Lawson Crouse, Utah Hockey Club finally break through against Calgary

CALGARY, Alberta — The Utah Hockey Club didn't know if Clayton Keller would play Thursday night in Calgary.

A "little bug," as head coach André Tourigny put it, has been going around the team during its four-game road trip. The sickness already kept Keller out of Utah's loss to Edmonton on Tuesday, and his status was still uncertain after morning skate on Thursday.

The Club is plenty happy he gave it a go against the Flames.

Keller scored the game-tying goal early in the third period to help Utah to a 5-3 comeback win over the Calgary Flames Thursday at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Utah scored three goals in the third to overcome a 3-2 deficit and snap its five-game losing streak; it was the eighth comeback win for Utah this season.

"We wanted to have a good third and come out strong," Keller said. "We were down a goal, so I think we did a great job right from the start of the third, just being simple, getting the net; and sometimes you've got to grind those out."

During the second intermission, Tourigny told the team that the upcoming period was the biggest of its four-game trip. The Club had just given up a 2-1 lead and was looking straight at its sixth straight loss.

A response was needed.

"It was super important for us to have a push," Tourigny said.

The team made a big one.

Keller scored just 37 seconds into the final stanza when he redirected Olli Määttä's shot into the net for his 14th goal of the season. The quick start to the period continued when Lawson Crouse got free on a breakout and beat Calgary goalie Dan Vladar top shelf for what ended up being the game-winning goal.

"I think all season we've done a good job of not quitting," Crouse said. "And tonight's another example that we got a lot of character in our locker room. No quit and go right to the end of the game, and tonight that paid off for us."

Kevin Stenlund scored an empty-net goal to put the game on ice in the final minute to help Utah improve to 17-15-6. The team has 40 points, three behind the Flames who are currently in the final wild-card spot.

The third period showed how Utah needs to play to stay in the win column.

"When our urgency drops, we're not the same team — I really like the urgency we had in the third," Tourigny said.

Crouse's game-winner was his second goal of the night after he hadn't found the back of the net since Nov. 29. He got Utah on the board with a goal in the first period to break his goalless streak.

"It felt good (to score again)," Crouse said, who now has six goals on the season. "Obviously, feels better to get a win — and that's a big win. We needed that."

Indeed, Utah had been in a tailspin as of late, dropping five straight after coming within a point of being in a playoff position.

Something else the team needed was some production from the Crouse line — and the team may have the illness going around the locker room to thank for that. Forward Matias Maccelli missed Thursday's game, moving Liam O'Brien into the third line alongside Crouse and Nick Bjugstad.

That combination finally helped the struggling line break through.

"They played with pace, they had no hesitation in their game," Tourigny said. "They were skating hard on the forecheck. They made plays with the puck, put pucks on the net and the big man came up with two big goals. Happy for them."

Especially for Crouse, who nearly recorded Utah's first-ever hat trick late in the game when he had an empty-net chance.

"I think it's well deserved," Tourigny said. "He played good for the last five or six games — he played solid — but he didn't get a reward, so I'm happy for him tonight."

Related topics