EDMONTON (Interstat) — Clayton Keller scored twice, Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves and the Utah Mammoth defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Thursday at Rexall Place. The Mammoth improved to 6-2. The Oilers fell to 5-2. Barrett Hayton and Logan Cooley also scored for Utah. Nick Schmaltz had two assists, while Lawson Crouse and Kailer Yamamoto each added one. Leon Draisaitl and Shakir Mukhamadullin scored for Edmonton. Evan Bouchard had an assist and six shots on goal. Utah’s win came after Edmonton pressed for a comeback in the third period, but Vejmelka and the Mammoth defense held firm.

The Mammoth opened the scoring in the first period after Edmonton’s Josh Samanski received a double minor for high-sticking against Kevin Stenlund. Utah applied pressure on the extended power play, and Yamamoto put a wrist shot on Devon Levi. Moments later, Hayton scored on a wrist shot with assists from Yamamoto and John Marino. The goal gave Utah a 1-0 lead. Edmonton had chances to answer before the intermission. Filip Hallander forced a save from Vejmelka. Connor McDavid sent a tip-in wide, and Alex Formenton also missed wide. The Oilers’ best first-period sequence came when Bouchard put a wrist shot wide and McDavid hit Hayton. Utah’s defense blocked several attempts, including Mattias Ekholm’s block of a Stenlund shot. Jack McBain also hit the left post for Utah, and Max Jones tested Vejmelka at the other end. Crouse delivered multiple hits in the period, while Formenton set a physical tone for Edmonton with hits on Mikhail Sergachev and Dmitri Simashev. The period ended with Utah ahead by one.

The second period featured a rapid exchange of goals. Keller made it 2-0 when he scored his first of the game, with Cooley and Schmaltz assisting. Edmonton answered when Draisaitl scored his fifth goal of the season. McDavid and Bouchard drew assists on the play. The goal cut Utah’s lead to 2-1. The Mammoth responded quickly. Cooley tipped in a goal with assists from Vincent Trocheck and Dylan Guenther. That restored Utah’s two-goal lead at 3-1. Cooley finished with a goal and an assist. Schmaltz’s passing helped Utah generate several quality chances. Edmonton had looks from Bouchard and Vasily Podkolzin, but Vejmelka denied both. The Oilers also had a Bouchard slap shot hit the left post. Utah carried its advantage into the third period after surviving a late Edmonton push that included a McDavid tip-in saved by Vejmelka and a Draisaitl tip-in stopped in front.

Edmonton pushed back early in the third. Mukhamadullin scored his first of the season on a wrist shot, with Owen Michaels and Mathieu Joseph assisting. The goal brought the Oilers within 3-2. Edmonton continued to attack. Vejmelka stopped a Bouchard wrist shot and later turned away a McDavid backhand. Utah had to kill a difficult sequence after Jack McBain was called for boarding against Draisaitl and Sergachev received a cross-checking penalty against McDavid. Ekholm was assessed a roughing penalty against Sergachev on the same play. The Mammoth survived the pressure without allowing the tying goal. Vejmelka’s steady play in net kept Utah in front, and Utah’s penalty killers limited Edmonton’s chances during the second-period calls. The Oilers also had several shots blocked, including attempts from Bouchard, Ekholm and Ryan Shea. Utah’s defense cleared rebounds and prevented second-chance opportunities as the period wore on.

Keller sealed the win late in the third. He scored his second goal on a wrist shot with assists from Schmaltz and Crouse, giving Utah a 4-2 lead. The goal came after Edmonton had pulled Levi for an extra attacker. Keller finished with two goals, four shots on goal and two hits. Hayton had a goal, one shot on goal and one hit. Cooley had a goal, an assist, three shots on goal and one hit. Schmaltz had two assists and one shot on goal. Yamamoto had an assist, four shots on goal and one hit. Crouse had an assist, three shots on goal and two hits. For Edmonton, Draisaitl had a goal and two shots on goal. Bouchard had an assist and six shots on goal. Mukhamadullin had a goal, one shot on goal and three hits. McDavid recorded an assist and generated several scoring chances, while Levi made saves to keep Edmonton within reach for most of the night.

The game included plenty of physical play. Daniil But, Jack McBain and Crouse delivered hits for Utah. Formenton, Kasperi Kapanen and Mukhamadullin were among Edmonton’s hitters. Utah also blocked shots from Bouchard, Ekholm and Shea. Levi made several saves to keep Edmonton close. The Oilers had a late push but could not solve Vejmelka again. Utah’s penalty killers limited Edmonton’s chances during the second-period calls. The Mammoth also benefited from faceoff wins by Hayton, Cooley, Schmaltz and Trocheck. Edmonton won key draws through Draisaitl, McDavid and Trent Frederic, but the Oilers could not turn possession into enough goals. Utah’s ability to answer Edmonton’s goals proved decisive, especially when Cooley scored shortly after Draisaitl had cut the lead to one.

The result gave Utah another road victory in the early season. The Mammoth have won six of their first eight games. Edmonton has lost two of its first seven. The teams will meet again Saturday at Utah in the second half of the home-and-home set. Utah will then host Pittsburgh on Monday. Edmonton will host Minnesota on Tuesday. The rematch will give the Oilers a quick chance to answer after Utah’s two-goal win, while the Mammoth will try to continue their strong start behind Keller, Vejmelka and a balanced scoring attack.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected Edmonton to win 4-3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Edmonton a 56.2 percent pregame probability to win. Utah was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The over/under line was 6.5, and the game produced six total goals. The result went against the simulator’s projected winner and gave Utah a second straight victory over a Western Conference opponent.