Game momentum changes all the time in sporting events, but I’m not sure I ever saw one change hands as quickly as Friday night’s game between the Rush and Mammoth. Colorado kept the first half competitive as it was a fight the whole way. After locker room time at halftime, the Rush came out revived and swept the game right out from under the Mammoth’s feet, winning 11-7.
Edmonton opened the game’s scoring in less than two minutes with a goal from Mark Matthews off the assists of Zack Greer and Ben McIntosh.
With it still early, the Mammoth showed signs of life as Athan Iannucci answered back less than 30 seconds following Edmonton’s opening. Iannucci was assisted by Eli McLaughlin and Grant Jr. 1-1
The ball exchanged possessions and back of net time as the two team literally went back and forth for the entire first period. Edmonton scored next with another goal from Mark Matthews (assisted by Ryan Dilks). Again, less than a minute later which was three minutes into game play overall.
Then, Colorado goal by Alex Turner off the feed from Drew Westervelt at 4:59 into the first (10:01 left in first).
Edmonton answered again, Zack Greer unassisted at 11:13 into the first. Score is at 3-2. As usual, the Mammoth retaliated, Eli McLaughlin scored on a power play with a feed from Pollock to JGJ to McLaughlin. Nice little combo to bring the period closing score to 3-3.
Phew! One heck of back-and-forth quarter play. It didn’t stop there. Enter the second quarter:
By now, the teams were able to feel each other out a little bit. The first period was a game of who could outscore who. The second period would be more lacrosse-like play with set defenses and rotational offenses.
John Grant Jr. came to life (Zombie night at Pepsi Center) and scored after close to five minutes passed in the second quarter. 4-3 Mammoth, but Edmonton had two answers for that one goal, as Mark Matthews scored off a Riley Loewen assist and Zack Greer 57 seconds later off a feed from Loewen again. 5-4 Edmonton, and Loewen seems to have found some weak points in the Mammoth defense, as he assisted twice in less than a minute.
Two more Colorado goals before the close of the half, first from JGJ again off the feed from Jackson Decker. Then, Joey Cupido off a sniper feed from Cam Holding.
Both teams would enter the half with Colorado leading 6-5.
This is where the game momentum flips hands. I’ve never seen in happen so abruptly in the Pepsi Center. You would think with a home crowd of over 16,000 the Mammoth had all the momentum behind them, but that’s entirely inaccurate.
There were only three goals scored in the third period, and all came from Edmonton (R)ushing out of halftime. Robert Church on a power play off Greer’s assist 58 seconds into the period. 6-6. Then Greer unassisted 1:45 into period play. Finalized by Mark Matthews off Greer’s assist almost twelve minutes later. The period closed with Edmonton rushing ahead 8-6.
No goals from Colorado in that period. No real defense, a lot of back a forth with all the ‘umph’ behind the Canadian team. This was a real mental bust on the Mammoth.
Fourth period play wasn’t much of a moral uplifting for the Mammoth, unfortunately. In fact, Edmonton continued to run away with the game, scoring three straight goals:
Zack Greer two minutes in. Ben McIntosh 3 minutes in, one minute later. Church four and half minutes following. Score all of a sudden is 11-6 with half of a final period remaining.
At select times, Colorado pulled Dillon Ward to allow extra attackers on the turf. One of those times, it paid off. With less than two minutes remaining, Alex Turner scored off an assist path from JGJ to Pollock to him. That would be the only last effort by the Mammoth, as time expired.
It was zombie night at Pepsi Center, and that’s how fans left the arena. They dragged their feet out of the stands, and for the few I know were out celebrating birthdays, made their ways downtown. A happy ending was far from forethought, and everyone felt like zombies.
There were loads of penalties in this game, more than I’ve seen this season:
Colorado Mammoth saw the box for 9 minutes on 3 infractions.
Edmonton saw 16 minutes of box time! On eight different infractions. Come on! That’s insane that Colorado could not capitalize on those.
Props go to Edmonton’s power play (man down) defense, who hauled any power play efforts by Colorado to retake the game. Aaron Bold took 38 shots on goal and saved 31. Also to Edmonton’s offense, who found a new spark that paid off dearly.
This loss is NOT Dillon Ward’s doing. He took 45 shots on goal and saved 34 of them. It’s not the 65 shots from their home opener, but it’s certainly a show.
