Their combined 64 shots on goal were the most of any matchup so far in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vegas' 52 hits were also the third most of the playoffs so far, behind the Carolina Hurricanes' 57 and the Buffalo Sabres' 53 - both teams won their first games as well.
Before the late Vegas rally, Logan Cooley would score the first goal for the Mammoth to go up 1-0 with nine seconds remaining in the first period, marking the first playoff goal in Mammoth franchise history.
He became just the sixth player in league history, joining Wayne Gretzky, to factor into a franchise's first-ever regular season goal and its first playoff goal.
Cooley first assisted on Utah's first goal on October 8, 2024, scored by Dylan Guenther.
It wouldn't take long for the Knights to find the net at the start of the second period. Colton Sissons would score his first playoff goal since 2018, which tied it up 1-1 for the Knights.
But Utah responded almost immediately as Kevin Stenlund put the Mammoth back on top 2-1 off a misplay.
The Mammoth put up 11 shots on goal in each of the first two periods, while the Knights were right there with them, with nine in the first and 10 in the second.
Despite countless scrums, the Mammoth and Golden Knights went the entire second period without committing a single penalty, becoming the first pair of teams in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs to do so in regulation.
In the third, Vegas would begin their rally back.
After Utah committed their first penalty since the first period, Vegas' Mark Stone sent one home off a rebound to tie it all up 2-2.
It marked Stone's 37th playoff with Vegas, surpassing Jonathan Marchessault for the most in franchise history.
Less than two minutes later, Nic Dowd would put his squad up 3-2 for his fifth career playoff goal and the first as a member of the Golden Knights.
Both teams received two-minute minor roughing penalties with 6:05 to go in the third. Scrums started after Guenther shot the puck at Vegas goaltender Carter Hart after being called offsides as he thought he had a breakaway opportunity.
Ivan Barbashev would drill the empty-netter from across the ice that put Vegas up 4-2 en route to a Game 1 win.
Sissons and Utah's Lawson Crouse would finish the night with 8.0 player ratings - the highest of all skaters.