where Draisaitl was blocked and the Oilers had a chance to try and redirect off Vejmelka, but that chance failed. Jack Roslovic danced through 4 Mammoth and had an open look on Vejmelka, but that shot dinged off the pipe, keeping the game scoreless.

On the rush back after the Roslovic chance, the Oilers appeared to corral a soft dump in, but the puck was misplayed. Dylan Guenther scooped the puck, but was unable to get a shot off cleanly. Instead, his pass went far side to Logan Cooley, who held the puck longer than expected, which allowed Stewart Skinner to get off his angle. Cooley went far side post, and in for the icebreaker. 1-0 Utah

Instead of pressure by the Oilers after the goal, Utah’s defense smothered Connor McDavid. First along the boards in the Mammoth’s zone, then with a steal from a backchecking Nick Schmaltz, McDavid had no space or rhythm to get going. His counterpart captain, meanwhile, led a long attack in the offensive zone, forcing Skinner to make some tight-in saves and a lot of side-to-side scrambling.

Utah continued to drive play, with a strong rush, forecheck, and board play. The third line got a solid chance, a 3 on 2 that had a shot tipped in front by Jack McBain, but Skinner was able to track it. All 4 lines had some good O zone pressure in the period, with a good shot attempt by Liam O’Brien (in for Kailer Yamamoto) stopped by Skinner.

The next best chance of the period came with about 3:30 to play. A rush by Clayton Keller, Schmaltz, and Barrett Hayton ended up with a shot from the near side dot by Schmaltz. Skinner kicked out a big rebound that almost made it to Keller. He had a wide open cage, but Andrew Mangiapane got just enough of a stick on it to deny Keller the freebie.

With about 2 minutes to play, the kid line was at it again. Stopping several entry attempts by the Oilers, a deflected puck at center ice was picked up by JJ Peterka. Peterka came up the near side, and from about 35 feet out, ripped an absolute laser over Skinner’s blocker. The Kid line again celebrated another first period goal from that line. 2-0 Utah

The Mammoth kept the Oilers to 6 shots as the horn sounded. They defended the rush perfectly, shut down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and didn’t take any penalties or give up many high danger chances. Everything was going to plan. Certainly this was going exactly to plan.

The thing about plans, though, is they’re subject to change. That change came about 20 seconds into the dreaded second period. The rush defense that worked perfectly in the first period saw a massive breakdown; Guenther missed a check on Draisaitl, who proceeded to find a wide open Mattias Ekholm on the far side. Utah had numbers back, but they seemed allergic to Ekholm, giving him about 40 feet of space, as he took an old-fashioned slap shot that beat Karel Vejmelka high blocker side. 2-1 Utah

NHL players know that 20 seconds doesn’t define a period. Utah saw some immediate additional pressure, but they were able to get the puck down deep into the Oilers zone. Good board work by Hayton gave the puck to Schmaltz at the right side dot. He fed a pass back door to Hayton, who was shoulder checked off the puck before he could shoot. Similar to Keller last period, he had a pretty automatic goal if he got the shot off, but the chance was just a second too late.

Schmaltz had a great opportunity seconds later, but Skinner was square and able to turn him aside. While Utah kept pressure, Sergachev whiffed a shot attempt and McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a 2 on 1 against. McDavid almost connected on a pass into the slot with a wide open RNH, however the pass was overskated and the chance was snuffed out. On the same shift, one last chance as Roslovic had a great shot from a wide angle, but Veggie caught just enough to send the puck to the crossbar and over.

On a routine dump-in from Edmonton about the 17 minute mark, Nate Schmidt got the puck behind the net and passed to Marino. Marino had trouble with the puck, and the Edmonton forecheck recovered the puck. During the cycle, the puck ended up behind the net, where Marino went to clear. However, Adam Henrique poked the puck from Marino’s stick right to a waiting Oiler in the slot. Isaac Howard had the puck 6 feet in front of a not-set Vejmelka, and easily beat him to even the score. 2-2 tied

Cooley had a good opportunity with a spin-o-rama backhander that was intended for Guenther, but was broken up by the Oilers defense. Olli Maatta had a home-run pass hit Michael Carcone for a breakaway, but the play, and Utah’s best potential chance, was blown offside. The line remained out for the draw, and Carcone and Crouse had a good give and go to allow Crouse a good shot that was saved by Skinner. The line had yet another chance, but Carcone’s chance was blocked out high.

Open play resulted in dumps on both ends, with not a lot of pressure in either zone for a few minutes. Utah had a good look with Cooley almost connecting with a wide open Guenther in the slot, which missed, and the Oilers counterattacked with a 2 on 1 where a McDavid pass to Nugent-Hopkins ended up being shot over the crossbar. Utah countered yet again, with a great chance by JJ Peterka blocked before getting to Skinner.

