Vejmelka backstops Utah Mammoth to 4-1 victory over Canucks

Published 8:50 pm Friday, December 5, 2025

Karel Vejmelka made 31 saves, leading the visiting Utah Mammoth to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Friday night at Rogers Arena.

Mikhail Sergachev and Kevin Stenlund each had a goal and an assist to pace the attack for Utah (14-12-3), while Nick Schmaltz and John Marino also scored. Arshdeep Bains had the lone goal for Vancouver (10-5-3), with Kevin Lankinen taking the loss in goal, stopping 14 of 17 shots.

Sergachev opened the scoring on the power play 16 minutes into the first period, when his point shot pinballed off a pair of defenders and beat Lankinen.

The Canucks held a 10-8 shots-on-goal advantage after 20 minutes.

In the second, Schmaltz made it 2-0 against the run of play, tipping home another Sergachev point shot at 14:05.

The Canucks against outshot the Mammoth in the middle frame, this time 14-7.

Vancouver drew within one at 2-1 as Aatu Räty moved through the Mammoth zone and fired a shot that was tipped in by Bains in front of Vejmelka at 4:07 of the third. It was the first of the season for Bains and first in his last 32 games.

Bainsy with the hand-eye. 👀 pic.twitter.com/oVZm3K0ute

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 6, 2025

Vancouver had several good chances on a power play midway through the final period but could not convert.

With six minutes to play, Utah’s Daniil But thought he had scored his first NHL goal but it was disallowed due to incidental contact with the goaltender.

The Mammoth added an insurance marker off the rush with 2:08 to play when Stenlund deked out Lankinen to make it 3-1.

Marino wrapped up the scoring into an empty net with 36 seconds to play.

The Canucks return to action Saturday (7 p.m.) when they host the Minnesota Wild.

NOTES: Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has just two points in his last seven games after recording 10 points in three games prior… Utah was 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Canucks were scoreless in three chances… Jake DeBrusk and forward Elias Pettersson each had five shots on goal for Vancouver… The Canucks are 32nd and last overall in the NHL with 23 points on the season.