JJ Peterka leads a comeback to steal a point from the Sharks
The Mammoth have been flailing all month. Until yesterday, the only teams the Mammoth have gotten points against were New York teams (2-0-1), and the California trip seemed solid through 59 minutes last game.
After a heartbreaking and frustrating end to yesterday’s game, the Mammoth made their way down the coast to San Jose to take on the Sharks. Surely, a team the trounced earlier in the year would be a good rematch for them to get their mojo back.
The Mammoth were debuting brand new lines today, and a change in defensive pairing. Yamamoto returned to the lineup, but instead of his 4th line pairing, he slotted up higher with the Guenther and Hayton line. Additionally, to counter the speed of the Sharks, Dmitry Simashev was swapped out for speedster Olli Maatta. Simashev needed a maintenance day, as his 20 year old body has been worn down over such a brutal stretch of 20 games.
FIRST PERIOD:
The Sharks and Mammoth started out fairly open to start, but the game was immediately already going to be tough for the Mammoth. Both teams were open in the period, but unlike the previous game the Sharks scored quickly.
Philipp Kurashev retrived a Macklin Celebrini dump at the back of the net. Circling, he found Will Smith in at the bottom of the left dot. Smith found a lane between two Mammoth players. and Ian Cole reacted far too late as Celebrini buried his open chance. Less than 2 minutes into the game, the Mammoth found themselves down yet again. 1-0 Sharks
The Sharks were energized by their goal, and pushed Utah over the next several minutes. While there were no good scoring chances, a lot of big bodies laid a lot of big hits on Mammoth players while San Jose racked up zone time. Utah didn’t get a push until the 4 minute mark, when Logan Cooley flew in on the right wing, but his attempt was blocked harmlessly. About a minute later, the Mammoth had a goal absolutely robbed when a shot from Barrett Hayton was kicked out by Yaroslav Askarov. Hayton found the rebound in traffic, and with Askarov down he was able to get the glove up and snatch the puck out of the air. Somehow, the Mammoth’s sure goal wasn’t so sure anymore.
A few shifts later, an offensive zone possession turned into a nightmare, as a pass by John Marino had his pass was deflected by Celebrini. Collin Graf picked up the puck after Clayton Keller was unable to knock the puck out of the air with his glove. Graf fed Celebrini, who had a partial breakaway with Nate Schmidt on his heels. Celebrini went 5-hole on Vitek Vanecek on an impressive in-stride shot, nearly impossible to predict or defend. 6 minutes into the game, the Sharks have 3 shots – 2 of them by Celebrini who is on hatty watch already. 2-0 Sharks
Since the game was going badly already, Ian Cole decided to spice things up by interfering with Chris Rock’s favorite hockey player. The penalty kill for the Mammoth has been a fantastic unit, not allowing a goal all month. Their first challenge was against a Celebrini lead Sharks power play unit. Surprisingly, the Sharks power play isn’t as potent as it should be. They were basically an average power play unit, and Utah was able to prevent any pressure or shots.
Play continued, much like last night, with few opportunities generated by Utah, and little interest to push heavily by the Sharks. The Mammoth gave themselves really good chances to cut into the lead, with a two minute span of continuous zone time. However, the entire shift Utah failed to get an actual shot on goal. The team was exhausted and had nothing to show for it.
Michael Carcone had a chance pop for him with about 6 minutes to go. The puck entered the Sharks zone, and Carcone stepped around his defender. He had a tight lane towards Askarov, and was unable to get the puck past.
Yamamoto had two good rush chances on the same shift a few minutes later, but his shots went wide.
Vanecek was tested with just 4 minutes to go. A 3 on 2 rush by San Jose saw the puck bounce off a skate in front and redirect at a weird angle. Vitek contorted himself to make the save, and then the follow up attempt from in front.
Both teams played with zone time, but neither had any chances. Utah was held without a shot for the final 6 minutes, though a lot of shots towards the net missed high or wide. Period ended uneventfully; Utah and San Jose had 7 shots each by intermission.
SECOND PERIOD:
Yesterday, Utah didn’t lose the second period for the second straight game. Behind 2-0, Utah needed to not just not lose the period, they needed to win it. Closing the distance against Yaroslav Askarov was already going to be a tall task. Going down a third goal would basically ice the game.
Utah started out well, with a number of shot attempts in the first 3 minutes. Roughly 7 or 8 shot attempts were made, with a few of those on net, but Askarov was able to stand up against the Mammoth attempts. Team Tusk would get themselves a chance to claw back into the game, however, as Barclay Goodrow took an interference penalty against Keller.
Utah’s power play has been all of the synonyms of bad lately, going 0 for 16 on 5v4 coming into the game. San Jose’s penalty kill unit is in the bottom third of the league. The phrase unstoppable force meets immovable object applies here, except both force and object are not positive things.
