Vegas Loses Battle of Puck Luck, Drops Game 2

There was a total of eight penalties called in the first period, five against Utah and three on Vegas. To nobody’s surprise, five of the eight penalties in the first period were for roughing. The parade to the penalty box would continue to start the second period. At the 2:27 mark of the second frame, Nick Dowd was whistled for tripping and the Utah power play went back to work. This power play was notable, not because of a Utah goal, but because of four Vegas blocked shots during the penalty kill, two of which severely stunned Hanifin and Jeremy Lazoun, respectively. While both players hobbled to the bench, they were both able to continue on in the game after some recovery time. Vegas would kill all four Utah penalties in the game.

Failed clearing attempts by both teams lead to the game’s next two goals. Four second after Utah killed another Vegas power play, the Mammoth took that momentum and then took their first lead of the night. Mitch Marner attempted to clear the puck from below his own goal line, but Utah defenseman Kailer Yamamoto was able to flag down the clearing attempt with his right glove and then complete a backhand, cross-ice pass to Dylan Guenther (1) who was stationed at the top of the left circle. He then unloaded on a one-time blast that beat Hart high to his stick-side. The goal came at 14:56 of the second and gave Utah a 2-1 lead. That lead, however, would be short-lived.

Just 1:02 later, Ivan Barbashev (2) picked off a Sergachev pass attempt at center ice and then skated in one-on-three, but somehow managed to dance all three Utah players like the Bellagio Fountains and then backhand the puck up and over the glove of Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka to knot the game at two and that is how the score remained heading into the second intermission.

The goaltenders took center stage in the third period as both teams peppered the opposing netminders, but each was stellar. However, late in the third, Utah was able to solve Hart for a third time through sheer tenacity. Guenther took a shot on Hart, then got his own rebound and rang it off the post. As Geunther looked to the heavens in disbelief, his teammate Logan Cooley (2) doggedly swooped in and corralled the rebound off the post and pushed it past Hart to put Utah ahead 3-2 with exactly six minutes left in regulation. With the goal, Cooley became the youngest U.S.-born player to score a goal in his first two career playoff games.

Vegas pulled Hart for the extra attacker and had some sustained pressure late, but could not get the equalizer. The win for Utah is considered their first in franchise history because they were considered an expansion franchise after their relocation to Utah from Arizona last season. While it was the first-ever playoff win for Utah, it was the first regulation loss for Vegas under coach John Tortorella. Vegas had been 8-0-1 since Tortorella became their new bench boss on March 30.

The series will now switch venues to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 will take place on Friday night and will be Utah’s inaugural home playoff game.

Notes

• The final shots on goal favored Utah, 29-21.
• Hits favored Utah, 33-31.
• Blocked shots also favored Utah, 17-15.
• Faceoff winning percentages were a dead even split at 50% apiece.

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