Kings Fight Back in the Third Period but Lose to Mammoth in Overtime

SALT LAKE CITY — Nick Schmaltz netted his second goal of the night just 1:46 into overtime, sealing a 4-3 victory for the Utah Mammoth against the Kings on Sunday evening.

The decisive play unfolded during a two-on-one rush as Schmaltz, flanked by defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, unleashed a snap shot that found its way between the legs of Kings’ goalie Darcy Kuemper.

The Kings had dominated much of the three-on-three overtime, coming close to securing the win with a shot from Alex Laferriere that struck the right post. However, Kevin Stenlund won a crucial faceoff against Quinton Byfield, facilitating Schmaltz’s seventh game-winning goal of the season.

Artemi Panarin tied the game for the Kings with 3:30 remaining in regulation, marking his 25th goal of the season with a shot from the far right side that bypassed goalie Karel Vejmelka.

With this victory, Schmaltz pushed his career-high total to 26 goals and equaled his career best of 63 points set during the 2024-25 season. Lawson Crouse contributed significantly as well, scoring two goals in the first period and assisting on another, while Vejmelka made 33 saves, helping Utah break a four-game home losing streak. The Mammoth now occupy the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, leading Nashville by five points.

For the Kings, Byfield recorded a goal and an assist, and Laferriere added another score. Kuemper finished with 30 saves.

Currently, the Kings are two points behind Nashville in the race for the final wild-card position in the Western Conference.