The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the largest fan bases in the NHL, and it spans all 32 markets \u2014 including Utah. But the hundreds of fans who wore navy blue to the Delta Center on Tuesday left disappointed.<\/p>\n
Going into their matchup with the Utah Mammoth, the Maple Leafs were on a 10-game point streak. The night before, they\u2019d knocked off the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, so they were the heavy favorites.<\/p>\n
But the Mammoth took advantage of a tired opponent, running up the score to 6-1 by the end of the night. For Leafs fans\u2019 sake, it\u2019s probably a good thing the puck didn\u2019t drop until after 10 p.m. Eastern Time.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the full story.<\/p>\n
Quick catchupUtah Mammoth: 6Toronto Maple Leafs: 1<\/p>\n
Starting strong was on the Mammoth\u2019s to-do list, and they accomplished it. By the end of the first period, they owned a 1-0 lead and doubled their opponents on the shot clock. Ironically, that was their least productive period of the night.<\/p>\n
Dylan Guenther set a new franchise record for fastest pair of goals by the same player (1:18), besting Logan Cooley\u2019s time from earlier this season when he scored twice in (1:50) against the St. Louis Blues<\/a>. JJ Peterka would get in on the fun before the end of the middle frame, sending the Mammoth into the intermission with a 4-0 lead.<\/p>\n Calle J\u00e4rnkrok\u2019s lone goal last season came at the Delta Center, and he followed it up with another goal in his second visit. That goal was the only one that would stand between Karel Vejmelka and a shutout. Utah has still never had a shutout at home.<\/p>\n Jack McBain and Daniil But would pile on before the game concluded, turning the night into a proper blowout.<\/p>\n \u201cWe liked the pace of our game, the speed we had offensively and defensively,\u201d said Mammoth head coach Andr\u00e9 Tourigny. \u201cWe attacked every shift with a lot of speed through the neutral zone and a lot of pace, lot of pressure on their D.\u201d<\/p>\n Tidbits and takeawaysThird line on paper, first line on the ice<\/p>\n Dylan Guenther is not a third-liner, but that\u2019s where he was positioned on Tuesday \u2014 at least on paper<\/a>. Tourigny made it clear after the game, as he has in the past, that he doesn\u2019t like numbering his lines because roles are always changing throughout the course of a game.<\/p>\n Whatever you want to call the grouping of Guenther, McBain and Michael Carcone, they were the best line in the league Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n The three forwards accounted for four of Utah\u2019s six goals and 19 of their 40 shots on net \u2014 and that doesn\u2019t include the shots taken by defensemen while their line was on the ice. Per Natural Stat Trick<\/a>, that line also went 82% in the face-off circle and had a Corsi of 80%, meaning eight of every 10 shot attempts while they were on the ice were in their favor.<\/p>\n \u201cGunner\u2019s got a world-class shot,\u201d said defenseman Ian Cole after the game. \u201cAny time he can get pucks on net, we want him to do that. And, you know, his line mates were awesome tonight, too. Really supported him and got him pucks and opportunities and space where he can shoot it.\u201d<\/p>\n Tourigny attributed their success to the speed and pace with which they played. Guenther added that simplicity was a major factor, too.<\/p>\n \u201c(McBain is) super predictable, and I think me and (Carcone) can kind of just read off him that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Guenther\u2019s second goal of the night was his 50th with the Utah franchise, which is the most in franchise history. Auston Matthews recently broke the Maple Leafs\u2019 all-time goals record, though being the second-oldest team in the league, their record is much higher than 50.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget a-\u2019But\u2019 Daniil<\/p>\n Daniil But put the puck in the net twice on Tuesday, though the second was the only one that counted (despite Tourigny\u2019s opinion that both should have counted).<\/p>\n Daniil But puts one in the net after the whistle. It won’t count, but the Mammoth have a case that it wasn’t covered for very long.#TusksUp<\/a> #LeafsForever<\/a><\/p>\n