Lawson Crouse has been waiting for a moment like this.
To show up for his team in a critical game. To produce on the scoresheet instead of the underlying numbers. To feel like a goalscorer again.
It is something he focused on over the recent gap in the NHL schedule.
“I did a lot of reflecting over the break. I felt I was getting, before the break, away from that shot-first mentality. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to shoot more pucks whenever I can,’” Crouse said. “When I take a look at the goals I’ve scored in previous years it’s on and off my stick. Just trying to shoot more, get in areas to shoot more and when I get the puck, be ready to shoot it.”
That came to fruition in Utah Hockey Club’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night at Delta Center in which it gained another two points — now three shy of the second wild card spot — in the Western Conference playoff race.
Crouse picked up the puck from Josh Doan and charged towards the net on the right side before unleashing a back-hander top shelf for the 2-1 lead at 12:12 of the third period.
It was Crouse’s ninth goal of the season and, perhaps, his most important.
“It feels good. The crowd’s been so great to us all season long,” Crouse said. “I want to score more goals for them, I’m not going to lie, but that’s a good start. Hopefully I can keep going.”
Crouse’s stats have not been where he or the team expected this season. The associate captain has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) through 58 games after posting 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in 81 games last season. He’s had 20 or more goals in the last three years.
But there’s no better time to get going than the final stretch of the regular season when your team is in the hunt. Crouse has cared — sometimes too deeply — the entire season. Tuesday he got rewarded.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Jack McBain (22) celebrates a game winning goal by Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) for a 2-1 win over Chicago during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, February. 25, 2025.
“I think he’s playing, not more loose, but with more conviction,” head coach André Tourigny said. “He has less doubt in his head. He plays a little bit more mind-free. He shoots quickly. You can see he doesn’t overthink the game. I liked the way he played, the pace he played.”
Crouse is currently skating on the third line with Doan and Jack McBain — three big, physical and grinding players who have complemented each other well and displayed the kind of heart it takes to win at this time of the season. Crouse credited McBain with helping him score.
“I think the key player on that play was McBain, just being at the net, that allowed me to have that extra second to get the shot off,” Crouse said. “This is the biggest part of our season. We’re doing everything we can to make a push. There’s no excuses in this locker room. We own it. We’re pushing each other to be better and we expect a lot.”
That push was evident against the Blackhawks. After Seth Jones gave Chicago a 1-0 advantage at 13:34 of the first period while on the power play, Utah was held off the scoreboard for nearly 40 minutes until Clayton Keller scored at the end of the second.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) after tying the game against Chicago during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, February. 25, 2025. Utah won 2-1.
The Club displayed a patience and lack of frustration that may not have been present if this game had been played a few months earlier. It won them the game.
“They want it. There’s a good feel on the bench right now,” Tourigny said. “There’s a feel of competitiveness, there’s a feel of care, there’s a feel of passion. I like the way it feels. The guys are all in on winning. They don’t give a damn about who. It’s us, period.”
Keller came through for Utah with 44 seconds remaining in the middle frame to tie things 1-1. It was, to say the least, a much-needed goal.
The captain pushed Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy off the puck in front of the net before knocking in the rebound of Michael Kesselring’s shot from the point. The play marked Keller’s 21st goal — which now ties Dylan Guenther for most on the team — and 64th point of the season. It also extended his point streak to five games in which he has had three goals and four assists.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club takes on Chicago during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, February. 25, 2025.
Crouse’s tally in the final stanza secured the win for Utah.
“It’s huge. We didn’t have our best stuff maybe to start the game but we stuck with it,” Keller said. “It’s good to get the win there. It was a tight game all the way through.”
Utah has three games before the NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 7. The team has made some interesting decisions for general manager Bill Armstrong to make with three wins in its last four contests.
“As our identity progresses forward I think we’ve taken steps in the right direction. It’s a lot of fun when we play this way,” Crouse said. “When we have everyone on board, everyone’s contributing. Creates team success and pushes everyone to be the best they can possibly be.”
