The Vegas Golden Knights entered the playoffs with a 7-0-1 run under new coach John Tortorella, but their first real adversity arrived Tuesday night. Utah Mammoth evened the first-round series at 1-1 with a 3-2 win at T-Mobile Arena, handing the Knights their first regulation loss under Tortorella.

After a strong first period that saw Vegas outshoot Utah 10-6 and score first, the Knights lost their rhythm. “I thought we were going to take off after the first period,” Tortorella said. “I really liked the way we looked there. We just got all disjointed.” The Mammoth capitalized on a series of penalties and used their speed to dominate the final 40 minutes, outshooting Vegas 23-11.

Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther led Utah’s charge, while the Knights’ top forwards were held in check. Captain Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, and Jack Eichel managed just one shot each. Brett Howden noted, “They’re a fast team. They come through the neutral zone with speed. I thought we played our game for the most part in the first half of the game and then kind of got away from it.”

Tortorella kept his adjustments vague, saying, “We’ve got a couple of things we need to fix. I’m not going to discuss it here, but it’s why it’s a series.” The Knights have historically responded well in Game 3, holding a 12-6 all-time record and 9-5 at home. With the series tied, Game 3 shifts to Utah’s Delta Center, where the Mammoth will host their first home playoff game. “It’s awesome,” Cooley said. “It’s nice to get the win and a big goal in a big moment to get the series tied up going back home.”

Marner emphasized the need to slow Utah’s speed and sustain offensive pressure. “We had decent looks,” he said. “Maybe we’ve got to do a little better job in our o-zone of sustaining pressure and supporting each other. They do a good job of making it tight in the corner or in the spot they can pressure quickly.”