CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: Comets Start 2018 Off With a 5-2 Win Over Laval

Before I get into the post-game report today, I just wanted to say that I hope that everyone had a safe and happy start to the new year.

The 24th place Laval Rocket were in town today to take on the 23rd ranked Utica Comets for game number 34 of the Comets season and their first game of 2018.

Coming into today, the Comets power-play had slipped to 14th in the AHL with a 17.2% conversion rate. The Rocket, however, sat 29th overall on the penalty-kill with a 77.2% success rate, so maybe the Comets would have a chance to improve on their power-play numbers. Stay tuned to find out if they did. The Comets penalty-kill was sitting seventh overall with an 85.7% success rate. The Rocket, for their part, sat 12th on the power-play with a 17.4% conversion rate.

Chris Terry was the leading point getter for the Rocket with 38 points in 33 games. The leader on their blue-line was Matt Taormina, with 28 points in 36 games. The Comets were lead by blue-liner Philip Holm with 15 points in 26 games. Rookie Zack MacEwen sat second amongst active players with 14 points in 28 games this season.

The Rocket were coming off of a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Marlies, while the Comets last played to a 3-2 shootout loss to the Syracuse Crunch. Laval had a record of 4-5-1-0 over their previous 10 games, while the Comets had gone 3-3-2-2 over the same span.

So far this season, the Rocket had been outscored by their opponents by a count of 109-126. The Comets, meanwhile, had given up 102 goals, while scoring just 90.

Congrats go out to Thatcher Demko and Reid Boucher who have both been named to the AHL All-Star Game which will be held in Utica January 28th/29th.

Something else to keep an eye on with the Canucks/Comets is the Michael Chaput situation as he will require waivers to come back to the Comets after today.

Scratched today for Utica were: Wacey Hamilton, (injured), Jaime Sifers, (injured), Yan-Pavel Laplante, (injured), Cam Darcy, (injured), Jayson Megna, (injured), Griffen Molino (injured), Brady Brassart, (injured), Alexis D’Aoust, (injured), Joe LaBate, (injured), Evan McEneny, (injured), Carter Bancks, (injured, not available), Cliff Watson, and Anton Cederholm.

44 Adam Comrie – 27 Tony Cameranesi – 15 Zack MacEwen

25 Darren Archibald (A) – 19 Cole Cassels (A) – 58 Michael Carcone

39 Marco Roy – 20 Brendan Woods – 18 Vincent Arseneau

22 David Dziurzynski – 12 Danny Moynihan – 82 Andrew Cherniwchan

28 Patrick Wiercioch – 5 Jalen Chatfield

52 Philip Holm – 55 Guillaume Brisebois

6 Ashton Sautner (A) – 8 Dylan Blujus

30 Thatcher Demko

The first period would kick off with Zack MacEwen getting a shot off on an early two on one break, but Rocket netminder, Charlie Lindgren was ready with the save.

The opening frame was a pretty even affair with the teams going back and forth. Dylan Blujus would put the Comets onto the penalty-kill at the 4:09 mark when he was sent off for holding. Things would get worse for the Comets when just over a minute later Brendan Woods was sent off for delay of game when he put the puck over the glass.

With the Comets down two men, it took just 16 seconds for Nikita Scherbak to pick up his sixth goal of the season. Chris Terry picked up his 21st assist of the season on the power-play marker. Former Canuck, Adam Cracknell, earned his eighth assist of the season on the play as well.

With the Comets still down a man, Trent Cull was using Brendan Woods and Andrew Cherniwchan on the penalty-kill, and we would be hearing more from that duo later in the period.

Michael Carcone continued his hot play when he went in shorthanded and got a nice chance, but Lindgren was there with a glove save.

Eric Gelinas has an absolute bomb and he launched one at Demko, but Thatcher swallowed it up and got the whistle. The Comets would be able to kill off the Woods minor.

Woods tried to make up for his penalty when he got a nice wrister off, but once again, Lindgren was equal to the task.

Jalen Chatfield showed his wheels again as he skated the puck in behind the Rocket net and fed a pass into the slot. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone there to take advantage.

Philip Holm wasn’t going to be outdone by Chatfield as he flew up the ice on a play of his own, and when that play was broken up, he got on his horse on the backcheck and broke up a Rocket scoring chance.

The Rocket tried to jam a puck in during a scrum in Demko’s crease, but he smothered the puck to keep his team within a goal.

