Late mistakes, lack of detail cost Utah Mammoth in loss to Ottawa Senators

SALT LAKE CITY – Making their final stop of a grueling five game road trip, the Utah Mammoth suffered a late lost at the hands of the Ottawa Senators.

Following a competitive back and forth hockey game, a few minor mistakes cost Utah a point as the Senators punished them late in the third.

Late mistakes costs Utah Mammoth in narrow loss to Ottawa Senators

Wrapping up a lengthy Eastern Conference road trip against the Ottawa Senators, the Utah Mammoth put together a solid effort Saturday night but ultimately came up short.

Despite surrendering a point in overtime to Montreal on Thursday, Utah came out with plenty of energy in Ottawa.

The Mammoth outshot the Senators 32-21, won 55 percent of faceoffs and managed to answer each of Ottawa’s goals through nearly 58 minutes of play.

Keller cashes in! 🫡 https://t.co/C1Xet3LPPj

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 8, 2026

Haytes ties it at 2 🚨 https://t.co/t2lt66wXyT

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 8, 2026

However, as the game entered its final minutes and fatigue began to set in, Utah’s attention to detail slipped, allowing the Senators to capitalize.

“We had lots of good pressure,” captain Clayton Keller said. “They’re a good team. They play structure. They make you work for everything.

“We’re a good team as well. Lots of back and forth. Lots of chances both ways and just one shot was the difference.”

After winning a defensive-zone faceoff, Ottawa quickly moved the puck toward the net.

Forward Nick Cousins then slipped past Barrett Hayton and MacKenzie Weegar before deflecting the puck past Karel Vejmelka for the game-winner.

This celly on replay all night long 🙌

#GoSensGo https://t.co/h5OnvgXUMe

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 8, 2026

“It’s a bad read. It’s a bad decision,” head coach Andre Tourigny said. “We give an odd-man rush, they put it in the back. We crawl back and then we miss an assignment on the faceoff.

“Those are the things…we’re better than that.”

As Tourigny noted, those are the types of mistakes Utah cannot afford to make, particularly late in games.

The Mammoth were just two minutes away from securing at least a point and potentially returning to Salt Lake City with house money and a winning record.

Still, despite the disappointing 4-2 loss, Utah can take some positives from the road trip as they collected five of a possible 10 points over their five-game Eastern Conference swing, producing a respectable outcome amidst a challenging stretch away from home.

A quick word on Karel Vejmelka’s performance in Ottawa

After nearly a week on the sidelines following a difficult stretch of performances, Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka showed signs of improvement Saturday night in Ottawa.

While he may not have been at his best, Vejmelka did enough to give his team a chance to compete and remain within striking difference.

This might’ve been Vejmelka’s best save of the season thus far.

Great work to track the puck through all the traffic and then come across to deny a one-timer with his right pad.

One of those unexpected saves that keeps your team in it. https://t.co/m5jtZBRQKm

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 8, 2026

Still, stopping just 17 of 20 shots (.850 save percentage) isn’t going to cut it, especially considering he’s now lost three consecutive starts and five of his last six.

To be fair, two of the goals Utah surrendered Saturday night were largely the result of defensive breakdowns as missed assignments and costly mistakes led to a three-on-one rush and an unmarked Ottawa player at the doorstep.

That said, Vejmelka also has to be better on the first goal he allowed.

Yes, it came on the power play, and Vincent Trocheck’s partial screen certainly didn’t help. However, Vejmelka still had enough time to track the puck and make the save.

As a result, Sebastian Cossa remains the better option in net for the Mammoth until either goaltender proves otherwise.

What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?

The Utah Mammoth will face the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. MT.

The game will be available on TNT, TruTV, & HBO Max.

All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).

Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Follow him on X. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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