CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: Bears Extend Comets Losing Streak To 5 Games As Comets Drop 3-0 Decision To Hershey

4:00 pm Pacific

The 11th overall Utica Comets hit the road to Hershey today to take on the 26th ranked Bears, (Washington affiliate), for the Comets 58th game of the season. That’s right folks, four straight losses will drop a team from sixth in the league to 11th in a hurry. The Comets were still sitting with 68 points, while the Bears had accumulated 54 points on the season.

The Comets still had the league’s fourth-ranked power play and penalty kill, operating at 19.6% and 85.7% respectively. The Bears brought the AHL’s 16th ranked power play and penalty kill into the game today, operating at 16.5% and 82.9% respectively.

Reid Boucher was still the leading scorer on the Comets squad with 45 points in 43 games, while Patrick Wiercioch was still the leader on the backend with 26 points in 41 games. Chris Bourque led all Bears players with 46 points in 49 games, while their blueline was led by Lucas Johansen, brother of Ryan, with 22 points in 56 games.

The Bears were coming off of a 7-6 loss to Lehigh Valley, while the Comets last played to a 1-0 loss to Belleville yesterday. The Comets had gone 5-4-0-1 over their previous 10 games, while the Bears had gone 5-4-1-0 over the same span. Utica brought a road record of 17-5-3-1 into the game, while the Bears were sporting a home record of 12-11-4-2.

Utica had outscored their opponents by a count of 166-160 this season, while the Bears had been outscored by a 193-157 margin for the year.

Scratched today for the Comets were: Carter Bancks, (injured), Yan-Pavel Laplante, (injured), Cam Darcy, (injured), Jayson Megna, (injured), Brendan Woods, (injured), Joe LaBate, (injured), Evan McEneny, (injured), Frankie Simonelli, and Zac Lynch.

58 Michael Carcone – 19 Cole Cassels – 15 Zack MacEwen

24 Reid Boucher – 21 Michael Chaput (A) – 27 Tony Cameranesi

44 Adam Comrie – 82 Andrew Cherniwchan – 13 Griffen Molino

22 David Dziurzynski – 36 Wacey Hamilton (A) – 17 Alexis D’Aoust

55 Guillaume Brisebois – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

6 Ashton Sautner – 8 Dylan Blujus

28 Patrick Wiercioch – 5 Jalen Chatfield

30 Thatcher Demko

The opening period kicked off in the Comets favour when Riley Barber was whistled for goaltender interference just 29 seconds after the puck was dropped. I will now give you a disclaimer for the first few minutes, including this power play. The sound and video were way out of sync for the first few minutes and I had to spend that time logging out and back in again to make sure the problems weren’t on my end. The long and the short of it is, the Comets were unable to convert on their first man advantage.

After their power play concluded, the Comets were hemmed in their own end for a little longer than they would have liked before Thatcher Demko made a save and held for the whistle to get a line change for his team. Demko followed up that save with another that saw a scramble in his crease. Thatcher was solid in the opening frame.

At the other end of the ice, Griffen Molino fired a shot towards the front of the net that ended up going off the wrist of Zack MacEwen. The big fella felt that one, but he shook it off and stayed in the game. Patrick Wiercioch managed to get a point shot through, but Hershey netminder Pheonix Copley was ready with the save.

Nathan Walker put a nifty backhander on Demko and the Comets netminder said no.

Ashton Sautner was sent off for hooking at the 8:44 mark and the Comets were headed to the kill. The Utica killers did a great job of keeping the Bears to the outside and would end up coming up with a good kill.

Demko was the busier goaltender of the two in the opening frame and he was able to keep Jonas Siegenthaler off the scoreboard, gobbling up his point shot and holding for a whistle.

Reid Boucher was showing his physical side again in this one, absolutely crushing Aaron Ness with an open-ice hit. Unfortunately, Boucher followed up that sweet hit with a hooking penalty seconds later. The Comets once again did an excellent job of keeping Hershey to the outside before Riley Barber sent a shot into a crowded Comet’s crease, but Thatcher eventually found the puck and held onto it for the faceoff.

Demko followed up that play with another nice save off a Hershey one-timer and Michael Chaput took the puck and headed the other way. The Comets would come up with another good kill.

After the penalty had expired, the Comets tried to pour it on. First, it was a Chaput one-timer that was turned aside by Copley before Dylan Blujus saw his shot denied as well.

At the other end of the ice, Joe Whitney rolled down the wing and sent a wrister on net that Demko grabbed up and once again, held for the whistle. Thatcher followed up that save with another on a low shot from just inside the blueline. He kept the saves rolling with a big stop on Jeremy Langlois when he tried a sneaky play from behind the net. The puck then squirted out front and Demko made another quick save to follow up.

On the ensuing faceoff, Demko made yet another save off a point-blank one-timer from the slot.

Anthony Peluso started a parade to the penalty box as the period wound down when he was sent off for roughing at the 18:04 mark. Just 13 seconds later, Zack MacEwen took an ill-timed holding penalty and he made his way to the box. In fairness to MacEwen, his penalty was a bit of a head-scratcher.

