The Vegas Golden Knights beat Utah Mammoth 5-3 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena, scoring three times in the second period to pull away. Ivan Barbashev scored twice during that run, and Victor Olofsson finished with a goal and two assists for three points.
Vegas outshot Utah 28-17 and converted two of four power-play chances. Jack McBain led the Mammoth with a goal and two assists, but Utah goaltender Sebastian Cossa allowed five goals on 28 shots as Utah fell to 10-8-1. Vegas improved to 13-5-2 and holds the season series 1-0.
Takeaways From Golden Knights’ Win Over Mammoth
Vegas erupted in the second period
The Golden Knights scored three goals in a span of 5:09 during the middle frame. Olofsson opened the surge at 3:07 on a wrist shot assisted by Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Barbashev followed with goals at 4:51 and 8:16, both wrist shots, with Olofsson picking up the assist on each. That stretch turned a 1-1 game into a 4-1 Vegas lead and proved too much for Utah to overcome.
Special teams swung the game
Vegas converted 50% of its power-play chances, scoring on two of four opportunities, while Utah went 0-for-1 with the man advantage. The Golden Knights also out-hit the discipline gap, taking just one penalty for two minutes compared to four penalties and eight minutes for Utah. That imbalance kept Vegas in a position to exploit its power play while limiting Utah’s own chances.
Utah’s third-period push fell short
Dmitri Simashev scored at 9:07 of the third period off assists from McBain and Clayton Keller, cutting the deficit to 3-4. But Vegas answered less than a minute and a half later when Brett Howden tipped in a shot from William Karlsson and Marner at 10:19 to restore the two-goal cushion. Utah could not generate another sustained push in the final 10 minutes.
Player Of The Game: Ivan Barbashev
Barbashev scored twice on three shots in 14:26 of ice time, both wrist shots that came during Vegas’ decisive second-period stretch. He finished plus-1 with no penalties, and his second goal at 8:16 of the middle frame extended the lead to three before Utah had mounted any response.
Golden Knights Vs. Mammoth By The Numbers
Vegas held a 28-17 shots advantage over Utah, a gap of 11 shots that reflected the Golden Knights’ sustained offensive pressure. The Golden Knights also won the power-play battle 2-for-4 against Utah’s 0-for-1. Utah led in hits 28-23 and in faceoff win percentage 54.7% to 45.3%, but could not translate that physical edge and faceoff control into enough scoring chances. Utah also committed 21 giveaways to Vegas’ 18, a difference that contributed to Vegas’ sustained zone time during the second-period surge.
What’s Next
Utah fell to 10-8-1 and remains in fourth place in the Central Division. Vegas improved to 13-5-2 and sits second in the Pacific Division behind Edmonton (31 points).Golden Knights vs. Mammoth by the Numbers
- Shots: Vegas 28, Utah 17
- Power play: Vegas 2-for-4, Utah 0-for-1
- Hits: Utah 28, Vegas 23
- Faceoff win %: Utah 54.7, Vegas 45.3
- Giveaways: Utah 21, Vegas 18
https://totalapexsports.com/senators-beat-mammoth-4-2/”>Senators’ 4-2 win over Utah and the Canadiens’ overtime win over Utah.
Vegas improved to 13-5-2 and sits second in the Pacific Division behind Edmonton, which holds 31 points to Vegas’ 28. Neither team’s next opponent was included in the available data.
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