Vejmelka makes 32 saves, Mammoth open 7-game homestand with win over Senators

SALT LAKE CITY -- Karel Vejmelka made 32 saves and the Utah Mammoth opened a seven-game homestand with a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at Delta Center on Wednesday.

Lawson Crouse, John Marino, and Daniil But scored, and Clayton Keller had two assists for the Mammoth (21-20-3), who have won three of their past four games.

“We played hard, especially at the end of the game,” Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said. “I think early on, even if we took the lead, I think there was a little bit of an adjustment for us. In the third, I really think when the game was on the line, when push came to shove, we really raised our game, raised our urgency.”

Ridly Greig scored and Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves for the Senators (20-17-5), who have lost two in a row and five of their past seven games.

“Lots to like again,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “(33) shots, 70 shot attempts, we hit three posts. I think we had three 2-on-1s, a couple of breakaways and two partial breaks. So the puck's just not going in. Their goalie played well, and it's a tough loss to them.”

Crouse opened the scoring at 3:59, firing a wrist shot past Merilainen off a pass from Keller to give the Mammoth a 1-0 lead.

Crouse now has eight points in his past seven games, and became the sixth Mammoth skater with at least 10 goals this season, which now ties the League lead for most skaters with double-digit goals.

“It took a lot of grind,” Crouse said. “That pressure kept coming from them. We did a good job. We found a way to close it out. That's what's important.”

Marino made it 2-0 at 7:20, collecting the rebound off a shot from Keller at the point and beating Merilainen with a quick slap shot on the glove side. It was the second goal Merilainen allowed on four shots.

“We got those first two goals early and we had a big push there in the first,” Marino said. “They played well and they out worked us at times, probably overall in the whole game, but we snuck away with that one. I think the way we were able to sustain pressure, at least, and just limit their grade A chances.”

Greig scored at 17:41, picking up the rebound of an Artem Zub shot from outside the right face-off dot. Greig spun around and jumped on the bouncing puck at the left side before beating Vejmelka with a wrist shot on the glove side to cut the lead to 2-1.

"I think we played a good game," Ottawa forward Dylan Cozens said. "I think we had the puck a lot of the night and it's frustrating. It seems like a lot of these nights we're the better team, and we just can't find ways to win. So, you know, we've just got to try and keep our confidence."

But scored at 5:41 of the third period, sneaking the puck under Merilainen in a scramble in front of the Ottawa net to give the Mammoth a 3-1 lead. The Senators challenged the play for goaltender interference but the call on the ice was upheld.

“Obviously, we challenged there. [Thomas Chabot] gets high stuck in the face. It should have been a double minor,” Green said on the challenge. “We should have been on the power play instead of them scoring a goal, but I didn't get an explanation on that. But we thought it was worth the challenge.”

Vejmelka was able to keep the Senators off the board for the final 43:19 of the game to pick up his 19th win of the season, which now leads all goaltenders in the League for the most wins.

“Yeah, he's been great for us all year making those big saves,” Marino said. “He definitely bailed us out so many times today. We want to help him out more but when he plays like that, we are a tough team to play against.”

NOTES: Mammoth forward Kevin Stenlund was ruled out just before the game due to illness. … Keller now has 10 points in his past nine games (three goals, seven assists). ... Jake Sanderson tied Sergei Gonchar (four) for the fourth-most five-game point streaks by a Senators defenseman. The only others with more are Erik Karlsson (13), Wade Redden (five) and Chabot (five).