TORONTO — Nick Schmaltz scored the winner on a power play with 6:48 left in regulation as the Utah Mammoth topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday.
Dylan Guenther and Andrew Peeke provided the rest of the offence for Utah (10-6-0). Sebastian Cossa made 27 saves. Clayton Keller added three assists, while Mikail Sergachev had two of his own.
Jack Roslovic replied with both goals for Toronto (8-7-2), which got 33 stops from Sergei Bobrovsky. Auston Matthews chipped in two assists.
Schmaltz snapped a 2-2 tie when he buried a loose puck in the crease on the man advantage after Bobrovsky made a huge stop on Keller.
Down 2-1 in the third period, the Maple Leafs tied it at 9:05 when Rosolvic moved in alone on Cossa and roofed a backhand for his second of the night to set up the late drama.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion signed over the summer to a big-money deal in free agency for the next three seasons, Bobrovsky entered with a pedestrian 3-5-2 record, .885 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average.
The 38-year-old, who had allowed three goals or more in nine of 10 starts entering Tuesday, was helped out by some posts in the first, but could do nothing against the NHL's top-ranked power play when Guenther shot through a screen with 12.4 seconds left on the clock.
Toronto equalized at 10:20 of the second when Roslovic fired past Cossa moments after Maple Leafs defenceman Troy Stecher's stick exploded on an odd-man rush before Peeke pushed the visitors ahead with a controversial goal at 13:42.
TAKEAWAYS
Maple Leafs: John Tavares (lower-body injury) was upgraded from week-to-week to day-to-day. The veteran centre was hurt Oct. 15 against the Buffalo Sabres.
Mammoth: The club will have played 13 of its first 19 games on the road before touching home ice again Nov. 12 against the St. Louis Blues.
KEY MOMENT
Peeke's blast through traffic beat Bobrovsky at 13:42 of the second for a 2-1 lead. Mammoth centre Barrett Hayton appeared to interfere with the netminder when their skates touched, but the on-ice officials ruled the sequence a good goal. The Maple Leafs then declined to challenge and risk a minor penalty.
KEY STAT
Toronto winger William Nylander needs one point to tie George Armstrong (713) for seventh on the franchise's all-time list.
UP COMING
Mammoth: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Maple Leafs: Host the Canadiens on Saturday.
