CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: Comets Drop 2-1 Overtime Decision To First Place Checkers

Game #30

At Charlotte Checkers

Sunday, December 16th, 2018

1:00 pm Eastern/10:00 am Pacific

The 18th overall Utica Comets rolled into Charlotte today to take on the 1st ranked Checkers, (Carolina affiliate) for game number 30 of the season. The Comets were showing a record of 14-13-1-1 coming into today’s action, giving them 30 points on the season. The Checkers, for their part, had a record of 21-6-1-0, giving them 43 points this year.

The Comets last played to a 5-2 win over Binghamton, while the Checkers were coming off of a 3-2 win over Hartford. Utica had gone 7-3-0-0 over their previous 10 contests, while Charlotte had a record of 8-2-0-0 over that same span. Utica had gone 7-6-1-1 on the road this year, while the Checkers had a home record of 8-2-0-0 this season.

Charlotte had outscored their opposition by a margin of 98-75 this year, while the Comets had given up 104 goals and had scored 94 times.

Andrew Poturalski was the Checkers active points leader with 10 goals and 16 helpers, giving him 26 points in 28 games. Martin Necas sat second with seven goals and 14 helpers to give himself 21 points in 24 games, while Trevor Carrick rounded out their top three with five goals and 15 assists in 24 games this year.

For the Comets, it was Reid Boucher on top with 14 goals and 12 helpers, giving him 26 points in 18 games this year. Tanner Kero sat second with nine goals and 15 helpers, good for 24 points in 29 games. Zack MacEwen rounded out their top three with 13 goals and 10 assists, giving him 23 points in 29 games.

The Comets would be without MacEwen today after the league came down on him with a one-game suspension for a hit in last game, deeming it a suspension worthy interference call.

You will also notice that Eric Tangradi was given a three-game holiday after his hit on Jonathan Dahlen in the same game. Dahlen is believed to have a concussion resulting from the hit, so the Comets would be without him today as well.

Speaking of Dahlen, he was the Comets active rookie scorer with 17 points in 28 games this year, but with him out, Lukas Jasek became the top dog with six goals and eight helpers, giving him 14 points in 23 games. For the Checkers, Necas was the rookie leader with his 21 points in 24 games.

The Comets power play was ranked fifth in the AHL after scoring 30 goals while up a man 133 times for a success rate of 22.6%. Their penalty kill was the league’s 12th best, giving up 22 goals while shorthanded 117 times this year.

The Checkers power play was ranked 11th overall in the league, scoring 27 goals on 130 opportunities for a 20.8% success rate. Their penalty kill was the league’s eighth-best, giving up 21 goals while down a man 134 times this year for a success rate of 84.3%.

Wacey Hamilton, (day-to-day) Jalen Chatfield, (month-to-month) Olli Juolevi, (day-to-day) Ashton Sautner, (week-to-week) Brendan Woods, (day-to-day) Jonathan Dahlen, (week-to-week), Zack MacEwen, (one-game suspension by league) and Jaime Sifers, (day-to-day).

9 Lukas Jasek – 10 Tanner Kero – 24 Reid Boucher (A)

19 Tanner MacMaster – 16 Brendan Gaunce – 25 Darren Archibald (A)

34 Carter Bancks (C) – 11 Cam Darcy – 13 Kole Lind

22 Jonah Gadjovich – 27 Tony Cameranesi – 18 Vincent Arseneau

55 Guillaume Brisebois – 2 Evan McEneny

4 Jagger Dirk – 64 Jesse Graham

8 Dylan Blujus – 39 Colton Saucerman

30 Thatcher Demko

32 Richard Bachman (backing up)

Well, this first period was a bit of a dud. The two clubs managed just 10 shots on net between them with five apiece.

Thatcher Demko came up with an early save on a one-timer before Gregg McKegg was whistled for having comical parents, (actually, he was dinged for tripping) at the 1:44 mark and the Comets had an early power play to work with.

The man advantage didn’t last long, however, as Tanner MacMaster was sent off for slashing just under a minute later. Charlotte had some good pressure with the clubs playing four aside before the Kero group showed some pressure of their own. The Comets came up with a good kill.

