Dmitri Simashev scored his first NHL goal and also netted the game-winning tally in overtime, lifting the Utah Mammoth to a 5-4 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
After Tampa Bay defenseman J.J. Moser and Utah blue-liner Nate Schmidt were stopped on breakaways in the opening 68 seconds of extra time, Simashev — also on the rear guard — slipped in a pass from Barrett Hayton at 1:44 for his first career game-winner.
Utah also received goals from Kailer Yamamoto, Dylan Guenther and Anders Lee. Vincent Trocheck had two assists. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves and earned the secondary assist on Simashev’s winner.
Jake Guentzel, Pontus Holmberg, Brayden Point and Conor Geekie hit the net for Tampa Bay.
In the second half of a back-to-back, goalie Dennis Hildeby made 23 saves for the Lightning, who played without captain Victor Hedman.
Nikita Kucherov collected an assist for his 1,138th career point, passing Steven Stamkos for the all-time franchise lead.
In the opening period, Guentzel was credited with his seventh goal on a shot into traffic at 5:10 that Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev inadvertently put in past Vejmelka.
Yamamoto knotted it less than two minutes later when he streaked out and sent a puck in on an odd-man rush. The shot clicked off Hildeby’s stick for Yamamoto’s third tally. However, Holmberg answered with his third marker a little over three minutes later.
In a milestone moment, Kucherov dished out the primary assist to Point on the Lightning’s second power play for a 3-1 lead. The historic point prompted the entire visiting bench of players to empty onto the ice and surround the Hart Trophy winner in celebration.
The Mammoth also scored on their second power play, as Guenther ripped in his fifth marker to leave the first period trailing 3-2.
Vejmelka stopped Point on a breakaway at 1:54 of the second period, but Geekie netted at 5:32 for a 4-2 lead that appeared to put the visitors in full control.
However, the Central Division-leading Mammoth rallied behind Lee’s third tally and the first NHL goal for Simashev less than three minutes apart for a 4-all tie through 40 minutes ahead of a scoreless third period.