Mammoth Hold Off Maple Leafs' Late Surge to Win 5-4 in Utah After Five-Goal Second Period

The Utah Mammoth staved off a late Toronto surge to beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 at the Delta Center, in a game the visitors nearly pulled back after a disastrous second period.

Daniil But opened the scoring in the first period, and Utah added four goals in the second: Vincent Trocheck, a shorthanded goal from Mikhail Sergachev, Dylan Guenther and MacKenzie Weegar. Auston Matthews, on the power play, and Jack Roslovic replied for Toronto in the period, leaving the Mammoth ahead 5-2.

Toronto closed the gap in the third on a power-play goal by John Tavares and a second NHL goal from Gavin McKenna, but Karel Vejmelka's 22 saves preserved the win. Anthony Stolarz made 23 saves for the Maple Leafs.

Sergachev said afterwards that Utah backed off too much in the third, while Toronto's coach faulted a second period he described as not good enough — the third straight game on the trip in which the middle frame hurt the Leafs, who fell to 3-3-1.