The bulk of the NHL’s fan bases are located in the Eastern time zone, so most people probably didn’t stay up to see the Utah Mammoth come back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime Wednesday evening.
That resulted in an explosion of awe on social media Thursday morning, from fans to media and everything in between. Here are some of the best reactions.
Quick summary
As mentioned, the Mammoth found themselves down 3-0 relatively early in the game. They’d had an almost-perfect seven-game home stand until that point, but they got caught sleeping after a three-day break.
Their comeback began with two goals 36 seconds apart. Karel Vejmelka made perhaps the best save of his career, Jack McBain laid a beating that led directly to a goal and Nick Schmaltz made the back-check heard ’round the world — all of which set the stage for Clayton Keller to tie the game in the final minute and then win it in overtime.
Social media reactions to Utah’s comeback win over Philadelphia
You know it’s major when the “Hockey Images that Precede Unfortunate Events” account posts about it.
Groups of Utah Jazz fans traveled from Argentina and Uruguay to catch a few sporting events this week. Between the Jazz’s win over the Timberwolves and the Mammoth’s win over the Flyers, they chose the right stretch of games.
Fun fact: Nick Schmaltz’s brother, Jordan Schmaltz, played a handful of NHL games under Bill Armstrong when they were both with the St. Louis Blues. He’s now a hockey influencer, and he was sure trying to “influence” his brother’s next contract, which is due this summer.
Spittin’ Chiclets, Barstool’s hockey podcast, deserves credit for always being on top of all 32 teams, rather than just the big ones. Utah’s win was no exception.
Everyone loved Keller’s celebration after the OT goal. He took a page out of Jack Hughes’ book, tossing his stick into the crowd. A lucky fan walked away with a sweet souvenir.
And, of course, Flyers fans were beside themselves — in true Philadelphia fashion.
No matter which side you support, you’ve got to feel bad for Garnet Hathaway, who was mere seconds away from an easy empty-netter before Nick Schmaltz snuck up behind him. Nobody wants to be remembered for a misplay like that.
He felt the full weight of it after the game. He should definitely stay off social media for a while.