Catch up on what you missed in Utah's 3-2 loss in their Rookie Face-Off opener vs. San Jose Friday.
The Utah Hockey Club fell 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks Friday in Los Angeles, but it certainly wasn't for a lack of effort.
Despite being dominated for most of the game and outshot 47-20, Utah capitalized on their chances when it counted, but fell victim to a late winner by Sharks forward Ethan Cardwell.
Here's three takeaways from Friday's loss, plus the star of the game:
Aggression. General manager Bill Armstrong and head coach Andre Tourigny wanted to play fast with physicality, and Utah did that Friday. The only downside to that aggressive play was it allowed San Jose to quickly counterattack with its speed, something the squad had a difficult time containing.
It also led to giveaways. The team also showed its youth and inexperience by making maybe one too many hero plays on Friday. It shows how committed Utah is to improving their offense, though, and it showed in Justin Repcik's second-period goal. The team hemmed in the speedy Sharks and made them chase the puck, leading to a fat rebound off the cycle.
Point play. When Utah was at its best, they were cycling the puck through the point, and it led to plenty of shooting opportunities with big bodies in front of goal. It helped them find their sea legs halfway through the first period and in spurts during the rest of the game.
Star of the Game: Maveric Lamoreaux. No question. The former first-round pick in 2022 was itching to get back on the ice, and it showed big-time. He created the bulk of the scoring chances and made some key defensive plays with his physicality. Lamoreaux made a big statement Friday in how he wants his training camp to go.