It was a close game through the first 30 minutes; however, 11:24 into the second period the floodgates opened. There were several quick momentum shifts as all four goals in the middle frame were scored in a span of 3:40. After Matt Savoie scored shorthanded and put Edmonton up by a goal, associate captain Lawson Crouse\u2019s 20th of the season evened things up 35 seconds later, 2-2. However, Oilers Captain Connor McDavid\u2019s 400th career NHL goal eight seconds after Crouse\u2019s tally took back momentum for the visitors. Jack Roslovic scored his second goal of the game three minutes later which gave Edmonton a two-goal lead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought (the) first half of the game was good, showed some compete and then obviously the power play goal that we tied up was big,\u201d MacKenzie Weegar shared. \u201cThen they scored right after that, and then again quickly right after that, and then I thought we lost the momentum. We didn’t have the energy after that. The compete level in 50\/50 battles wasn’t really there either. Definitely something that comes within, it’s not something that you can teach. That’s definitely look yourself in the mirror type stuff, but I trust in this group, and we’ll bounce back the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe obviously just didn’t have enough of a pushback, in the third especially,\u201d Kerfoot explained. \u201cWe\u2019re down two goals in a game, fighting for a playoff spot against a team who’s also fighting, and we didn’t even make them work for it, didn’t make them earn it. Disappointing. It\u2019s on us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Utah was held to 18 total shots and Edmonton blocked 24 of Utah\u2019s attempts. The Mammoth were kept outside due to the Oilers structure, and they needed to get more pucks through to challenge Edmonton goaltender Tristan Jarry.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust putting more pucks on net,\u201d Kerfoot said. \u201cDon\u2019t even know about quality. We didn\u2019t even really get many looks. Against a team like that, who kinds of allows you to have a little bit of possession on the outside, you have to break them down by shooting, recovering pucks, getting them out of structure. We allowed them to be in structure way too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cYour biggest enemy when you trail is you think you want to score, Tourigny said. \u201cSo, instead you keep your tank, your energy for to go on offense \u2026 you defend because you don\u2019t have the same aggression, you don\u2019t create a stop, you don\u2019t create a hit where there\u2019s a battle then you can recover the puck and go on offense. So, you end up spending all your energy defending instead (of spending) quick energy defensively, recovering pucks, and then you can go on the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Center Barrett Hayton was hurt on his first shift of the game and did not return. He played 0:17. Postgame, Tourigny said there will be more tests tomorrow and they will figure out \u201cwhat\u2019s the nature\u201d of his injury.<\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s final game in a four-game homestand is on Thursday against the Washington Capitals. Tickets are available here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)<\/p>\n