DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth dropped a 9-8 decision to the Toronto Rock Saturday night before 10,411 fans during Y2K Night at the LOUD HOUSE as the squad fell to 5-4 on the season.
In a game invaded by penalty calls throughout the second half, Dillon Ward still managed to stand on his head as he stopped 55-of-64 on the night. Forward Ryan Lee paced the contest’s scorers with six points (3g, 3a), while Connor Kelly (2g, 2a) and Connor Robinson (2g, 2a) each chipped in four points. Eli McLaughlin was the only other Mammoth finisher to find twine in the low-scoring affair.
After earning an early power-play advantage with defenseman Conner Cook being penalized just two and a half minutes in, Toronto gained a 1-0 lead courtesy of Jamie Dawick’s first of the evening, a stinger from long range which beat Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward up high 3:31 into the contest.
Ward made an insane initial save and then a diving glove re-save on the possession prior, but the Rock’s 6-on-5 unit prevailed shortly after.
That goal would serve as the opening quarter’s lone strike until Ryan Lee evened the game at ones with 2:45 remaining in the first. Accepting a slick cross-set pass, No. 16 instantly redirected the rock into the back of Toronto’s net, which whizzed by Rock goaltender Nick Rose as the Ball Arena crowd applauded.
But just 29 seconds later, Toronto’s Chris Boushy finished a quality diving effort, tucking a bid past Ward to reinstate his team’s early lead. Which would serve as the final conversion of the opening 15 as the Rock took a 2-1 lead into quarter two.
Needing only 60 seconds to get the good guys back on the board, Connor Kelly operated from range en route to notching his team-leading 23rd goal of the season. Tied once more, this game felt like it would be a dramatically close one from the start.
Rolling high around a screen to his left, the “Magic Man” Connor Robinson got his show started, reigniting the LOUD HOUSE crowd while establishing Colorado’s first lead of the night. Representing his 14th on the year, it’s just more fun when C-ROB is scoring. As a known fan, it was only right he added some Ke$ha to the Y2K Night mix.
Weaving his way through traffic, “Liger” Eli McLaughlin sent a successful bouncer past Rose’s far side while granting his team its first two-goal advantage of the game midway through the period.
Which brewed up our first scrap of the night, as defenseman Brent Mitchell dropped the gloves, exchanging some blows with the Rock’s Billy Hostrawser.
However, Toronto replied just 37 seconds later as Boushy collected an errant shot from behind the net and dunked a diving effort low past Ward, thus bringing the Rock back within one with seven and change remaining.
Finishing off a power-play look with just under three minutes to play in the first half, Kelly let one rip from afar as the Mammoth were back in front by two, now up 5-3 as No. 40 doubled down on the night.
Three in a row for the home team as momentum began to pour in Colorado’s favor, Flyin’ Ryan Lee did was he does best … land diving goals while leaving jaws on the floor of Ball Arena. The best part? He scored the flashy finish in buzzer-beating fashion, registering his first of the night with less than a second to play in the half.
Taking a momentous 6-3 lead into the break, the Mammoth and its packed barn were feeling good.
Wasting little time when the second half began, Toronto’s Challen Rogers capitalized on a Rock faceoff win by finishing a lone-man effort as he dove past Ward and beat the netminder for his first of the night just 15 seconds in.
Exactly two minutes later, Robinson’s show continued, as he wound up a sick side-armed bid and fired a NASTY saucer from LONG distance while putting Colorado back in front by three again.
Following six minutes of scoreless play, Toronto’s Dawick registered his second of the evening as he battled the Rock back to a 7-5 ball game midway through the third.
Converting a man-up opportunity with 54 seconds to play in period three, Dan Craig brought the Rock back within one as the scoreboard read 7-6 in favor of the home team when the final 15 dawned. Momentum was in Toronto’s favor but the burgundy boys had more than 10k supporters ready to voice their passion.
Getting the party started once more a mere 28 seconds into the final frame, Lee hop-stepped toward the net while letting an energetic overhand bid fly. Soaring right past Rose, Lee completed his hat trick while restoring the roar inside the LOUD HOUSE.
But Toronto was afforded a few power plays, the second of which they converted on as the contest was suddenly 8-7 following another Dawick conversion. In playback fashion, the Rock made it two straight very quickly, as forward Tom Schreiber retaliated with his own strike just seven seconds later as the game was tied at eights with 8:47 to play.
As predicted, this one was going to be close.
So close that the game needed an overtime session to settle the decision. Six minutes of overtime that is, as Dawick sealed the deal with a bouncer to give Toronto their third-straight win.
Jamie Dawick (4g, 0a) paced efforts for the Rock while Ryan Lee (3g, 3a), Connor Kelly (2g, 2a) and Connor Robinson (2g, 2a) did the heaviest lifting for Colorado.
Primed to close out its regular season series against the Georgia Swarm in Week 12, Colorado will return to the LOUD HOUSE Friday, Feb. 21 for a showdown with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs after enduring a Week 13 bye. Limited Tickets remain for the Mammoth’s Marvel Super Hero ™ Night showcase, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!