Nick Schmaltz Scores Late Power-Play Winner as Utah Mammoth Beat Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2

TORONTO — Nick Schmaltz scored on the power play with 6:48 left in regulation and the Utah Mammoth (10-6-0) beat the Toronto Maple Leafs (8-7-2) 3-2 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Both Utah goals that decided this game came on the league’s top power play. Dylan Guenther opened the scoring with 12.4 seconds left in the first period, beating Sergei Bobrovsky through a screen, and after Toronto tied it twice, a cross-checking penalty on Darren Raddysh with 8:18 left put the Mammoth back on the man advantage — and Schmaltz buried a loose puck in the crease at 13:12 of the third, slamming home the rebound after Bobrovsky sprawled to stop Clayton Keller‘s shot from close range.

Guenther‘s goal was Utah‘s 19th power-play goal of the season and Schmaltz‘s winner its 20th. Keller assisted on both and finished with three assists; Mikhail Sergachev had two.

Jack Roslovic carried Toronto‘s offense, scoring both goals. He tied it 1-1 at 10:20 of the second, firing past Sebastian Cossa moments after defenseman Troy Stecher‘s stick  exploded on an odd-man rush. Andrew Peeke put Utah back ahead at 13:42, blasting one through traffic — a controversial goal the Maple Leafs looked at for goaltender interference and chose not to challenge. Roslovic tied it again at 9:05 of the third, taking an Auston Matthews feed in alone and roofing a backhand over Cossa for his second of the night. Matthews finished with two assists.

The game turned on the Raddysh penalty. “Bob kept us in it, and then the stupid penalty — let’s call it what it is — cost us,” Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller said. On the decision not to challenge the Peeke goal, Hiller said the staff decided against it because Bobrovsky was in the white ice outside his crease when he was taken out on the play. 

Toronto nearly tied it a third time — with the extra attacker on in the closing seconds, Roslovic‘s shot hit the post. Cossa made 27 saves for Utah; Bobrovsky stopped 33 for Toronto, which was outshot 36-29. The Mammoth have won both meetings between the teams this season.

Up next: the Mammoth visit the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Maple Leafs continue their six-game homestand Saturday against Montreal, 5 p.m. MST.

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