‘We’ve all got a job to do tomorrow and we’re going to be ready for it’: Utah HC leaders speak on loss to Sharks and preparation for Flames

The Utah Hockey Club leadership group stepped forward to address the media after practice on Tuesday to talk about their 5-4 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

“I’m learning every day,” said team captain Clayton Keller. “I’m going to do everything I can to help this group. ... We have a lot of great leaders.”

The new mantle on Keller’s shoulders as the team captain presents a learning curve, but he says the pressure to perform is the same as it has always been.

“I think I’m always pretty hard on myself, so that hasn’t changed,” Keller said. “I put more pressure on myself than anyone else.”

Keller said he and the other leaders on the team had a “chat” Monday after the game, followed by another on Tuesday morning, to discuss the changes that needed to be made. He said the meeting mainly focused on the team’s play, including battles and puck play.

Associate captain Lawson Crouse also spoke.

“You have to learn from it,” Crouse said. “Not just say you’ve learned from it — you have to learn.”

Utah Hockey Club vs. Calgary Flames

Despite the pain of a tough loss, the team has a quick turnaround period before the next game. It hosts the Calgary Flames on Wednesday at the Delta Center.

“We’ve all got a job to do tomorrow and we’re going to be ready for it,” Crouse said.

The Flames surprised a lot of people with a hot start to the season. As Utah HC fans learned on Monday, you should never count any team out in the NHL.

“They’re pretty good defensively against the rush,” said head coach André Tourigny of his upcoming opponents. “They have two really, really high-end defensemen in (MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson). They can skate, those two guys. They can shoot, they can pass, but they can skate as well.”

Tourigny talked about the importance of having a good forecheck — something he feels his team does well.

The Flames suffered an equally devastating loss Monday, falling 5-0 at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams will be eager to get back on track Wednesday.

Both Utah HC and the Flames are among the bottom four teams in the league in shot volume. Neither team boosted its stats in that category Monday, as Utah HC managed just 23 shots and the Flames took 16.

“It’s going to be a good test for us,” Keller said.

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