Cooley’s Last-Second Hat Trick Lifts Mammoth Victory

Logan Cooley delivered a memorable performance against his hometown team, completing a hat trick with one second remaining in regulation before the Utah Mammoth defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in overtime Thursday night.

Pittsburgh appeared poised to secure the victory after Ben Kindel scored with 25 seconds left to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead. However, Cooley kept Utah alive by batting the puck out of the air with his backhand to tie the game and complete his third career hat trick.

Mikhail Sergachev then finished the comeback at 3:27 of overtime, beating goaltender Arturs Silovs with a wrist shot from the slot after collecting a rebound off Barrett Hayton’s attempt.

The victory improved Utah’s record to 9-5-0, while Pittsburgh fell to 5-6-2 after losing its opportunity to extend a two-game winning streak.

Cooley Delivers Against Hometown Team

Cooley set the tone early, scoring twice in the first period to give Utah a 2-0 advantage.

His opening goal came at 4:40 after he intercepted a pass from Erik Karlsson and skated into the left face-off circle before beating Silovs with a wrist shot. He doubled the lead at 14:11, splitting Karlsson and Spencer Stastney before driving toward the net and scoring again.

Pittsburgh responded in the second period when Karlsson cut the deficit to 2-1 with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle at 8:38.

Rickard Rakell tied the game at 10:59 of the third period, scoring a short-handed goal after collecting the puck in the neutral zone. Kindel then appeared to deliver the decisive blow with his late go-ahead goal, setting up Cooley’s dramatic equalizer.

The hat trick carried special significance for Cooley, who grew up in Pittsburgh and participated in Sidney Crosby’s Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program at age five. He had not scored in his previous six games against the Penguins.

“This city means so much to me,” Cooley said. “The Penguins, I’ve kind of grown up with them with (Pittsburgh Penguins) Elite and the Little Penguins program.”

Cooley became the third Pittsburgh native to record a hat trick against the Penguins, joining Brandon Saad and R.J. Umberger.

Sergachev Seals Mammoth’s Overtime Victory

After Cooley forced overtime, Sergachev completed Utah’s comeback with his goal at 3:27 of the extra period.

Hayton’s shot created a rebound in front of the net, and Sergachev reacted quickly to collect the loose puck and fire it past Silovs. The goal capped a comeback in which Utah twice surrendered its advantage before securing the win.

Sergachev praised Cooley’s performance after the game, noting that the forward had started the season slowly but showed what he could accomplish when playing at his best.

“He’s one of our top players who’s supposed to be doing that,” Sergachev said. “But I’m happy for him.”

Goaltender Sebastian Cossa made 31 saves for Utah, which has continued to respond well after defeats. The Mammoth remained unbeaten in games immediately following a loss this season and improved their record to 8-0-0 when leading after two periods.

Silovs stopped 30 shots for Pittsburgh, which struggled to protect its late advantage.

Penguins Fall Short After Late Rally

Kindel finished with a goal and an assist in his return after experiencing vasovagal syncope, a condition involving a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. The 19-year-old had been sidelined following the episode shortly after the Penguins departed Salt Lake City International Airport on October 20.

Karlsson also scored for Pittsburgh, while Evgeni Malkin recorded two assists. However, the Penguins could not close out the game after Rakell’s equalizer and Kindel’s late goal briefly put them in control.

Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang acknowledged that the team had not played well enough overall, even after battling back to take the lead.

“We battled hard to come back into it and get the lead,” Letang said. “But I think, overall, the performance was not there.”

The game also produced a rare late-game sequence. It marked the 10th contest in NHL history, including the playoffs, in which opposing teams exchanged a go-ahead or game-tying goal during the final 30 seconds of regulation. The previous occurrence was on April 7, 2015, when the New York Islanders faced the Philadelphia Flyers.

For Cooley, however, the night belonged to his hometown return, his last-second equalizer and the hat trick that helped Utah escape Pittsburgh with an overtime victory.