Lawson Crouse, Alex Kerfoot and Matias Maccelli shine in Utah Hockey Club's loss in Las Vegas

The Utah Hockey Club lost 5-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday evening at T-Mobile Arena. But it's preseason and lessons about a team can be learned from both wins and losses.

One thing Utah learned despite the loss? Matias Maccelli, Alex Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse play good hockey together.

The Maccelli, Kerfoot, Crouse line was tested for the second straight year and accounted for six of Utah's 16 total shots on goal. Maccelli and Crouse were in the top five on the ice with 16:55 and 16:30, respectively. Although they didn't score, the pairing pushed the tempo.

The trio skated together for most of training camp and – pending Nick Bjugstad's return from injury – looks like they could continue in the regular season. The line features a mix of size, speed, sharp shooting and sandpaper and is anchored by two of the team's more experienced players, Crouse and Kerfoot.

Maccelli, on the other hand, is still reaching his full potential as an NHL player. The 23-year-old winger played his first full season with the team in the 2023/24 season and scored 57 points (17 goals, 40 assists) in 82 games. Maccelli's playmaking ability is obviously a strength, but the Utah coaching staff wants him to utilize his shot more.

“I heard a lot of nonsense about not shooting the puck enough. Maybe it would be good to score a few more goals this year,” said Maccelli. “I’ve always been more of a pass-first player. I think I just have to work on it and mentally decide to be ready to shoot.”

Crouse has had a front-row seat to Maccelli's development; The two also played together last season. Despite being two very different builds, the strikers complemented each other. Adding a tough, high-IQ veteran like Kerfoot also worked well.

The versatility of Kerfoot and Crouse was an early asset for Utah. Both are proficient on the power play and penalty kill and can give Maccelli the space and guidance to make a difference this season.

“We just want to keep getting better,” Kerfoot said. “Winning is a habit. Good teams learn to win and find ways to win. If you have to lose too often, it can almost become a habit. We want to turn things around.”

Crouse, along with Kerfoot, was part of the core leadership group that created a new winning culture for Utah. Both were alternate captains in Friday's game.

“He’s a great leader, he’s a warrior,” head coach Andre Tourigny said of Crouse. “He’s a fantastic person, a great teammate and a guy who cares deeply about the team. We’re lucky to have him.”

Crouse, his teammates and his team got off to a good start in the first 40 minutes of the game against Vegas, but they 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 nice tic-tac-toe setup between him, Josh Doan and Kerfoot that led to the power play tally. Carcone came in on the right side and shot the puck into the goal.

Vegas responded with a goal from Alex Pietrangelo while holding a one-man lead at 14:02, but Ryan McGregor regained the lead for Utah at 16:46. The 25-year-old striker shot a pass from Aku Raty behind the net past Adin Hill to make it 2-1. Jack Eichel made it 2-2 with 2:04 left 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 goals – after a Utah loss of the ball and due to marking errors on the rush – to secure the 5-2 victory.

Utah plays its next preseason game on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.