During the four-on-four play, Boucher came down the boards with speed, stopped up and unloaded a shot that Copley denied. Demko would follow up with another save in his end before Michael Carcone joined MacEwen in the box when he was whistled for a high stick at the 19:35 mark.

The period would wind down with the Bears showing a 16-10 advantage on the shot clock.

The Comets had to start the period down a pair of players and Demko would come up with an early save before Zack MacEwen was released from the box. I got a little ahead of myself, seeing MacEwen out on the kill before I realized that he had just come out of the box. For what it’s worth, I would like to see Zack getting time on the penalty kill to help round out his game and help him take another step. I feel like the big fella will be an important piece in Utica next season and it would be great for him to get a head-start on some extra responsibility. Demko would finish up the kill with a nice save on a Riley Barber offering and the Comets would have another good kill.

In the Bears zone, MacEwen dished to Sifers for a one-timer from the point but the veteran put his shot wide of the net. Andrew Cherniwchan is a speedy dude and he showed some wheels to beat out a Bears defender to negate an icing before he managed to get a sneaky good shot away that Copley had to be sharp to deny. Jalen Chatfield followed up with a nice wrister that was tipped just wide of the net. Keep putting those shots on net Jalen, good things will start to happen.

Demko had to be sharp with a quick leg save on a hot-shot to keep the game knotted at zero. Reid Boucher picked off a play in the neutral zone and hit Alexis D’Aoust with a pass. D’Aoust got a shot off, but Copley was equal to the task.

Aaron Ness would put the Bears up 1-0 at the 7:36 mark when he found himself wide open in the slot and he wired a shot over the blocker of Demko. The goal was Ness’ third of the season, while Tyler Graovac earned his 12th assist of the year on the play and Joe Whitney grabbed his 19th.

Jalen Chatfield came back the other way with another point shot that was tipped just wide, this time by Michael Carcone. Ashton Sautner scored seconds later to tie the game…but wait…the ref waived the goal off, citing goaltender interference. There didn’t actually appear to be any interference, so I feel like the Comets got jobbed on that one. Play-by-play man, Andy Zilch seemed to agree, as did the hot under the collar Trent Cull who was animated on the bench.

Following the no goal, there was an extended battle for the puck along the boards between Zack MacEwen and Tyler Lewington that seemed to last for about a week before the puck finally came loose.

The Bears were whistled for having too many men on the ice at the 12:37 mark and the Comets would head back to the power play. Chris Bourque served the bench minor for the Bears. On the ensuing power play, Reid Boucher would find a seam and get a shot away, but Copley denied him. Adam Comrie let fly with a wrister but saw it go off the side of the net. Alexis D’Aoust was getting some second unit power play time and I am all aboard with this idea. His board work can come in handy down low. The Comets would be unable to make anything happen with the extra man.

Just as the penalty expired, the Bears had a break that ended up with Chris Bourque exiting the box and heading to the net to tap in a backdoor play from Dustin Gazley. The goal was Bourque’s 13th of the season, while Gazley picked up his 17th assist of the year and Colby Williams grabbed his 13th.

Reid Boucher showed off his improved skating again when he used his wheels to beat out an icing call. Tony Cameranesi got another shot away but Copley denied him.

Jonas Siegenthaler was whistled for slashing at the 15:50 mark and the Comets would go back to the power play. I saw some tweets last night from Vegas Golden Knights fans saying that trading away Brendan Leipsic has cursed their team. I’m starting to wonder if that same trade has cursed the Comets power play as the Comets have just one power play goal to their credit since Holm was called up and subsequently traded.

The Comets power play was flat, would get no traction and would end with Demko having to come up with a save on Liam O’Brien on a shorthanded two-on-one play.

At the other end of the ice, Griffen Molino got out his shovel and dug a puck out of the corner boards to feed Cole Cassels for a spinning shot that Copley turned aside.

The Comets would get another late power play when Gazley was sent off for slashing at the 19:17 mark. Boucher dished a cross-ice feed to Chaput, who saw his shot turned aside and that would be it for the middle frame. The Comets would show a slight 9-8 advantage on the shot clock for the period.

The Comets would start the period with what remained of their man advantage and Reid Boucher had a good early chance. He cut across the ice in the Bears zone and sent a shot on net that looked to handcuff Copley, but the netminder got it under control and held for a whistle. It would be no dice yet again for the Comets power play.

Demko would make another save off the stick of Gazley before David Dziurzynski was whistled for tripping at the 2:15 mark. The Comets have a very good penalty kill, probably due to all the practice they get. Hey fellas, I know you know this, but it is not easy to win games when you are always having to defend. That said, Wacey Hamilton, who is a ridiculously good penalty killer, dished to Jaime Sifers for a short-handed, hot-shot that got through traffic, and through Copley, but a Bears defender kept the puck from crossing the line. The Comets would come up with a good kill on the Dziurzynski minor.

The Comets weren’t scoring, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Tony Cameranesi tried a wraparound attempt, but Copley said no. Camernesi next tried to set up Chaput for a goal, but Copley had the answer once more.

