For the second time this season, the Utah Hockey Club scored five goals Thursday to beat the Calgary Flames and end a losing streak of at least four games (five in this case).
It was a back-and-forth game that saw multiple lead changes, a penalty shot and a busted goal drought. A big third period put Utah on top by the time the final buzzer sounded, earning it two valuable points.
Final score: 5-3. Here’s the full story.
Utah Hockey for dummies
Lawson “The Sheriff” Crouse’s 14-game goal drought came to an end on Thursday night. He scored not just one but two goals, including the game-winner.
“He’s such a great teammate, great guy to be around no matter if he’s scoring or he’s not scoring, so it’s great to see him get rewarded there,” said Utah captain Clayton Keller. “He plays hard every single night, does the little things, so that’s huge for us moving forward.”
Crouse was also close to scoring an empty-netter to give him the first hat trick in Utah HC franchise history, but Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson read the play perfectly and got in front of the shot.
“It felt good, obviously,” Crouse said after the game. “It feels better to get a win. That’s a big win. We needed that. (It’s) something to build off going into Dallas.”
Crouse earned the nickname “The Sheriff” while playing for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs because of his tendency to police the game. If an opponent takes an extra liberty, he’s the guy who holds that player accountable. That aspect of his game seems to have faded as he has matured, but he earned it back on Thursday.
The 11th overall draft pick in 2015 had the two most productive seasons of his career in the last two years, scoring 45 and then 42 points. His production has taken a dive this season, but he and his linemates can use Thursday as a momentum shifter to get things going again.
Utah Hockey for casual fans
Crouse’s goal drought ended, in large part, thanks to a gritty forecheck from Liam O’Brien.
It was just O’Brien’s second game in the lineup since October, and he has made strong impressions in both. He first slotted in due to Keller’s illness on Tuesday, and he stayed in on Thursday when Matias Maccelli got sick.
I and others who cover the team have had daily conversations about how to get the third line going again. The conclusion we’ve always drawn is that O’Brien should slot in for a game or two, just to see if he can create a spark.
He didn’t just create a spark Thursday — he created a full-fledged fire (which fits when you’re playing the Flames). All night long, he went to the dirty areas, irritated the opposition and made plays.
Those are things that line has struggled to do all season.
Before the team left on the road trip, head coach André Tourigny was asked what it would take for O’Brien to get back into the lineup. He responded that the forward group had been unexpectedly lucky in the sense that there had been no injuries since Nick Bjugstad returned in late October and that someone had to deserve to be pulled from the lineup for O’Brien to play.
That logic, in theory, should apply to Saturday’s game regardless of whether or not Maccelli is healthy. O’Brien has looked much better in that spot than Maccelli recently, and he should get the opportunity to keep the job.
“They played with pace, they had no hesitation in their game, they were skating, they were hard on the forecheck, they made plays with the puck, put pucks at the net and the big man came up with two big goals,” Tourigny said.
Utah Hockey for nerds
Another trickle-down effect from Maccelli’s illness was Barrett Hayton getting a chance on the second power play unit. Utah’s power play has been good recently, but every goal it’s scored in the last month has come from the first unit.
Just like the third line, it was high time to change things up.
The second unit didn’t score on Thursday, but it got enough good looks to justify keeping Hayton in that spot for another game or two — not just for the sake of the power play, but also for the sake of Hayton.
He’s a gifted player who probably hasn’t yet unlocked his full offensive ability in the NHL. Giving him regular power play minutes could be a step in the right direction in that regard.
Now, don’t take any of this as a knock on Maccelli. Yes, he’s been in a dry spell most of the season, but Arizona Coyotes fans can tell you that when he’s at the top of his game, there’s hardly a better playmaker in the league.
I’m not saying he should spend the rest of the season watching from the press box, but it is apparent that running it back with Thursday’s lineup could be beneficial for another game or two.
What’s next?
As Crouse mentioned, Utah HC now makes the four-hour flight to Dallas, where they’ll face the Stars for the third time in a span of 34 days.
Utah lost both previous games. While that’s discouraging for Utah fans, they should find solace in the fact that they lost by just one goal both times.
They were close, competitive games that, frankly, have come down to an extra bounce in the Stars’ favor. The bounce could very well go Utah’s way on Saturday.
The game starts at 6 p.m. MDT and will be shown on Utah 16 and Utah HC+.