Vegas Down 2-1 and Getting Outshot 32-12 in Playoff Losses, but Tortorella Says the Knights Still Have This

The Vegas Golden Knights are staring down a 2-1 series deficit heading into Monday's Game 4 against the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City, and yeah, it looks bad. But don't tell coach John Tortorella his team is panicking. Vegas lost Game 3 despite a 32-12 shot advantage, which should feel like a gut punch, but the Knights are convinced this thing is far from over.

Utah Stole Home Ice with an Unlikely Game 3 Win

Vegas took Game 1 at home, 4-2. Utah answered by stealing Game 2, then absolutely controlled Game 3 on Friday night in Salt Lake City with a 4-2 victory. The wild part? The Mammoth did it on just 12 shots. Utah became the eighth team since 1974 to win a playoff game while being outshot that badly. Vegas allowed the second-lowest shot total in franchise history, regular season or playoffs included, and still came up short.

Tortorella Isn't Sweating It, But Special Teams Are a Problem

Vegas rolled out new line combinations and fresh power-play units at Sunday's practice. The numbers tell part of the story: the Knights are 2-for-9 on the power play through three games and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill. Tortorella said plainly that "we lost the special teams battle in the first three games."

Still, the coach isn't worried about the mental side of things. "We've made some adjustments, as you do in the playoffs," Tortorella said. "Not crazy stuff, but when you get down in a series and you lose a couple in a row, it's belief. It's believing in what we're doing, belief in how we're preparing. This is mental. This is where I feel very comfortable with this team."

Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar knows his team needs to stay sharp for Game 4. "We expect a really good response from a really good opponent over there, so we're going to need to be focused and prepared," he said. Twelve different Mammoth players have at least one point in the series, with five players tied for the team lead at three points apiece. Weegar, Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse, and Logan Cooley each have two goals and an assist, while Kailer Yamamoto has three assists.

For Vegas, Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev, and Jack Eichel are leading the way with three points each. Carter Hart allowed four goals on 12 shots in Game 3 but will be back in net on Monday after going 7-1-0 with a .932 save percentage over his last eight starts.

Game 4 tips off Monday in Salt Lake City. Vegas needs to win, plain and simple.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.