The Mammoth had fairly decent zone time during their PP, but they were unable to connect on their passes which limited their finishes. As all the 5v4 attempts have gone this month, this ended without a bang, but a whimper, and Utah remained scoreless.
Teams were generally sloppy mid-period as both saw turnovers and giveaways end chances and opportunities on both sides of the ice. Askarov was tasked to make a couple of saves against Keller, Guenther, and Yamamoto, but despite putting up shot attempts, Utah still was unable to make a dent.
Vanecek was tested a couple of times on a San Jose offensive possession, with a flurry of about 5 or 6 shots over the course of a minute of play. Vitek turned away everything his way, keeping Utah down by just 2.
Keller took a slashing penalty in the offensive zone with about 7 minutes to play. This happened right after Cooley was able to dance between 4 Sharks players, but his pass back to Keller wasn’t able to be handled by the captain.
San Jose had their second crack against the Utah PK for the night. Utah was able to clear early and often, with a little bit of offensive pressure by Nick Schmaltz. Schmaltz got spun around at the Sharks blue line by an uncalled holding penalty, which should have evened up strength, but the referees made the first (or second now) of many questionable calls that harmed Utah actively.
Utah’s PK did their job for the second time, keeping the Sharks from registering a shot for the second straight power play. Utah was phenomenal at preventing San Jose from setting plays in the zone, forcing giveaways and zone clears throughout the kill.
About 5 minutes left in the period, Vanecek was forced to make two stops in close against Barclay Goodrow, while the teams came together after the play, signaling Utah’s frustration. JJ Peterka took a late penalty in the period, tripping a Shark against the boards in the offensive zone. Peterka’s time-out put the Sharks on the PP for a third time, but again the PK stood tall, allowing one shot, but blocking and disrupting the rest of the Sharks’ play. The penalty, then period, ended uneventfully, with Utah still down by 2.
Utah outshot 9 – 7 for the period, notching 14 total shots for the game so far.
THIRD PERIOD:
Scoreless through the first two periods, Utah was desperate to break through. San Jose, however, wouldn’t let Utah get any zone pressure to start the period. Each entry was disrupted at or right behind the blue line, as the stretch pass and dump ins were disrupted each time they tried.
Utah finally got a little bit of pressure about 4 minutes in, and after a little zone time spent by Keller’s line, a face off by the second line saw Kailer Yamamoto – who was all over the place all game – drew a hooking penalty from Celebrini. The Mammoth had their second PP of the game, looking for any shots to get through to Askarov, but the duration of the PP ended without a single shot on goal by Utah.
San Jose was content to push play to the neutral zone, and Utah struggled to get anything developing until about the 10 minute mark. After all seemed hopeless, and Utah seemed unable to find any weak spots or odd-man rushes all game, a pass from the far boards by Lawson Crouse hit JJ Peterka in front of the Sharks bench. Peterka, on a partial breakaway, went backhand-forehand-snap right between the pad and the glove. All of a sudden, after 50 minutes, Utah finally showed signs of life. 2-1 Sharks
San Jose tried to mount some counter-pressure after that goal, hitting a few Mammoth players, and missing a pair of shot attempts, but Utah started pushing play again. 4 minutes after the Peterka goal, Marino scored for Utah, tying the game. But… for the however many-th times in however many-th games, this was waved off for goalie interference. Guenther, in the crease, made contact with Askarov. Utah challenged – a good idea, considering they couldn’t score and this may be the last chance – since Guenther was pushed in the back, initiating contact. This, according to the rulebook, is a condition that negates goaltender interference. However, during the challenge, Toronto ruled against the Mammoth. Just like McBain, Marino had to settle for disappointment. Utah would go on the PK again for the failed challenge.
Tasked with their 4th trial of the night, Utah’s PKers had to hold strong to keep the game in reach. The Sharks were content to kill 2 minutes off the clock, which they did as they got just one shot off. Utah’s PK remained perfect, with a 4 of 4 kill for the night.
With 3 minutes to go in the game, the Hockey GodsTM decided that the poor officiating by Toronto and in the building was worthy of a break. JJ Peterka took a pass from his blue line, and with a fantastic individual effort, he rushed into the San Jose zone. Snapping a shot from the right dot, the puck bounced from Askarov’s glove into the back of the net. It wasn’t a shot that should ever go in, but it doesn’t matter how as long as it’s in. 2-2 Tied
San Jose pushed to regain the regulation lead and win immediately after the goal, but their attempts were all blocked. Neither team had much of a scoring chance in the final 3, and they would go to overtime, earning a point each.
OVERTIME:
Overtime hasn’t been a stranger to the Mammoth this week, as they played their third overtime game in a row. Last night, the Mammoth lost after giving up a late lead. Tonight, they made it to to overtime despite being outplayed in the majority of the first two periods.
