NHL Preseason: Utah Hockey Club Wins First Game at Home
Utah Hockey Club put on a show on Monday night, where they managed to beat the LA Kings in overtime thanks to a slick shortside goal from none other than Clayton Keller. Overall, the game was very exciting for Utah fans to get accustomed to, where there was pace in transition, pace to how Utah moved the puck on the power play with new QB Mikhail Sergachev, and also many other standout players up front that stood out in their checking details. Andre Tourigny likes to play fast in transition and when checking with Utah's system, so it's no surprise that many of their players were hunting with aggression and angling with purpose while they were forechecking. There were a lot of standouts with Utah's team overall, as they managed to balance a good mix of rookies and veterans for their first game at home. The team was coming off a game the night before where they played in Des Moines against St. Louis, so naturally some of their players didn't play Monday against the Kings.
With Utah, Lawson Crouse was by far one of the biggest standouts, physically and presence-wise speaking. Crouse has always been a player who has a knack for scoring and brings a knack for finding the front of the net, and he showcased just that with one of his goals where he was stationed right at the net front. Crouse brings an added dimension of skill to his power forward frame, allowing himself to control pucks in tight areas along the boards and in interior space near the net, and also being able to effectively manage puck protection to his advantage as well. Crouse is also extremely strong on his feet, and can use his torso, hips, and center of gravity in his feet to not fall down. That is by far one of his best attributes, since when players try to check him with their stick or hands, he barely moves, even if the player is bigger than him as well.
Another big standout for Utah was up front was Matias Maccelli and how well he was managing the puck, pace, and incorporating his instincts on line rush for and inside the offensive zone. He is a really nifty small area puck-handler, and a player many small players can learn from in today's game based on small area handling and being proactive in small area space. In fact, I really believe breaking down film on Maccelli can be very beneficial for smaller players at the youth level. A 4th round pick back in 2019, Maccelli had a breakout season last year where he nearly hit the 60-point mark in 82 games. A really tremendous season for him, and he looks as if he is only going to grow inside a top-six role with Utah. Utah has many skilled puck movers and transporters up front, especially with their younger crop of players now in the mix, which will continue to help Maccelli grow and thrive inside Utah as well.
On the back end, two of the notable standouts were newcomer Mikhail Sergachev and recently extended Sean Durzi. Both looked excellent in their distribution with the puck, how they managed the pace and fluidity of play, their calmness and decisiveness in their decisions, their puck transporting ability in transition offense scenarios and on zone entry play, and the detail they brought through skating forwards and holding the line defensively as well. Sergachev was terrific and looks very healthy, looking like he'll be able to play a massive role for this Utah team throughout the season. Also given that Sergachev is not only healthy, but played a massive role in this game really helped as well. Sergachev showed very consistent two-way details and play that allowed him to be active in all facets of play as well.
Maveric Lamoureux was excellent defensively for Utah as well, where he was active all across the board defensively and being able to use his shutdown play. He did a tremendous job using his 6'7 frame and footwork to stifle plays defensively, where he showcased really great talent on the defensive end of the puck to shut plays down and limit plays on transition defense scenarios. He showed tremendous range and stride usage in his feet, helping him recover positionally in defensive settings, and being able to utilize his feet to crossover and maintain fluidity skating backwards. He was superb in line rush against details, and showed great stickwork, angles, and gaps to be able to control defensive situations in his favor.
Up front, obviously Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Barrett Hayton stood out. Keller looked awesome and dynamic as usual with the puck on his stick, including scoring the overtime winner as mentioned above. It was also a really good sign to see involvement from some of Utah's depth core, including Kevin Stenlund, Alex Kerfoot, and Ian Cole.
Another rookie who was very noticeable up front was Josh Doan, as a checker, on the power play, and using his speed to be a threat in a lot of different situations. Doan looked very engaged at the net front on the power play and at even strength, where he was aggressive in hounding the puck at the net and trying to take advantage of loose puck opportunities. That innate compete level has always been part of his game, and he's always been a very competitive player when hunting on the forecheck, tracking back, and leveraging net front ability. Add to that the dual threat ability he has in his scoring ability, and also how well he played after playing in the AHL and then earning a call up to Arizona toward the end of the season. Doan looks like he could very well be a player that makes the team out of camp and preseason, given his hot start and the compete level he's shown to have.
Doan was really engaged in his hunting on the forecheck as well, where he was really tenacious and looking to kill plays with both angling and physicality. He relied on both when necessary, and would finish his checks with aggression as well. That's a really nice combination he has. He can fit this Utah team as both a bottom-six checker when necessary, but also brings a really good touch of complementary skill to play up and down their top-9. Not many players on this Utah team have that ability, which is one of the reasons why I certainly believe he could make the team out of camp. It's rare to have a young player who can quite literally blend into all four lines, and still find a way to be effective when he can. That's a really unique, underestimated quality when talking about Doan and his style.
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Overall, this Utah team looks to make the next step to the playoffs and getting back there consistently. With new ownership, a newer building, the excitement in the city, the excitement in the team's new acquisitions, this could very well be a team to watch in the Pacific throughout the course of the 2024-25 NHL season.
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