Here's three things we've noticed from Utah Hockey Club's two pre-season wins.
The Utah Hockey Club will face the Vegas Golden Knights in tomorrow night's third pre-season contest at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip.
And earlier today, head coach Andre Tourigny said final roster cuts will begin "in a couple of days", to be conducted every day until the end of training camp.
Before tomorrow's morning skate in Kearns, here's three takeaways from each of the two wins, a 5-3 victory over St. Louis and a 3-2 overtime win Monday night against Los Angeles at Delta Center.
The power play is deadly. Sure, it wasn't against top-level competition, but through two games, Utah has scored three power-play goals. Tourigny said he was most pleased with the quick puck movement, which is causing teams fits in coverage and allowing some wide-open chances in front of the net.
Defence needs work. Tourigny said pre-season is about knocking off rust, so it really isn't surprising this is a topic of discussion. However, when they're at their best, as we've seen in flashes Monday against Los Angeles, bodies are flying and the pressure is tremendous. That said, we won't know till the end of camp who will be playing where, so patience is needed.
Intensity. There's no doubt this team is playing with some urgency. Sure, it leads to a lot of turnovers and hero plays, but this team wants to win. There's something different this year, and you can feel it. Even in practice, hits are being delivered and boards are being rattled at game speed. Tourigny has to be pleased with that so far in camp, and though Thursday looked sloppy, everyone's starting to buy into what's happening.