The mountains that dominate the skyline of Salt Lake City were formed from constant and relentless pressure. The Utah Mammoth’s 5-2 home win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night was a result of the same process.

Playing the second night of back-to-back road games at high altitude, and coming off a hard-fought emotional win, the Wild faced a young and relentless Mammoth team determined to wear them down.

Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy scored, and Jesper Wallstedt finished with 32 saves, on a night where highlights were hard to come by for the visitors to Delta Center.

While Utah made rush after rush, and tested Wallstedt again and again, they also pounced on every one of Minnesota’s mistakes, getting an early shorthanded goal and building a three-score lead before the game was half over.

It could have been worse. After a fruitless second period rush into the offensive zone by the Wild, the Mammoth transitioned quickly, and on an odd-man rush slipped a puck past Wallstedt that looked to make it a 4-0 lead. But for the fifth time this season, the Wild successfully challenged the play for offside and the point came off the scoreboard.

Minutes later, with the Wild on a power play, Kaprizov scored on a tap-in at the side of the crease after a cross-ice feed from Matt Boldy. It was the 218th career goal for Kaprizov, leaving him one short of tying Marian Gaborik’s franchise record.

When Joel Eriksson Ek took a high stick to the face and left the game, the ensuing Wild power play provided a window to make it a one-goal game. But the Mammoth penalty kill held firm, and then the Wild took a penalty of their own late in the middle frame, switching the momentum back to the home team.

Eriksson Ek did not return.

Utah scored early in the third on the man advantage, capitalizing on a scramble in front of the net where Wallstedt had lost his stick, making it 4-1 for the Mammoth.

Minnesota didn’t lack opportunities to get back into the game, with Boldy springing in a pair of shorthanded breakaways, both of which were thwarted by Karel Vejmelka. The Mammoth goalie finished with 21 saves as Utah improved to 2-0 versus the Wild this season.

After the Mammoth opened up a 5-1 lead, Boldy scored for the third time in the past two games to pull Minnesota back within three. It was Boldy’s team-leading 35th goal of the season.

By missing the score sheet on Friday, defenseman Quinn Hughes franchise record assist streak was halted at 11 games. Minnesota returns home to open March with a 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon game versus St. Louis at Grand Casino Arena.

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