At the other end of the ice, Anthony Peluso cut hard to the net with the puck and Demko went paddle down to deny the Peluso chance, along with the rebound that ended up on the stick of Liam O’Brien.

Ashton Sautner, who as you may remember was already gipped out of a goal today, hammered a puck on net with MacEwen playing the part of a giant oak tree in front for the screen, but somehow Copley got eyes on it and came up with a save.

Liam O’Brien was sent off for tripping at the 6:11 mark, and the Comets Holm-less power play went back to work. Reid Boucher put a shot on net that Copley turned aside and the Comets would once again get nothing going with their man advantage.

Alexis D’Aoust is a buzz-saw in the offensive zone on the forecheck, creating havoc with his speed and his physical play along the boards, but he has now gone six games without a point. The whole team is in a slump at the moment, but I feel like D’Aoust will have a big moment or two in him before this season is done.

With his team looking for a spark, Trent Cull put the lines into the blender and came up with a few different combos over the final period. We saw Boucher with Cassels and Carcone, Comrie with Chaput and MacEwen, and finally, Boucher with Chaput and MacEwen. I think I might like to leave that last line together and put Carcone, Cassels, and D’Aoust back together.

Maybe it was because he had so many linemates in such a short span, (probably not), but Boucher would take a tripping penalty at the 10:57 mark and the Comets kill would have to go back to work.

Lucas Johansen let fly with a point shot that Demko blockered away and Tyler Graovac followed up with a chance that Thatcher denied as well. The Comets would come up with another good kill.

Comets rookie Zack MacEwen is a big man, and when he wants to…he can dish a big hit. Well, he stepped up on Anthony Peluso with a bone-crushing hit that the Bears winger will still be feeling next week. Hey Zack, please do that more often. You are good at it and with Archibald now plying his trade with the Canucks, the Comets could use a little more of that stiffness in their game.

Zach Sill would put the Bears up 3-0 when he beat Demko five-hole for his fifth goal of the season. Peluso picked up his third helper of the year on the play, while Jeremy Langlois earned his eighth.

We have seen this a few times now this season, but Trent Cull is not afraid to pull his goalie with lots of time on the clock. With the Comets down by three, Demko was summoned to the bench with 4:58 remaining on the ticker. There were some anxious moments for the Comets as there was an extended scramble in their end while the net was empty but they eventually cleared the zone.

When they did get down to the other end of the ice, Zack MacEwen fired a bomb wide and the puck came back the other way. The Comets had a player jump on the bench while Demko made his way back to the net and the team ended up getting dinged for an illegal substitution and would find themselves on the penalty kill yet again. Cull wanted clarity on the call and he would get none. CanucksArmy was fortunate enough to have someone in the building tonight and Sarah Hobday, (@Sarah_Hobday) let me know that the Comets coaching staff were outside the ref’s room after the game trying to get some sort of explanation. It appears the team was jobbed out of their second goal of the game as Comets play-by-play man Andy Zilch tweeted out after the game.

Moving on from that debacle, just 13 seconds after the Comets were penalized, Andrew Cherniwchan and Dustin Gazley had a little get together that resulted in each man receiving two minutes for roughing and an early shower in the form of 10-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

The Comets would spend the bulk of their penalty kill in the Bears zone, but they would be unable to solve the mystery that was Pheonix Copley today. Zack MacEwen would finish the game with another board-rattling hit in the late going, but that was it in Hershey.

The Bears finished with a 6-5 advantage in shots for the period and a 30-24 advantage for the game.

The Three Stars in the building today were:

3rd Star: Zach Sill. One goal.

2nd Star: Aaron Ness. One goal.

1st Star: Pheonix Copley. 24 save shutout.

3rd Star: Thatcher Demko. Demko came up with 27 saves on 30 shots today and he had a solid game overall. He, like the rest of the team, are in a bit of a slump with the team losing their fifth straight game. It’s hard to win if the team doesn’t put any pucks past the opposing goaltender. Thatcher will rebound, and the team will get back to winning before long.

2nd Star: Jalen Chatfield. It is nice to see Chatfield back in the lineup, using his smooth skating to move the puck up the ice and his solid defensive play to keep things under control in his own end. He was not on the ice for a goal against today and he was credited with two shots on net. The rookie rearguard hasn’t had a lot of luck when it comes to putting up points, but he is a valuable piece on the Comets blueline and will only add to that value as he grows his game over the next few seasons.

1st Star: Zack MacEwen. Zack has hit a bit of a wall scoring wise, but he is starting to hit like a truck while he waits for the points to start coming back. For some players, if they aren’t scoring, it can be difficult to see how they are helping the team. That isn’t the case with MacEwen as he continues to add layers to his game with the Comets. in the last couple of games, he has been getting off one-timers, trucking guys with big hits and he is playing better in his own end. I really would like to see the big fella get some real penalty killing time before the season winds down, but in the meantime, I will continue to enjoy watching this young man grow his game.

At Binghamton Devils

Sunday, March 4th, 2018

2:05 pm Pacific