Nick Schmaltz scores twice to power Mammoth past the Blues, 4-2

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nick Schmaltz scored twice and assisted on another goal to lead the Utah Mammoth to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night.

Schmaltz now has 43 points in 40 career games against St. Louis. Lawson Crouse and Sean Durzi also scored goals to help Utah win its third straight game. Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves.

Oskar Sundqvist and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues while Joel Hofer made 19 stops. St. Louis dropped its fourth straight road game.

Utah struck first with 4:50 left in the first period when Schmaltz threaded a close-range puck between two defenders.

St. Louis and Utah combined to score four goals in the second period.

Crouse briefly gave the Mammoth a 2-0 lead at the 7:45 of the second after snapping the puck past Hofer’s glove. The Blues pulled one back only 10 seconds later. Nathan Walker funneled the puck to Sundqvist after winning a faceoff and he caught Vejmelka flat-footed with a long-distance blast.

Durzi restored Utah’s two-goal advantage with 8:17 left in the second, one-timing a pass from Schmaltz. St. Louis countered again with 3:33 remaining in the period, cutting the deficit to 3-2 on Buchnevich’s wrist shot.

Schmaltz connected on a power-play goal at the 6:57 of the third to give Utah a two-goal lead once again.

Blues: At Vegas on Saturday night.

Mammoth: Host Columbus on Sunday night.

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