Nick Schmaltz tallies 3 points as Mammoth get third straight win
Nick Schmaltz had two goals and an assist, and the Utah Mammoth extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-2 victory against the visiting St. Louis Blues in Salt Lake City on Friday.
Clayton Keller had three assists and Lawson Crouse had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, whose streak is thrir longest since a seven-game run from Oct. 15-26. Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves.
Oskar Sundqvist and Pavel Buchnevich scored, and Joel Hofer made 19 saves for the Blues, who have lost two straight and four of their past six games (2-4-0).
Schmaltz gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 15:10 of the first period. Hofer stopped Keller's shot from the left circle but the rebound popped straight out in front and Schmaltz buried a quick snap shot.
Crouse made it 2-0 at 7:45 of the second period. Keller took the puck up the right side just inside the zone before feeding it across the ice to Crouse, who fired it far side from the top of the left circle.
Sundqvist cut the deficit in half 10 seconds later. Nathan Walker collected the puck along the wall and dished it to Sundqvist in the left circle for a snap shot that beat Vejmelka bar down stick side.
Defenseman Sean Durzi was all alone in the left circle when he received a pass through the seam from Schmaltz and, with Hofer on the other side of the crease, quickly put it into the open side to push it to 3-1 at 11:43.
Buchnevich's one-timer from the slot off a feed from Jimmy Snuggerud beat Vejmelka by his right arm to pull the Blues within 3-2 at 16:27.
Schmaltz connected on the power play to make it 4-2 at 6:57 of the third period. JJ Peterka took the puck from the corner to the goal line by the crease and sent it out front to Schmaltz, who quickly snapped it blocker side.
Utah forward Alex Kerfoot left the game midway through the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return.