Utah struck early and never looked back, scoring on its first three shots while Karel Vejmelka delivered a flawless performance in net to lead the Mammoth to a 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
Vejmelka turned aside all 28 shots he faced, earning his second shutout of the season and the eighth of his NHL career. The victory moved Utah six points ahead of Los Angeles for the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Vegas, sitting third in the Pacific Division, dropped its second straight game and finished its homestand with a 2-2 record.
The game quickly unraveled for Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill, who was pulled after surrendering three goals on Utah’s first three shots without recording a save.
Clayton Keller led the early surge, scoring twice in the opening minutes. He netted the first goal at 2:52, finishing a pass from John Marino, then struck again at 6:05 after collecting a rebound off the boards. Jack McBain added a third goal at 8:12, capitalizing on a breakaway off a setup from Barrett Hayton to end Hill’s night.
Akira Schmid replaced Hill and stopped all 14 shots he faced in relief.
Hayton later sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Keller’s two goals brought his season total to 22.
Utah also showed physical edge, with Lawson Crouse — who assisted on Keller’s second goal — dropping the gloves with Vegas defenseman Jeremy Lauzon in the second period.
The Mammoth built on momentum from a 6-3 win over Dallas earlier in the week, bouncing back after a four-game skid.
Up Next
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Mammoth: Visit Anaheim on Friday night.
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Golden Knights: Travel to Nashville on Saturday night.
