Welcome to the mid-series recap for the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights. Game 3 of the Western Conference First-Round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the two teams is now behind us. The Mammoth won the game 4-2 and are now up 2-1 in the series. Lawson Crouse scored a pair of goals to secure the victory. This was Utah’s first-ever home playoff game in franchise history. Game 4 will be played on Monday, however the start time hasn’t been determined yet. The Mammoth will be looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead, while Vegas hopes to even the series at two wins each.
Mammoth Take Lead over Golden Knights in First-Round Matchup
Vegas Golden Knight logo rotated to the right.
This has been a tightly contested and physical series. Both teams were close in the hitting department, the Golden Knights had 42 hits in Game 3, while the Mammoth had 41. Vegas also had a huge edge in shots 32-12, but they just couldn’t handle Utah’s quick-strike offence. Unless one team takes full control of the series, it could end up going the distance.
Special Teams Have Been the Difference So Far
The Mammoth finally broke through on the power play after a slow start, thanks to a Dylan Guenther rocket. Utah’s 1-for-6 on the power play in the series, while the Golden Knights are 2-for-9. Both power play goals for Vegas were scored by captain Mark Stone. The Golden Knights power play finished the regular season on a heater, and ranked sixth in the NHL. The Mammoth power play was the opposite, ranked 20th during the season. However, it was third-best in the league after the Olympic break.
If Utah wants to keep the pressure on Vegas, they have to be better on the power play. The Mammoth penalty kill was perfect in Game 3. This definitely feels like a differentiator in a long and close first-round series.
Depth Scoring Could Decide Series
One thing the Golden Knights have an advantage in is depth, and it could help them win the series. Having players like Tomas Hertl and Reilly Smith on the Vegas third line makes them a much deeper team. Smith’s recorded several 20-goal seasons, while Hertl’s achieved three seasons of 30. That means the Golden Knights have three or four lines that can score. Colton Scissons scored in Game 1, and he’s on the fourth line. In the playoffs, teams need contributions from everyone if they want to win. That doesn’t mean Utah’s fourth line must score, but the bottom-six still needs to generate offence.
Looking Ahead
Game 4 will be an important game for both the Mammoth and Golden Knights. If Utah wins and go up 3-1, the series could already be over for Vegas. However, if the Golden Knights win, then it could go either way. The series will remain in Utah, giving the Mammoth a chance to take total control in front of their home crowd. That will be a huge boost for a market unaccustomed to the magic of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Main Photo Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
