This Mammoth–Golden Knights first-round series has looked about as even as they come, but it’s been anything but a stalemate. With one experienced team filled with established superstars (Vegas) and one hungry newcomer still finding its full potential (Utah)—plus the fact that neither side can boast a hot or even room-temperature goalie—these games have been tugged in every conceivable direction. Big leads suddenly appear and then evaporate. Momentum-shifting goals find the net dang near every period. Tired East Coast bloggers think they’re free to fall asleep until suddenly, Nope, we’re doing overtime. In a follow-up to a Game 4 where Vegas took a 3-0 lead, went down 4-3, and came back to win in OT, these squads put together yet another 5-4 thriller—this one needing a second overtime to finally settle. The Golden Knights are now just one win from escaping the Mammoth. But in this series, no win comes predictably or painlessly.
The high final scores in these games belie long stretches of strong defensive hockey from both sides—goalies excluded. But this is the playoffs, so all that really matters is who bends enough to break. In this Nevada-set Game 5, the first four goals followed a pattern: Utah would get theirs, and then a few minutes later Vegas would get one back. Late in the second, the Golden Knights took their first lead on a play you can’t help but blame on Karel Vejmelka in net. Then it was Dylan Guenther—Utah’s 23-year-old leading goal-scorer and one of many Mammoths playing in their first-ever (or first excluding the 2020 bubble) postseason—who evened things with a one-timer off a breakout about six minutes into the third. And with time ticking away in regulation, the Mammoth forced a turnover in their own end, then hit the gas. This time, playoff newcomer Michael Carcone finished the chance on the rush, earning the goal that—not that I’m complaining!—looked like it would give me a full night’s sleep.
But VGK’s Pavel Dorofeyev didn’t just stand there watching with his mouth agape. The 25-year-old had already scored twice on this night, and over the past couple years he has asserted himself as crucial homegrown scoring on a team that otherwise blinds you with its glitzy acquisitions. With the net empty and a minute left on the clock, Dorofeyev jumped on a rebound in a chaotic slot and sent a few hats flying. More importantly, he sent the game into overtime.
In a series where every single period had featured at least one goal, the first overtime came and went without incident. That’s the thing about playoff sudden death: You can never properly brace yourself, because you might have to stay braced for a while. In the second OT, Utah probably thought it was their moment to seize when they went on the power play off a Reilly Smith high sticking penalty. But it wasn’t. Vegas got the kind of turnover you get when both teams are dog-tired, then forced an attacking-zone faceoff when Vejmelka made a save. It looked like Utah was going to get a chance to clear without incident, and they would have if it weren’t for Brett Howden’s glorious hustle. The Vegas center committed to a fierce dispossession of a bewildered Alexander Kerfoot, then he aimed, fired, and scored.
There’s a lot to like about the Mammoth. They’re a seven-seed in the weaker conference, and they’re down in their first-round series, so I can’t claim they’ve figured it out in a way that’s consistent and replicable. However, they have shown they can hang with anyone—at least for a stretch. But Vegas, despite the stumbles they’ve hit since winning the Cup in 2023, still possesses a superior level of talent that can flip a switch and make even feisty opponents look totally overwhelmed.
The Golden Knights are eyeing a second-round series with either Edmonton, who eliminated them last year, or Anaheim, who’s been a non-factor through VGK’s entire franchise existence. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If I’ve learned one thing from this series, it’s that you can’t sleep on the Mammoth. Well, actually, you can barely sleep at all.
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