The Utah Hockey Club lost 5-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday evening at T-Mobile Arena. But it’s the preseason and the lessons about a team include both wins and losses.

One thing Utah learned despite the loss? Matias Maccelli, Alex Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse play good hockey when combined.

The line of Maccelli, Kerfoot and Crouse was tested for the second consecutive game and was responsible for six of Utah’s 16 total shots on goal. Maccelli and Crouse were in the top five for time on ice – 16:55 and 16:30 respectively. Although they didn’t score, the duo upped the pace.

The trio has been skating together for most of training camp and — depending on Nick Bjugstad’s return from injury — it appears that could continue into the regular season. The line has a mix of size, speed, sharp shooting and sandpaper, and is anchored by two of the team’s more experienced players, Crouse and Kerfoot.

Maccelli, on the other hand, is still reaching his full potential as an NHLer. The 23-year-old winger played his first full season with the team in the 2023-24 season, scoring 57 points (17 goals, 40 assists) in 82 games. Maccelli’s playmaking ability is an obvious strength, but the Utah coaching staff wants him to utilize his shot more.

“I get told a lot of crap about not shooting the puck enough. Maybe it would be good to score a few more goals this year,” said Maccelli. “I’ve always been more of a pass-first player. I think I just have to work on it and just mentally decide to be ready to to photograph.

Crouse has had a front-row seat to Maccelli’s development; the two also played together last season. Although they are two completely different players, the attackers have complemented each other. Adding a hard-nosed, high-IQ veteran like Kerfoot has also gelled well.

Kerfoot and Crouse’s versatility is an early asset for Utah. They are both on the power play and penalty kill and can give Maccelli the space and guidance to be a difference maker this season.

“We just want to keep getting better,” Kerfoot said. “Winning is a habit. Good teams learn to win and find ways to win. If you get stuck in losing too often, it can almost become a habit. We want to turn the corner.”

Crouse, along with Kerfoot, was part of the core leadership group that created a new winning culture for Utah. Both were alternate captains in Friday’s match.

“He’s a great leader, he’s a warrior,” head coach André Tourigny said of Crouse. “He is a fantastic person, a great teammate and a man who cares deeply about the team. We are happy to have him.”

Crouse, his linemates and his team got off to a solid start in the first 40 minutes of the game against Vegas, but ran out of gas in the final stanza.

Michael Carcone scored his third goal of the preseason to give Utah a 1-0 lead at 7:43 of the second period. It was quite a tic-tac-toe setup between him, Josh Doan and Kerfoot that led to the power play. Carcone came in on the right sideline and fired the puck home.

Vegas responded with a goal from Alex Pietrangelo while on the man advantage at 14:02, but Ryan McGregor regained the lead for Utah at 16:46. The 25-year-old forward fired a pass from behind Aku Raty’s net past Adin Hill to make it 2-1. Jack Eichel found the 2-2 equalizer with 2:04 left in the middle frame.

The Golden Knights took away the game in the third period. Pavel Dorofeyev, Keegan Kolesar and Ivan Barbashev all scored – after a Utah goal and a lack of rush coverage – to secure the 5-2 victory.

Utah plays its next preseason game on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.