Stamkos gets 3 points, Predators edge Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY -- Steven Stamkos had three points, including scoring twice in the third period, to help the Nashville Predators defeat the Utah Mammoth 4-3 at Delta Center on Monday.

Stamkos tied it 3-3 with a power-play goal at 11:39 of the third, receiving a pass from Ryan O'Reilly before scoring with a wrist shot from the slot past Vitek Vanecek's blocker. He then put Nashville up 4-3 at 13:17, snapping a shot through Vanecek's pads off another pass from O'Reilly from below the goal line.

“Both of them were great feeds from [O’Reilly],” Stamkos said. “First one, power play, kind of found myself in an unfamiliar spot, but wide open in the slot and tried to get one off quick and did. The fourth one was just a pretty standard dump and chase. [O’Reilly] winning a stick battle, which he does so often, and then me just trying to find a quiet area. Heck of a pass. It landed right on my tape and just tried to get it off as quick as possible and hit the five-hole, and obviously a big goal for our group.”

Despite being one goal shy of becoming the 22nd player in NHL history to reach 600, Stamkos said he is keeping his focus on picking up as many points as possible on the Predators' current seven-game road trip (2-1-0).

“This is the time of the year that can really either propel your season or sink you in a hole that is tough to get out of,” he said. “The way the schedule is right now, being on the road for this many games, we need to collect as many points as possible.”

Roman Josi and Luke Evangelista also scored for the Predators (17-17-4), who have won four of their past five games. Juuse Saros made 28 saves.

“It was a gutsy win,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought Saros was outstanding, and then Stamkos got a couple of huge goals for us in the third period. We've been on the wrong end of some of these this year. It was nice to be on the right end.”

Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist, andJJ Peterka and Mikhail Sergachev also scored for the Mammoth (18-19-3), who have lost three of their past four. Vanecek made 22 saves.

“A tough, tough result. Frustrating,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “We played really well for the long stretch of the game at 5-on-5, on our power play, even on our PK. ... I think we did a really good job defensively, but we need to find a way in key situations and key moments, and when push comes to shove to be better.”

Peterka gave the Mammoth a 1-0 lead on the power play at 5:48 of the first period when he finished a cross-slot pass from Guenther in tight.

Josi tied it 1-1 at 9:51 with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle that beat Vanecek through traffic.

Sergachev put Utah back in front 2-1 at 3:41 of the second period. Nick Schmaltz fed a pass to Sergachev at the blue line, where he one-timed the puck over the glove of Saros.

“Obviously, I thought we played better for most of the game,” Sergachev said. “We were sloppy on the PK, and the last goal there cost us the game I think. We’ve got to be more focused in those crucial moments in the game."

Evangelista tied it 2-2 at 7:51 when he chipped the rebound of Tyson Jost's shot under Vanecek's blocker as he drove to the net.

The Mammoth went ahead 3-2 at 4:02 of the third period. Guenther settled a bouncing puck in the slot off a feed from Lawson Crouse and slid a backhand around Saros' right pad.

NOTES: Stamkos scored his sixth game-winning goal since Dec. 1, tying the NHL mark for the most in a month with Johan Franzen (March 2008), Brian Propp (Oct. 1982), Mike Bossy (March 1982), Bernie Geoffrion (Dec. 1960) and Jean Beliveau (Jan. 1960). ... Stamkos also scored his 98th career game-winning goal to tie Bobby Hull and Guy Lafleur for 11th place on the NHL’s all-time list. ... Vanecek played in his 200th NHL game.