Skinner’s blocking luck would run out in the most spectacular way. On a routine dump in, Skinner misplayed the puck behind his net. A streaking Nick Schmaltz collected the puck, circled behind the net, and connected with Hayton, who raced in. Skinner seemed to be slow getting back to the net, and a weak attempt to make a save failed, as Utah regained the lead. 3-2 Utah

A scary moment in more ways than one hit Dmitri Simashev soon after. Draisaitl had an uncalled high stick whack the Russian rookie in the face. While Simashev was stunned, the puck came out to the point, and a shot made it past Vejmelka. The puck slid slowly in the crease, but the battered defenseman threw himself to the ice, batting the puck away with his hands. High stick, no stick, no problem.

About a minute later, a broken stick by Ian Cole led to some high pressure zone time by Edmonton. Using borrowed lumber, Cole was able to eventually strip McDavid of the puck and iced it. This allowed the group to rearm with the proper tools. The Mammoth were hemmed in, though, and incomplete line changes led to some awkward pairings that gave the Oilers some continued pressure.

Eventually Utah got into the Oilers zone, with a broken like of Peterka, Hayton, and Schmaltz up front, and Schmidt and Maatta defending. Maatta had a good keep in at the line, while being tackled to the ice. Refs forgot they ref, and play continued dangerously, as Schmidt mishandled a keep in, dancing with the puck in his skates but doing just enough to keep the Oilers from a 2 on 0 breakaway.

Play continued for what seemed like 10 minutes without a whistle, with the attack ebbing and flowing from each team. The Oilers had some zone pressure, and somehow Draisaitl found his line up against Utah’s 4th. Edmonton moved the puck around the horn, until Evan Bouchard had a clear shot from the point. Vejmelka made the save, but kicked the rebound out to Draisaitl. Defended by an out of position and unexpecting Liam O’Brien, that puck was in a perfect position for the German sniper. As he almost always does, he buried the puck, tying the game again. 3-3 tie

Remember when I said that “NHL players know that 20 seconds doesn’t define a period”? 30 seconds might, because in as nearly literal a case of deja vu, an Oilers shot from the point. Vejmelka made the save, but kicked the rebound out to Draisaitl Ty Emberson, Defended by an out of position and unexpecting Liam O’Brien Jack McBain, that puck was in a perfect position for the German sniper defenseman who hadn’t scored yet this year. 4-3 Oilers

Suddenly down, the stunned Mammoth started reeling. The kid line responded, with Peterka feeding Cooley right in front of Skinner, but the shot barely missed. A play to Guenther in the slot was broken up by a cross check to the back. Guenther got the puck in the exact same spot he sniped the game winner against the Jets from, but Skinner had the position and kept the puck out.

Cole took a puck to the mouth to deny McDavid earlier in the period, but McDavid and his scoring drought was about to end. Covered by JJ Peterka in the defensive zone, McDavid spun Peterka around and headed right for the net. A give and go with RNH gave McDavid a yawning cage, and he doubled his total for the year as Vejmelka threw himself over in vain. 5-3 Oilers

Somehow, Vejmelka got his pads just over enough to stop a frustrated Roslovic breakaway, and despite constant Oiler pressure through the remainder of the period, miraculously the Mammoth made it to the horn without giving up another goal. A 5 goal outburst against was the worst damage ever done to Utah since inception, with 15 shots against. Utah found itself in a multi-goal deficit, the first a Chicago empty net goal put them down 3-1 over two weeks ago.

Utah was desperate to come back in the third, so naturally this is where the referees decided they would somewhat influence the game. No call on a high stick to Simashev in the second. No call for a potential cross check in the crease on Guenther a few minutes back. No call on Maatta being tackled. No, this was called:

https://x.com/JazzePinkman/status/1983378701174878321?t=C3Zs0s74bHsVI37m374BGQ&s=19
Credit @JazzePinkman

The most lethal players in the league had a power play in a game they were up by 2 already. What could go wrong?

Well, actually, nothing. Utah blocked a few shots, stick checked McDavid at least twice, and Vejmelka made some saves that didn’t require kicking a rebound to an open Oiler at the dot. Ultimately, the PK was successful, sparing us from an even more difficult hill to climb.

Down 2 goals, with 14 shots through 3 minutes into the third period, Utah needed to get pressure and shots on Skinner. Aside from one minor push with shots from Guenther and Peterka, Utah did not get pressure or shots on Skinner.

Finally, with 13 minutes left to play, the referees saw that Edmonton was capable of committing penalties as well. Despite the cross check, trip, and high stick earlier in the game, Evan Bouchard was called for slashing an antagonizing Logan Cooley. This gave the recently successful Mammoth power play a chance to take them within one.

A few blocked shots, another cross check by Edmonton in front of their net, and larceny by Skinner on Schmaltz at the doorstep and Peterka from range ended the penalty without a positive result.

Veggie answered the bell with a few good saves in the third; a shot by Roslovic was stopped and covered, and a breakaway by McDavid was pushed wide by the sprawling Czech.

With time running down, Utah failed to get sustained pressure on the Oilers, as Edmonton seemed to channel their Mammoth-style defense. Things looked bleak, until Isaac Howard took a trip on Guenther with 4 minutes to play. The Mammoth had some life, and had a golden opportunity to get to within one. The little pressure Utah managed on the PP in the first minute was insufficient to beat Skinner, and Vejmelka was pulled with about 3 minutes left. The 6 on 4 provided some good chances – and a terrible scare, as a hand-passed puck was almost not whistled down. Even so, Guenther had some hustle and a determined backcheck, so the empty net against was not guaranteed.

