The Sabres were up 2-0 after a defensive breakdown from the Mammoth allowed Isak Rosen to score his second goal of the game. The energy for Utah Mammoth was low, turnovers in their own zone were increasing and Buffalo was getting freebies at the net one after another.
Besides some impressive saves from Karel Vejmelka to keep the game in reach, Utah looked like it was on its way to yet another loss. It was certainly looking real ugly early for the Mammoth and something would need to change fast if the team wanted to win.
But just as hope was dwindling in the crowd, offense came from an unexpected source after Utah defenseman Nick DeSimone, only playing in his second game of the season, scored his first goal of the season and kick-started five unanswered goals from Utah in a 5-2 win over Buffalo.
"Bear (André Tourigny) called that time out, and we hit a reset button there," said DeSimone. "Everyone was trying to do the right thing and get us going, but for whatever reason, it just reset us. It’s fortunate enough that it goes in and gets us going. It could have been a hit; it could have been just getting a puck deep, just little things kept getting us going as well."
It may have come from a broken play after a Michael Carcone pass sailed past a wide-open Lawson Crouse, but DeSimone's shot was still a sign of life for a struggling Utah offense and gave some much-needed energy to the whole team.
"[Nick DeSimone] is predictable. He gets the puck, he moves the puck or he moves his feet," said André Tourigny. "The puck doesn’t stay still; he’s easy to read off of and he creates momentum and pace in our game. He gets us all connected. We really like that about him."
It was certainly a great and important play, especially since Utah's top lines were being kept in check, but relying on DeSimone for continued offense was not going to win Utah this game, more players would need to step up.
And that's exactly what happened in the third. After a surprising in-game lineup switch that saw JJ Peterka replace Carcone on the third line, immediate results came in the form of Utah's second goal of the night and Peterka's first-ever goal against his former team.
"I think we played good, I won’t say all game; obviously we could feel the nerves a little bit the first two periods. I think JJ Peterka broke the game down when he scored that big goal," said Tourigny. "From there, there was a boost of confidence and we knew we were playing well. I think that the tweak in the lines helped a little bit for everybody. I’m really happy about the way JJ responded in the third. (Lawson Crouse) and (Jack McBain) played unbelievable again. That’s about it."
But it didn't stop at just one goal. The third line scored again just minutes later, this time from Crouse.
Unlike his first matchup against the Sabres, when he was held pointless in a 2-1 win in Buffalo, Peterka was making a big impact, this time assisting on Crouse's goal. In just a couple of minutes, Utah had suddenly taken all the momentum and gotten its first lead of the game, going up 3-2.
"I think just playing direct, I think that's what we did," said Peterka. "Building speed and getting open for each other. I think that's what he tried to do, and it worked out pretty well."
That simple lineup change fired Utah up across the board. Everyone was skating faster, stealing more pucks and getting quality looks at the net — so much so that Utah outshot the Sabres 14-3 in the final period.
With a dominant offense in the third, Utah finally looked like the team it was at the beginning of the season. And with each shot on goal and trip to the Sabres' offensive zone, Utah's defense elevated too, bringing puck pressure that hadn't been seen during the Mammoth's losing streak.
And if the offensive production from the third line wasn't enough for Utah, Nick Schmaltz put the icing on the cake, notching his 10th goal of the season and giving Utah a 4-2 lead.
Along with a late goal in the third from Clayton Keller, Utah managed to score four goals in the period. Considering Utah had been struggling to close games out recently, it was a great sign to see Utah pile on goals in the third.
But still, across its last seven games, Utah has managed only two wins, both against Buffalo. While Utah was able to find life in its new lineup change, the Mammoth still need to find offensive consistency. After all, it's not like the Mammoth will get to play the Sabres every week.
Even so, this game felt like a return to form for a team that was in desperate need of a win. If Utah wants to keep this momentum going, it will need a win against the Islanders on Nov. 14.