The Utah Hockey Club fell 5-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights Friday night at T-Mobile Arena. But, it’s preseason, and lessons about a team come in both wins and losses.
One thing Utah learned despite the loss? Matias Maccelli, Alex Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse play good hockey when combined.
The Maccelli, Kerfoot, Crouse line was tested for the second consecutive game and accounted for six of Utah’s total 16 shots on goal. Maccelli and Crouse were in the top five for time on ice — 16:55 and 16:30, respectively. While they did not score, the pairing pushed the pace.
The trio has been skating together for most of the training camp, and — depending on Nick Bjugstad’s return from injury — it looks like it could stick for the regular season. The line has a blend of size, speed, sharp shooting and sandpaper, and is anchored by two of the team’s more experienced players in Crouse and Kerfoot.
Maccelli, on the other hand, is still reaching his full potential as an NHLer. The 23-year-old winger played his first full season with the team in the 2023-24 season and posted 57 points (17 goals, 40 assists) through 82 games. Maccelli’s play-making abilities are an obvious strength, but Utah’s coaching staff wants to see him utilize his shot more.
“I’ve been getting a lot of crap about not shooting the puck enough. Maybe scoring a few more goals this year would be good,” Maccelli said. “I’ve always been more of a pass-first player. I think I just have to work on it and just decide mentally [to] be ready to shoot.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club forward Matias Maccelli (63) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Los Angeles Kings, NHL pre-season hockey in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
Crouse has had a front-row seat to Maccelli’s development; the two played together last season as well. While they’re two very different builds, the forwards have complemented each other. Adding a hard-nosed, high-IQ veteran like Kerfoot has gelled well, too.
Kerfoot and Crouse’s versatility has been an early asset for Utah. They both are on the power play and penalty kill, and can give Maccelli the space and guidance to be a difference-maker this season.
“We’re just looking to keep getting better,” Kerfoot said. “Winning is habitual. Good teams learn to win and they find ways to win. If you get stuck around losing too often, it can almost become a habit as well. We want to turn the corner.”
Crouse, along with Kerfoot, has been part of the core leadership group creating a new winning culture for Utah. Both were alternate captains in Friday’s matchup.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club forward Alex Kerfoot (15) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Los Angeles Kings, NHL pre-season hockey in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024.
“He’s a great leader, he’s a warrior,” head coach André Tourigny said of Crouse. “He’s a fantastic human being, a great teammate and a guy who cares a ton about the team. We’re fortunate to have him.”
Crouse, his linemates, and his team got off to a solid start in the opening 40 minutes of the game against Vegas but ran out of gas in the final stanza.
Michael Carcone scored his third goal of the preseason to give Utah a 1-0 lead at 7:43 of the second period. It was a pretty tic-tac-toe setup between him, Josh Doan and Kerfoot that led to the power-play tally. Carcone came flashing in on the right side and rocketed the puck home.
Vegas responded with a goal from Alex Pietrangelo while on the man advantage at 14:02, but Ryan McGregor regained the lead for Utah at 16:46. The 25-year-old forward wristed a behind-the-net pass from Aku Raty past Adin Hill to make it 2-1. Jack Eichel found the 2-2 equalizer with 2:04 remaining in the middle frame.
The Golden Knights ran away with the game in the third period. Pavel Dorofeyev, Keegan Kolesar and Ivan Barbashev all scored — off of a Utah turnover and lapses in coverage off the rush — to secure the 5-2 win.
Utah plays its next preseason game Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.