In overtime, however, anything can happen. The Mammoth won the opening draw, held control for a while, but had their shot saved by Askarov. Then, Utah won the second draw, controlling the puck again. Unfortunately, a misplay allowed Will Smith to get a near breakaway on Vanecek, but he lost the puck trying to get fancy around Marino. An outlet pass to Keller saw him crash in on Askarov, but he didn’t get a shot off. The Sharks controlled, but their pass was intercepted by Peterka, who had a clear path to the net. However, the whistle sounded. Keller never made it back to the bench. Too many men.
Utah’s PK hasn’t played 4 on 3 this month, so it’s no wonder they’re not as polished as the 5v4 unit. A minute in, despite great saves by Vanecek and good clears when they could, eventually buckled as Celebrini got his hat trick finalized and the Sharks take the second point. Game. 3-2 Sharks
3 GOALS (THE GOOD):
Kailer Yamamoto was the best player for 55 minutes of the game tonight. Had JJ Peterka not found a heroic streak late in the game, Yamamoto would be far and away the best player for Utah tonight.
Perhaps it has something to do with his game management, but Yams was electric on his line today. We don’t think of Yamamoto as a scorer, and even less thought about as a 2nd line winger, but he generated turnovers, forced play deep, and provided several chances for Cooley and even on the PP unit. He didn’t get on the board for points today, but he was a major contributor nonetheless. JJ Peterka breathes life into a team that is lifeless and listless. For 50 minutes, Utah just was hesitant to shoot, shaky on their passes, and just unsure of their play. When all seemed hopeless, Peterka, off a great feed, was ready. Snapping a shot that beat Askarov cleanly, Peterka, at just 23 years old, showed a poise and maturity lacking with some of the more tenured Mammoth players.
Not to be outdone by his earlier opportunities, a lucky bounce from a late third period desperation play snuck its way past Askarov and tied the game.
Peterka’s career high in goals is 28, and a career high of 68 points last year. He’s on pace right now for 33 goals, 63 points. All of this is done without any significant PP time. That’s a really good sign for him when the PP clicks and he gets time there.
JJ’s tenacity is contagious – or it should be. For a struggling Utah team, they need to stop looking to leaders in name only, to leaders by example. JJ’s an example they need. The Penalty Kill kept this team in the game, and the PK unit was spearheaded by fantastic play by Vitek Vanecek. Vitek stood on his head in overtime and throughout the game, while PK1 and PK2 limited the Sharks to just a couple of 5v4 chances. Ultimately, they couldn’t remain perfect with so much extra space in the 4v3, but this unit gave Utah every opportunity to get back into the game.
3 CHIRPS (THE BAD):
Clayton Keller Is a leader in name only at this point. Slow, uninspired play has marred his last three weeks with the Mammoth. He’s been slow on backchecks, like yesterday in overtime, lazy line changes tonight cost the team an overtime point, and his lack of playmaking is killing the top line. Shooting the puck seems to be painful for him. Finding passing lanes feels like trying to thread a semi truck 5 lanes over during rush hour on I-15. He’s just not doing well on the ice, and his play is affecting Schmaltz and whoever is centering that line. It’s no wonder that Cooley’s best outbursts this game came when he was centering Guenther’s line late in the game.
I’m not a professional hockey player so I don’t know how to tell a player to wake the hell up, let alone a captain, but someone out there knows. Find that someone, give him Keller’s number yesterday. Coaching has lost the plot. Line blenders for line blender sake scream desperation. Focusing on collecting loser points instead of closing out a win with 5 seconds left screams desperation. Addressing an inept power play after 20 games with a 20 minute practice isn’t even desperation, it’s just optics.
It feels like the past three weeks that coaching is to blame for all the woes. At the end of the day, Tourigny didn’t cause Keller to cruise to the bench in overtime tonight. Coaching didn’t cause Sergachev to brain fart an offside in OT. Coaching didn’t make Vejmelka play 12 feet outside of the net because no one back checked for him. But coaching cleans up messes. Coaching can set a level of security and confidence in a team when things are faltering.
Teams go on losing streaks. Teams get snakebit. It happens. However, how a team responds to it all is a measure of coaching. The team came back today, sure, but not because of the line combinations. JJ Peterka may have single-handedly given a “Get out of firing free” card to Tourigny, despite team play over the past two days. Officiating I have about 3 more chirps about Utah play tonight, but what’s burning my butt is the officiating over the past few games. Tonight, the refs missed at least two calls on the Sharks that would have given Utah either a reprieve from the PK (Schmaltz hold in the 2nd, trip in the corner in the 3rd), and the weak slash call on Keller and goalie interference rulings were just icing on a crap cake.
This comes a few games after a similar interference call against McBain in Ottawa and a sketchy call against the Islanders a few days later.
The Hockey GodsTM tried to rectify this today with the Peterka sneak past Askarov but even the HGs have limitations. Perhaps Ryan Smith can donate to the NHLOA and fund vision insurance for Christmas.
Next up:
We roll the dice at home on Thursday, as the Vegas Golden Knights come to town.
Salty Stampede 
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