The Ottawa Senators suffered a frustrating and historically significant defeat on Wednesday night, falling 3-1 to the Utah Mammoth at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The loss marks the franchise's first-ever defeat to Utah, snapping a perfect 3-0-0 lifetime record against the club.
Dominant Play, Familiar Result
Despite dictating the pace for large stretches of the game and outshooting their opponent, the Senators were left with a familiar empty feeling. The team's second consecutive loss came despite a performance that had many positive elements, but a critical lack of finish at the offensive end. Only forward Ridly Greig managed to beat Utah's standout netminder, Karel Vejmelka.
"There was a lot to like again," said Senators head coach Travis Green after the game. "The puck is just not going in. Their goalie played well."
Vejmelka's Goaltending Masterclass
The story of the night was the play of Utah's Karel Vejmelka. The goaltender turned aside 33 Ottawa shots, single-handedly keeping his team in contention. His second-period performance was particularly stellar, as he stopped all 15 Senators shots he faced. Without Vejmelka's heroics, the Mammoth likely would not have held a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame.
In the Ottawa crease, Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves and was arguably deserving of a better outcome. Merilainen was seeking redemption after being pulled in his previous start, a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday. This marked his fifth consecutive start since the team's top goalie, Linus Ullmark, began a leave of absence on December 28.
A Controversial Turning Point
The Senators were pushing for the equalizer in the third period when the game's decisive and controversial moment occurred. Utah's Daniil But extended the Mammoth lead to 3-1 during a net-front scramble.
Ottawa players and coaches immediately argued that But had pushed Merilainen's pad, along with the puck, across the goal line. Coach Green used his timeout to have his staff review the play, but the NHL's situation room in Toronto upheld the goal on the ice. The league stated, "Video review confirmed no goaltender interference infractions occurred as Daniil But was making a play on the loose puck in the crease."
Green also contended that the officials missed a high-sticking penalty on defenceman Thomas Chabot during the same sequence. "It should have been a double-minor," Green asserted. "We should have been on the powerplay rather than them scoring a goal." The disputed tally effectively sealed Ottawa's fate, closing the door on any comeback attempt.
The Senators will now look to regroup and find their scoring touch as they continue their season, having learned a hard lesson about converting territorial dominance into points on the scoreboard.
