EDMONTON — Clayton Keller delivered a commanding performance on Thursday night, scoring two goals to lead the Utah Mammoth to a hard-fought 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. The road victory extended Utah’s winning streak to three games and improved their regular season record to 6-2-0. For the Oilers, the loss brought an end to a red-hot five-game winning streak, dropping Edmonton to 5-1-1 on the young season.
Keller’s offensive leadership provided the primary spark for the visiting Mammoth, but Utah also received critical contributions across their lineup. Forward Barrett Hayton and young center Logan Cooley each found the back of the net to support the offensive surge. In goal, Karel Vejmelka turned away 21 of the 23 shots he faced, delivering a composed performance between the pipes to earn the victory for Utah.
The Oilers attempted to battle back through goals from star forward Leon Draisaitl and defenceman Shakir Mukhamadullin, but Edmonton was ultimately unable to overcome a severely short-handed roster. The home team entered the contest missing six key regulars from their starting lineup, including five starting forwards and a top defenceman. Netminder Devon Levi made 20 saves on 24 shots in goal for Edmonton.
The flow of Thursday’s contest was defined by Utah’s ability to capitalized on scoring opportunities while swiftly neutralizing any momentum generated by Edmonton. Despite playing without several key contributors, the Oilers pressed hard on home ice, forcing Vejmelka to remain sharp throughout the night. However, Utah’s secondary scoring and timely defensive stops proved to be the deciding factor in handing Edmonton its first regulation loss of the season.
Takeaways
Mammoth: Utah’s front-office decisions during the off-season continue to pay significant dividends on the ice. During the summer, forward Barrett Hayton was the target of an offer sheet tendered by the New Jersey Devils. Rather than letting the former high draft pick walk, the Mammoth front office made the strategic choice to match the offer sheet and keep Hayton locked into their long-term plans.
That decision is yielding immediate results early in the campaign. By scoring his first goal of the season on Thursday night, Hayton extended his active point streak to five consecutive games. His continued productivity and top-six presence have provided Utah with vital depth scoring, validating the team’s commitment to matching New Jersey’s offer sheet and serving as a major engine during Utah’s active three-game winning streak.
Oilers: Even in a losing effort, Oilers captain Connor McDavid reached another impressive milestone in what has already been a historical start to his regular season campaign. McDavid collected an assist during Thursday’s game, extending his season-opening point streak to seven consecutive games.
Through his first seven games of the season, McDavid has recorded four goals and 14 assists for a league-leading 18 points. This explosive scoring stretch represents the best seven-game start to a season in McDavid’s National Hockey League career. Despite Edmonton taking the ice without five regular starting forwards, McDavid’s elite playmaking ability remained evident, continuing a personal streak that has seen him factor into the score sheet in every single game Edmonton has played this year.
Key moment
The pivotal sequence of the game unfolded past the midway point of the second period, coming directly during Edmonton’s strongest push of the night.
With Utah nursing a two-goal lead, Leon Draisaitl finally broke through for the Oilers at the 13:54 mark of the second period, scoring to cut Utah’s lead to 2-1 and breathing new energy into the Rogers Place crowd. The momentum appeared to be shifting dramatically in favor of the home side as Edmonton looked to capitalize on the sudden surge.
However, Utah delivered an immediate counter-punch just 23 seconds later. Forward Vincent Trocheck seized control of the puck and sent a precise pass toward the front of the Edmonton net. Charging hard toward the crease, Logan Cooley navigated past coverage and directed the puck past Devon Levi to restore Utah’s two-goal cushion at 3-1. Cooley’s goal—his first of the season—instantly quelled Edmonton’s emotional momentum and restored control to the Mammoth.
Key stat
Thursday’s result represented a major breakthrough for the Mammoth in their head-to-head history against Edmonton. Prior to the contest, the Oilers had held near-total control over the series between the two clubs.
Entering Thursday night, Edmonton possessed a dominant 5-0-1 all-time record against Utah, holding a commanding 31-16 scoring advantage across those six previous meetings. Furthermore, Edmonton had been entirely perfect on home ice against the Mammoth, carrying a 3-0-0 record at Rogers Place while outscoring Utah by a cumulative 17-5 margin in those home contests. By earning the 4-2 win, Utah captured its first-ever victory on Edmonton ice, snapping the Oilers’ long-standing home dominance in the series.
Up next
The two teams will not have to wait long to re-engage, as they are scheduled for an immediate rematch on Saturday night when the series shifts to Utah.
The Mammoth will return home looking to extend their winning streak to four games and build on their 6-2-0 start to the season. Meanwhile, the Oilers will aim to bounce back on the road and begin a new streak, though they will continue to face the challenge of managing a roster hampered by the absence of five starting forwards and a key defenceman.