Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka made 27 saves as the visiting Utah Mammoth beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Wednesday night.
Second on the team with 28 points, Keller was blanked in each of the previous four games, but the captain was Utah’s offensive standout. Jack McBain also scored, Dylan Guenther notched his sixth goal in six games and Kevin Stenlund added late insurance for the Mammoth, who capped a 2-1-0 trip with their third win in four contests.
Vejmelka allowed 14 goals over his previous four starts, but was stout throughout while winning his third start in a row.
Emmitt Finnie scored for Detroit, which suffered just its second regulation defeat in 10 games.
Following a scoreless first period, it took Utah just 1:44 into the second to open the scoring. Off Nick Schmaltz’s shot on goal from the right wing, Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot (23 saves) gave up a juicy rebound that an unmarked, trailing Keller was there to push in.
The Red Wings had a chance to equalize through two power-play opportunities later in the period but failed to convert on either. Utah then made it 2-0 when McBain was on the doorstep to put in the puck from Michael Carcone with 5:43 remaining in the middle frame.
After Utah failed on its fourth power-play chance, the hosts finally broke through. With the Red Wings amid their own man-advantage, Andrew Copp, from the ice, got the puck from behind the Utah net over to John Leonard, who found Finnie in the slot to beat Vejmelka with 10:05 remaining in regulation.
However, the Mammoth answered with 4:08 left in the third as Guenther was in the right spot to pounce on a loose puck that glanced off Talbot. Just 31 seconds later, Utah sealed the contest when Keller found Stenlund in the slot for a successful snap shot.
The Mammoth have won four of their last six on the road.
–Field Level Media