There was some back and forth without any shots before Cam Darcy was sent off for tripping at the 6:04 mark. The Comets had another penalty to kill. The forward duo of Darren Archibald and Reid Boucher did great work, getting a shorthanded chance, with Archibald sending his offering high over the net.

Aleksi Saarela let fly with a shot through traffic that Demko gloved down for a whistle and the Comets had another good kill in the books.

Demko came up with another save before Brendan Gaunce broke down the left side, taking the puck hard to the net for a chance that was denied by goaltender Callum Booth. He drew a penalty in the process, however.

With Jake Bean in the box for holding, the Comets power play went to work. Lukas Jasek got lit up by a big hit in front of the Checkers bench, but he would stay in the play. The Comets power play would come up empty.

Demko made a great save by doing the splits with one of his own defenders on top of him to keep the game knotted at zero with time winding down. He would kick out a Roland McKeown offering and that would be it for the opening frame.

The two clubs were tied with five shots apiece on the shot clock in the first period.

The second period saw more action than the first as each club picked up a goal.

Demko froze the puck early with Charlotte pressing. He wasn’t done stopping pucks there as he made a save on a shot from the high slot before whipping out the mitt to shut down a Trevor Carrick chance. He followed up with a save on Andrew Poturalski before Lukas Jasek hit Reid Boucher with a stretch pass for a chance that was turned aside by Booth.

Vincent Arseneau was back in the lineup today and he was making his presence felt, felling Jake Bean with a heavy shot in the Checkers end before following up with a big hit on the young blueliner.

Tony Cameranesi had a chance denied as the Comets fourth line of he, Arseneau and Gadjovich were putting on the pressure.

Demko came up with another save before Tanner MacMaster had a chance from the high slot denied at the other end.

Thatcher wasn’t done with the saves as he had to do the splits again to stymie Gregg McKegg on his odd-man rush.

Cam Darcy followed up with a shot that was turned aside with Kole Lind trying to get to the rebound, but he was shut down by a Charlotte defender.

Lukas Jasek would put the Comets up 1-0 at the 6:08 mark when he picked off a pass and buried his shot behind Booth for his seventh goal of the season. It was an unassisted tally.

The Comets were putting the pressure on and it led to Dan Renouf taking an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the Comets had another power play to work with. Demko had to make a shorthanded save on McKeown before Kero was stoned by Booth at the other end.

The Comets second unit power play saw action this time as Brisebois, Graham, Jasek, Gaunce and Lind rolled over the boards, but neither unit would make anything happen and the Comets came up empty with the extra man.

Demko followed up by fighting off a tipped shot before covering up for the whistle with a crease full of bodies. Saarela let fly with a shot that was tipped by Julien Gauthier and Demko made an alert save.

There was some more back and forth before Colton Saucerman had a chance kicked aside by Booth. Then Darren Archibald let fly with a shot off the right side that was kicked aside by Booth, sending McKegg the other way for a chance that he put wide of the net. Booth followed up with a save on a one-handed chance by Tanner Kero.

Tanner MacMaster was whistled for hooking at the 16:49 mark and the Comets had another penalty to kill. Utica did great work while down a man, killing off the penalty before Thatcher Demko made the save of the game when he did…this.

I would like to tell you that the period ended that way, but I would be lying if I did. With just 10 seconds remaining in the middle frame, Morgan Geekie beat Demko for his sixth goal of the season to tie the game at one. Roland McKeown picked up his 11th helper of the year on the play, while Patrick Brown grabbed his fifth.

Utica led by a 15-13 margin on the shot clock for the second period.

Demko had to be sharp early, coming up with a save on a tipped shot from Trevor Carrick before Carter Bancks found Kole Lind in front for a chance that was tipped wide. Lind was getting some chances today and you can tell that it will only be a matter of time before his first goal finds the back of the net.

Demko would make another save off a shot from the left side before Lind got hit hard in front of the benches and looked to be in discomfort, holding his lower back as he went to the bench. Lind would return for his next shift.

Guillaume Brisebois was looking engaged offensively in this one and he made a nice play, coming out from behind the Checkers net with the puck and getting a backhander off that was turned aside. I think there is more offence to come from Brisebois if he finds the confidence to try those types of plays more often, but the young defender has always been one to look after his own end first.