The penalty expired for Utah, and a few moments later McDavid ended up with the puck on his stick in the neutral zone. Remember he had a goal drought coming into the game? Not anymore. 6-3 Oilers

Mop up went as expected, and the streak is buried in the oil fields at 7 games.

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3 GOALS (THE GOOD):

Homecoming It’s clear the team was gassed at some point tonight. Whether they left it all on the line to beat Winnipeg, whether the jetlag hit at 8:15, or perhaps the Czech restaurant wasn’t the best tonight, it doesn’t matter. The team imploded in the second in horrific ways (which I will talk about in a minute). This team is in need of their warm beds, some fresh air, and some dirty sodas.

It’ll be one day, but one’s all you need. Hopefully a recharged and rejuvenated squad will make the best of their 4 days off at home, so they can get back out there and start the next win streak.

I feel like a broken record because as bad as this game was, Guenther, Cooley, and Peterka are proving to be an elite unit. They recorded 3 points tonight, 2G and 1A, accounting for the majority of the team’s offense, again. Anyone not on this line, or not named Nick Schmaltz, owes these guys credit for almost all of the wins coming Utah’s way.

Tonight, they were strong again. Yes, there were missed shots high or wide. Yes, there were some passes missed, but the unit is secure with the puck. Again, they registered a positive takeaway/giveaway ration (which I haven’t talked about yet, since so much has been good it’s been hard to get to). Again, they back check hard, stick check, fight at the boards well. Cooley’s becoming a defense hound, and Peterka threw his weight around and registered at least one hit tonight.

JJ got burned bad by McDavid for the 5th goal. He’s 22, and he played against those lines phenomenally. I’m happy even with that wart.

This line is the future. All we need to do is have Cooley’s signature to make it locked in for years.

Simashev played his first game against Stanley Cup talent. How did he do? Offensively, he’s not effective yet. He hasn’t been able to buy a point 11 games into his career. However, he was solidly effective. He played top minutes with Sergachev, clocking 20:09 for the night on 25 shifts. He was out there against the McDavid and Draisaitl lines constantly, adding 2 blocked shots, a hit, and while he had a giveaway, he also took a stick to the face and moments later, dove to clear a puck that was dangerously close to the net.

Simashev has not scored yet, nor has he registered an assist. What he has done, though, is shored up the blue line with a big body with great skating and the ability to hang with some of the best in the league.

3 CHIRPS (THE BAD):
Second Periods need to be retired. Someone needs to explain to Bear in French how the game has suddenly changed. Now, teams play a 1st period, 3rd period, and 20 minute overtime that’s not actually sudden death. Maybe that’ll work?

Look, NHL players are conditioned better than almost any other athlete in the world. The Mammoth play in a high elevation and should be used to the oxygen level. They’re at an age I can barely remember with energy I can’t even conceive of any longer. They’re superhuman athletes with a skill that no one can match, but the thing about being superhuman is you’re still human.

Too much time from family, cooking that’s unfamiliar, and even the softest mattresses aren’t home. Time zone differences are just an hour, but that’s still a disruption. In a sport where a half second is an eternity, a slight disruption can be significant.

Still, this is not an exhaustion thing. Tonight was, most likely. But this second period meltdown has been going on for the better part of 93 games now. Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence… ninety-three times is a pattern.

Streaks are annoying at times. A 7 game win streak is fantastic, and we’re all warm and fuzzy. Cooley’s point streak is great for his stats and his wallet. But, winless in four tries against Edmonton is also a streak.

Streaks sometimes clash. A goalie with a shutout streak will meet a player with a point streak. One of them will fall. Tonight, our 7 game win streak fell, and the Oilers dominance over the Mammoth continues… for now.

Goaltending was horrific today. Let’s face it, you’re giving up goals to the Oilers. They’re not scoring 12 goals a game like normal, but they’re still scoring. And tonight, they decided the drought was over. They’re hard to keep contained. There’s a reason McDavid is considered the best player on Earth, and Draisaitl is probably top 5 along with him. That’s dangerous talent.

Ekholm had 30 feet and 10 minutes of free time to shoot. Howard picked up a puck the defense coughed up right outside his paint. Two goals that he was absolutely left out to dry.

Even with that, Veggie did himself no favors. Rebound control is ultimately on the goalie. You select your pads and equipment for a style of play you’re comfortable and familiar with. Veggie elected for sturdy pads that kick out rebounds. Those pads kicked rebounds out to unmarked Oilers at the dot who had wide open looks. Twice.

It didn’t matter what happened after that, because the Mammoth were playing from behind and the game changes completely when that occurs. Can’t let that happen, not against a team that was struggling coming in. Now, you’ve let them light the fire and the team got burned.

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Next up:

An airport, an Uber home, and a few nights rest. No games until Sunday, when Tampa Bay comes to town. Delta Center, November 2nd, 1:30 PM. Last chance to see the Mammoth until the 12th.