It was a sloppy game, but the Avalanche fought tooth and nail to give themselves a fighting chance at the end.
The Colorado Avalanche lost 4–3 in overtime to the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on Tuesday, as Dylan Guenther netted the game-winner. Cale Makar, Jack Drury, and Martin Nečas scored for Colorado, while Scott Wedgewood made 29 saves in yet another solid performance.
Nathan MacKinnon had a game-high eight shots on goal but was held off the scoresheet for just the second time this season, as Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka delivered a masterful 33-save performance to secure the win.
Mikhail Sergachev notched a goal and an assist for Utah, while Lawson Crouse and Nick Schmaltz also lit the lamp to propel the Mammoth to victory.
First Period
Just over four minutes into the period, after Logan Cooley leveled MacKinnon with a clean shoulder check, MacKinnon quickly bounced back, regained possession of the loose puck, and attempted to capitalize on a 2-on-1 rush. He connected with Josh Manson streaking into the zone, but Manson’s shot was deflected high and out of play.
Colorado opened the scoring when Makar fired a precise wrist shot past Vejmelka, who never saw it coming. The play began with an excellent forecheck by Zakhar Bardakov, who separated his man from the puck with a strong physical challenge. Parker Kelly was there to corral the loose puck and quickly fed Makar, who shifted left and unleashed a laser that found the back of the net.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the period, MacKinnon broke free on a breakaway and unleashed two quick shots on Vejmelka, but the Utah netminder turned aside both attempts, doing the splits to his left to deny MacKinnon’s attempt to bat in the rebound.
At the end of the first period, the Avalanche held a 1–0 lead and a 14–11 edge in shots on goal, with Wedgewood remaining flawless between the pipes.
The aforementioned Bardakov emerged as one of the more impressive dark-horse performers of the period. Beyond his standout forechecking, which directly contributed to a Utah turnover and a subsequent goal, Bardakov displayed exceptional stick awareness, a keen sense of urgency, and a palpable determination to establish himself as a long-term fixture in the NHL.
Second Period
Gabriel Landeskog found the net early in the period on a beautiful wrist shot off a turnover and a feed from Val Nichushkin, but it was negated due to an offside challenge from Utah, which was questionable to say the least.
Following the earlier incident, Utah’s Jack McBain collided with Victor Olofsson, sending both players awkwardly into the boards. McBain, however, bore the brunt of the impact, favoring his left leg as he carefully made his way to the dressing room with the assistance of a trainer.
The Mammoth also saw goal promptly disallowed when John Marino unleashed a slap shot past Wedgewood. A linesman immediately nullified the goal, ruling that Liam O’Brien had made contact with Wedgewood in the crease just prior to Marino’s shot.
Utah evened the score for real with 10:43 remaining in the period, as Schmaltz capitalized on the power play by redirecting Clayton Keller’s rebound into the net. The Avs were shorthanded after Gavin Brindley was sent to the box for tripping Keller.
The Mammoth seized the lead with 8:30 remaining in the period, capitalizing on a costly miscue behind the Avalanche net when Sam Malinski mishandled a pass. Utah’s Kevin Stenlund quickly corralled the puck along the boards and threaded a pass to a wide-open Crouse in the right circle, who buried a one-timer past a sprawling Wedgewood to give Utah a 2–1 advantage.
Much like the middle frame of their October 9th encounter, Utah controlled play for extended stretches, hemming Colorado in its own zone. By the time the clock dipped under 1:30 in the period, the Avalanche had failed to register a shot on goal for more than seven minutes. But fortune finally tilted their way when Valeri Nichushkin absorbed a high stick from Dmitri Simashev, giving Colorado a late power-play chance. The period concluded with Utah still holding a 2–1 edge.
Third Period
Although Colorado came up empty on the ensuing power play, Drury broke through soon after, netting his first of the season off a fortuitous bounce. Ross Colton’s centering pass caromed off the skate of a Mammoth defender and landed perfectly on Drury’s stick, allowing him to bury the equalizer and knot the game at two.
Just 5:20 into the frame, however, Utah reclaimed the lead after a failed clearing attempt proved costly. Artturi Lehkonen mishandled the puck along the wall, and it rolled directly to Sergachev, who wasted no time rifling a blistering shot past Wedgewood to restore the Mammoth’s advantage at 3–2.
With 10:52 remaining in regulation, MacKinnon unleashed his sixth shot on goal — and, as with the previous five, Vejmelka met the challenge with surgical precision. The puck appeared momentarily loose, prompting MacKinnon to surge toward the crease, only for the officials to halt play prematurely with an early whistle — a decision that elicited a flash of visible frustration from the Avalanche superstar.
Nečas tied the game with 2:16 remaining in regulation, unleashing a brilliant snap shot that threaded through the narrowest of openings. The Czech marksman found the top corner with surgical precision, delivering a perfectly placed strike that breathed new life into the contest. For Nečas, the goal extended his season-opening point streak to seven games. That’s also tied with Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel for the longest active point streak in the NHL.
Overtime
After a turnover from MacKinnon in the attacking zone, the Mammoth turned around and rushed down the ice with speed in a 2-on-1 rush. Keller fed Guenther from the left circle and Guenther was right on the right doorstep for the tap-in to beat Wedgewood and hand the Mammoth their fourth straight win.
Quick Thoughts
The Avalanche fought hard the entire third period to send this game into overtime. The silver lining is that Colorado remains undefeated in regulation. Despite a sloppy game, they still earned a point.
Next Game
The Avalanche (5-0-2) will return to Ball Arena on Thursday to face the Carolina Hurricanes (5-1) in what promises to be a nostalgic showdown. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. local time, with coverage beginning shortly beforehand. The evening will carry a retro flair, as Colorado dons its iconic Quebec Nordiques throwback jerseys while Carolina counters with a tribute to its roots — the beloved Hartford Whalers sweaters.