Utah Mammoth defeated Los Angeles Kings 6:3 on Wednesday night in the opening match of the NHL season. The visitors made light work of the hosts at home ice, establishing control early and maintaining it through the final period. It marks a fresh start for both franchises after a long off-season.
Neither side had much to build on from recent form. Kings had lost their last three meetings against Colorado Avalanche and fell 4:2 at home to Vegas Golden Knights on September 20th. Mammoth carried similar woes, dropping four of their last five encounters against the same opponents while losing three to Vegas in April.
And here's the thing — both teams arrived with questions hanging over them. Kings gave away too many cheap fouls in their recent outings, while Mammoth found no answer when Vegas came for a cross he never reached. The difference tonight was stark, and the result told you everything about who showed up ready to play.
We had called for the away win with 42 per cent confidence ahead of this fixture. To be fair, the visitors simply had the deeper squad and made the difference when it mattered. Kings threw bodies in the way but could not stem the flow of chances that looked inevitable from the first period.
By then, the momentum had shifted decisively. Mammoth came for goals they never reached for at home, while Kings gifted the opportunity to score on every break. The table goes out of the window in these games — both sides sit at zero points with zero games recorded, but tonight's performance suggests where things might head.
