A loss in regulation had to come eventually.

On Thursday evening, the Edmonton Oilers finally lost a game in regulation, falling 4-2 to the Utah Mammoth to bring their season record to 5-1-1. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one.The Mammoth opened the scoring midway through the first period. On a power play, John Marino sprung former Oiler Kailer Yamamoto for a breakaway. While the forward was stopped by Devon Levi, Barrett Hayton was the first on the rebound, finding the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Power play goal for Haytes!

1-0, Utah.

With about eight minutes to play in the second period, the Mammoth were once again on a power play. Logan Cooley set up Clayton Keller with a terrific between-the-legs pass, beating an outstretched Levi to make it 2-0.

Between the legs pass from Cools 🤯

🚨 Kells nets one on the power play. 2-0, Utah.

Less than two minutes later, the Oilers finally got on the board. On a zone entry, Connor McDavid found Leon Draisaitl after getting by his defender, with the German smacking it past the Mammoth netminder for his fifth goal of the season.

But the Mammoth restored their two-goal lead 23 seconds later, as Vincent Trocheck burned Ty Emberson on the rush, and found Cooley for a cross-ice tap-in. Shakir Mukhamadullin played this pretty poorly.

Speed on display đź’¨

Cools makes it 3-1, Utah.

The good news is that Mukhamadullin made up for it early in the third. After sustained zone time, the left-shot defenceman’s shot from point took a deflection off a Mammoth and past Karel Vejmelka to make it 3-2.

With 27 seconds left, the Oilers failed to keep the puck in the zone, and Keller buried the puck into the empty net for the 4-2 victory.

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Takeaways…This was the Oilers’ first real challenge this season, and it didn’t go well. Unsurprisingly, the top line was great, dominating play and chipping in with an even-strength goal. The other three lines, though? Not great.

Their next best line was the third line, which owned 37.2 percent of the expected goal share despite being on the ice for the Oilers’ second goal. The “second” line of Filip Hållander, Trent Frederic, and Kasperi Kapanen owned 4.5 percent of the expected goal share, and the fourth line owned zero percent of the expected goal share.

Of course, the Oilers are down five forwards, but as dominant as their top line has been through seven games, it has to be split up against good teams.

Whenever the Oilers return to health, Josh Samanski is a lock to be out of the lineup. He took a double-minor that led to the Mammoth’s first goal and he’s now taken four penalties in six games. Isaac Howard may be on the outside as well.

Ultimately, penalties cost the Oilers this game. The Mammoth were afforded three power play chances, capitalizing on two of them in the first period. Their penalty killing wasn’t great last season, and it looks as if it has carried over to 2026-27.

Devon Levi didn’t steal this game, allowing three goals on 23 shots for an .870 save percent. According to HockeyStats, the netminder had a -0.24 Goals Saved Above Expected, so he didn’t cost them the game either.The Oilers will have a chance to enact their revenge just two days from now, as they head to Salt Lake City to take on the Mammoth on Saturday for the second half of the home-and-home series. That game has an 8:00 PM MT start time.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @CynthiaRDelaney.

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