As it turns out, in a game the Edmonton Oilers led for all but 11 seconds, they were lucky to escape Salt Lake City with a point in a 6-5 overtime loss.

Did the Oilers hold leads of 3-1, 4-3 and (with seven minutes to play) 5-4? Yes they did.

Bur were they absolutely on their heels, pinned in their defensive zone for most of the third period, while the Utah Mammoth possessed the puck in Edmonton’s zone? You bet they were.

“We obviously gave up too many chances,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse. “When you're trying to score six to win a game, it's tough to get that done. So defensively, we can definitely up the details in our own zone.”

Two days after Connor McDavid talked about playing low-event hockey against the offensively talented Mammoth, this game was anything but, with the Mammoth logging 12 high danger chances to Edmonton’s eight.

In what could be a preview of a riveting Round 1 matchup between these teams, it was Utah that controlled the pace in........

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