Keller scores three times as Mammoth beat Canucks 7-4

VANCOUVER — Clayton Keller scored three times, one a disputed goal on the power play and the last into an empty net with 53 seconds left, as the Utah Mammoth defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-4 Saturday to win their third straight game.

Dylan Guenther and Lawson Crowse both had a goal and an assist for Utah (40-30-6), which continued its hunt to nail down an NHL playoff spot. Kailer Yamamoto and Liam O’Brien, also scored for the Mammoth, who won their fourth consecutive road game. Logan Cooley added two assists.

Linus Karlsson, playing in his 100th NHL game, scored twice for Vancouver (22-46-8). Marco Rossi and Jake DeBrusk both scored on the power play while defenceman Filip Hronek had two assists.

The Canucks, who have the worst record in the NHL, have just one win in their last nine games.

Canuck goaltender Nikita Tolopilo stopped 17 shots.

Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves for Utah.

The teams scored goals 72 seconds apart to open the third period.

DeBrusk scored on a deflection with just 20 seconds gone. Crouse answered at the 1:12 mark with a shot over Tolopilo’s shoulder. Rossi cut the lead to one deflecting in an Hronek shot while Utah was serving a too-many-men penalty. O’Brien made it 6-4 at 11:45 on a pretty backhand.

Keller’s power-play goal at 7:04 of the second period gave Utah a 3-2 lead. He deflected Guenther’s shot from the point while Hronek was off for holding. Guenther made it 4-2 about five minutes later when he took John Marino’s pass at the side of the goal and fired into an empty net for his 38th of the season.

Karlsson had tied the game 2-2 at 2:05 of the second period, deflecting Victor Mancini’s shot from the blue line past Vejmelka for his second of the game and 15th of the season.

Karlsson had opened the scoring early in the first period, skating in front of the Utah net and firing a shot between two defenceman.

Yamamoto made it 1-1 midway through the period by deflecting a Cooley shot from the boards through his legs, past Tolopilo. Keller put the Mammoth up 2-1 with 90 seconds left in the period with a shot from between the faceoff circles that appeared to be deflected by Canuck defenceman Zeev Buium.

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: Goaltender Jiri Patera was called up from Abbotsford of the AHL as the backup to replace Kevin Lankinen who was a late scratch. … Before the opening faceoff there was a tribute to Vancouver native Evander Kane, who returned to the lineup to play his 1,001st game after missing the last two matches with an undisclosed injury. … DeBrusk’s goal was his 19th of the season with 16 coming on the power play.

Mammoth: It was Keller’s first hat trick of the season but third of his career. … On a first period power play both Guenther and Keller whiffed on shots while Crouse had his stick break. … O’Brien returned to the lineup after 18 games as a healthy scratch. … Defenceman MacKenzie Weegar was a scratch and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

KEY MOMENT

Keller’s power-play goal in the second period was originally waived off due to his stick touching the puck above the cross bar. After a video review the referee ruled the stick was at or below the cross bar.

KEY STAT

Utah, which is battling for the first wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference, has points in 14 of its last 21 games (12-7-2).

UP NEXT

Mammoth: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Canucks: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2026.