The Penguins lost 5-4 to the Mammoth in Salt Lake City on Monday night. Yahoo Sports described the game as a chance to salvage something from a "rotten road trip." Pittsburgh started well, as Erik Karlsson scored on the power play just over a minute in. Utah took over from there, and ESPN said the Mammoth "held off a late charge" at the end.
The line score shows how it went. Utah led 2-1 after the first period and 4-2 after the second, and Pittsburgh outscored it 2-1 in the third. The scoring was spread out. Sportsnet credited goals to Clayton Keller, Kevin Stenlund, Nate Schmidt, Nick Schmaltz and Kailer Yamamoto. ESPN said Keller, Stenlund, Schmidt and Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist. Our box score matches that. Yamamoto's goal is the one ESPN's summary leaves out.
The Mammoth outshot Pittsburgh 29-19 and won 33 of 57 faceoffs. Pittsburgh went 2-for-2 on the power play, and Utah went 1-for-2. Pittsburgh's other scorers, per our box score, were Egor Chinakhov, Rickard Rakell and defenseman Declan Carlile. Karlsson also had an assist and played 27:40.
Pensburgh's Jim Rixner said the Penguins changed nearly all of their lines. Chinakhov returned from injury and played on the top line. Rakell dropped to the third line, and Nick Robertson went back to the fourth. Elmer Soderblom and Sam Girard were out of the lineup. Rixner's summary does not say why, and we won't guess. Chinakhov scored and Rakell had a goal and an assist, so the changes did produce some offense. The defense and goaltending did not hold up. Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 shots, and Utah's Sebastian Cossa stopped 15 of 19.
Pittsburgh is 3-6 and sixth in the Metropolitan Division. It has lost four in a row, after 5-2 at Colorado on Friday and 6-2 at Vegas on Saturday. Karlsson has eight points this season, all assists, and none had been a goal before Monday. Robertson has four goals in nine games.
Utah is 7-3 and first in the Central. It bounced back from a 6-2 home loss to Edmonton on Saturday, where it had also lost the series' first game.
Pittsburgh comes home to face Florida on Thursday, Oct. 22. Utah plays at Seattle the same night.
Discussion