Brendan Gaunce has been playing really well for the Comets this year and he used a nice pass to spring Bancks and Archibald for a chance in the Charlotte zone, however, Bancks lost the handle on the puck.

There was more back and forth before Demko steered a puck into the corner for a save at one end and Vincent Arseneau uncorked a big hit in the neutral zone, leading to the Comets breaking into the Charlotte end. Arseneau took a whack to the back of the legs after that hit and skated to the bench in obvious discomfort.

Say what you want about BigVinny, the man always brings a heavy game and is an aggressive forechecker. His effort level can never be questioned and if that side of his game can rub off on Jonah Gadjovich, the young rookie will be well served, in my opinion. Gadjovich has more offensive upside than Arseneau and should continue to develop that side of his game, but keeping an eye on Arseneau’s heavy, aggressive style would be wise for the rookie.

The Comets kept the chances coming as Gaunce unloaded a shot off the left side that went wide before Dylan Blujus found himself wide open in the slot for a chance. He was flat out robbed by the leather flashing, Callum Booth.

Kole Lind followed up with a one-timer and he too was rebuffed by Booth. The play went back and forth as Demko steered a shot over the glass with his blocker at one end before Booth shut down another Comets chance at the other when Saucerman sent a shot his way.

Trevor Carrick uncorked a one-timer from the right point that was gobbled up by Demko before Booth denied Lind once more on a chance in close. Brisebois had another chance turned aside from in close before Demko shut down a chance from Saku Maenalanen.

The back and forth continued as Carter Bancks stole a puck and dished to Cam Darcy for a shot that went wide of the net before Lind ripped another shot wide from the right circle.

There was a big scramble in the Comets crease that resulted in an Aleski Saarela penalty shot after it was deemed that a Comets player closed his hand on the puck in the crease. Saarela came in for his freebie and was promptly dispatched empty-handed by Demko. The game was still tied at one.

Nick Schilkey followed up with a shot off the left side that Demko turned aside and we were headed to overtime.

The shot clock had the Checkers ahead 10 shots to nine in the third period.

This one ended before the ice was dry as Saarela beat Demko just 22 seconds into the extra frame for his eighth goal of the season. Roland McKeown picked up his 12th helper of the year on the play.

That was it in Charlotte as the Comets managed to grab a point from the league’s top team.

Lukas Jasek (7) unassisted.

3rd Star: Morgan Geekie. One goal.

2nd Star: Callum Booth. 28 saves.

1st Star: Aleksi Saarela. Game winning, overtime goal.

3rd Star: Kole Lind. Lind hasn’t been able to pick up many points this season, but after missing a  month with an upper-body injury, he is finally starting to see some game action again. Lind was credited with three shots on net today, but he had a few more chances that he put wide/high, or missed the pass. The chances starting to come for him and you can see that it is only a matter of time before he gets his first of the year. Lind has looked a little more comfortable with each game, though there is still plenty of work for him to do. I was happy to see Kole look a little more noticeable today.

2nd Star: Guillaume Brisebois. In the absence of Olli Juolevi, Ashton Sautner, and Jalen Chatfield, Brisebois has taken on a much heavier workload and that continued today with veteran Jaime Sifers joining those three on the sidelines. Brisebois has not only taken on that extra work, but he has also looked pretty solid in doing so. Today he showed some offensive instincts that I would like to see more often from him. Brisebois is often maligned in Vancouver because the team speaks highly of him and some fans don’t see him in the same light. I have enjoyed watching Brisebois develop into what I believe will be a solid third pairing guy in the NHL who will kill penalties and look after his own end of the ice.

1st Star: Lukas Jasek. Jasek picked up his seventh goal of the season today and did so by using his hockey sense to be in the right area of the ice to make that goal happen. Jasek has proven to be an opportunistic scorer with a sneaky good release on his shot. He skates well, forechecks like a demon and is relentless in his board battles. Jasek has also shown an ability to hold his own on a more defensive line with the likes of Carter Bancks, as well as being able to play up the lineup in a more offensive role with players like Kero and Boucher. Jasek truly has been a revelation for the Canucks/Comets as he could end up putting himself on the radar for a call-up closer to the end of the season for a cup of coffee with the big club.

Game #31

At Charlotte Checkers

Tuesday, December 18th, 2018

7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific