After rallying from a 3-0 deficit, the Utah Hockey Club couldn’t quite get over the hump in a 5-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, wrapping up their Rookie Face-Off and rookie camp Monday in Los Angeles.
Here’s my takeaways, as well as the star of the game from this impressive performance:
Resilience. Whatever Steve Potvin said to his team in the first intermission worked because this squad showed grit. It would have been easy to fold up the tent after going behind 3-0 in the first period, but instead, Utah responded with a nearly flawless second period that saw them cut the deficit to 3-2, shifting momentum back to their side.
Maveric Lamoreaux is going to be in training camp. If there was any doubt, he put a exclamation point on it Monday. He stood up to fight for forward Sam Lipkin after he got decked in the first period, then backed it up with a power-play goal and two more assists. He’s come a long way from his injuries and deserves to get a shot in the preseason.
Related: Reporting For Duty: Meet Utah HC Defence Prospect Maveric Lamoreaux
Physicality. The club turned up the intensity a few notches after that first period and answered Vegas’ bruising style of play with some of their own. There were some hits being dished out by Gabe Smith, Lamoreaux, and Owen Allard, among others.
Star of the Game: Maveric Lamoreaux. This was a really tough choice because so many players had amazing performances, but Lamoreaux gets the nod thanks to his Gordie Howe hat trick with an extra assist.
Related: Utah HC Announces Full Training Camp Schedule, Adds PTO-Designated Player
Related: Here’s Who Will Be At Wednesday’s Utah HC Media Day