The Comets would be back on the penalty-kill at the 11:47 mark when Adam Comrie was sent off for slashing. Cole Cassels and Chatfield had a shorthanded chance, but Jalen was unable to contain the pass from Cassels.

Seconds later, Brendan Woods would send a streaking Andrew Cherniwchan in and the speedy winger would make no mistake on the backhand to tie the game at one. The shorthanded goal was Cherniwchan’s first with the Comets, while Brendan Woods picked up his second assist of the season on the play.

Demko would have to make a big save right after the goal off of the stick of Markus Eisenschmid. Shortly after, David Dziurzynski dished to Cassels for a one-timer, but Lindgren made the save.

Vincent Arseneau would drop the gloves with David Broll at the 15:41 mark and would regret his decision. Areseneau got a quick left in before being fed a steady diet of rights before the takedown by Broll. Each would be given two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct and five for fighting.

Zack MacEwen would set Danny Moynihan up for a one-timer late, but Moynihan put it wide. The period would end with the Rocket showing a 13-7 advantage on the shot clock.

The second period would be much like the first with a lot of back and forth play. Things would get started with an early power-play for Utica when Tom Parisi was sent off for interference just 27 seconds into the period. Carcone would have a nice chance turned aside and Adam Comrie would hammer a puck on net only to hear it ring iron. Carcone would get another chance on the power-play before Eric Gelinas would beat Demko for a shorthanded marker. It was goal number seven of the season for Gelinas while Kyle Baun would earn his 11th helper of the season on the play.

Vincent Arseneau was having an active game today. Throwing hits and getting the odd scoring chance. Marco Roy dished to Areseneau for a one-timer but Lindgren was there with another save.

Demko was good today, but he was also lucky when he needed to be. Niki Petti had a nice backhander that beat Demko, but not the iron.

Ashton Sautner was having a strong game today as well. He was getting shot towards the net in the offensive zone as well as doing his job in his own end.

Philp Holm would tie the game at two at the 11:33 mark when he fired a point shot and beat Lindgren high to the blocker side. Holm’s fifth goal would come unassisted, however, Carcone and Archibald crushed it on the forecheck leading up to the goal. Both men did excellent work along the boards to keep the puck the offensive zone to make the goal happen.

David Dziurzynski and Andrew Cherniwcahn followed up the Holm goal with some great work in the Rocket zone, with Dziurzynski getting a shot off that was deflected over the boards.

Demko was sharp again today, showing the kind of form that led to his being named to the All-Star Game. He made a couple of saves off of the stick of Daniel Audette in the middle frame.

Dziurzynski was having a solid game today with some heavy physical play and he also made a nice defensive play to force a turnover in the defensive zone. Vincent Arseneau dished out a big hit n the defensive zone as well in the last minute and a half of the period.

Darren Archibald would put the home team up 3-2 with one minute left in the period when he tapped in a rebound off an Ashton Sautner point shot to pick up his third goal of the season. Cole Cassels won the faceoff to Sautner who blasted a shot on net with Archibald picking up the garbage. For Sautner, it was assist number five of the season while Cassels earned his eighth helper of the season and ninth point in his last 10 games.

Markus Eisenschmid would be whistled for interference at the 20:00 mark to ensure the Comets would start the third period with the man advantage.

The Comets would skate off to loud chants of “Utica…Utica!”

Laval held a 12-10 advantage on the shot clock for the middle frame.

Utica would start the third period with the man advantage with Eisenschmid in the box, but they wouldn’t be able to get any traction with the extra man. A little over a minute after the Eisenschmid penalty ended, Areseneau would be whistled for boarding but would goad Noah Juulsen into a slashing penalty to put the teams to four on four action. Archibald was seen leaving the ice in discomfort during the four on four play, but the big man would be back in the game before long.

Thatcher Demko stoned Chris Terry with a pad save and as the puck was coming out of the Comets zone, Terry was whistled for a hooking penalty to put the Comets to the man advantage. It took a little over 30 seconds for Philip Holm to score his second goal of the game and his sixth of the season, hammering a one-timer past Lindgren. Zack MacEwen earned his 12th assist of the season on the play, while Michael Carcone picked up his fourth. Carcone was having another strong game today. He is a lot of fun to watch on the ice, but I don’t think he is much fun to play against. In fact, I can’t imagine many opponents relishing the idea of lining up against that line of Archibald, Cassels, and Carcone. All three men play with a chip on their shoulders and they are animals on the forecheck.

Holm didn’t look satisfied with just two goals as he sent a point shot on Lindgren shortly after scoring his second goal. Lindgren turned aside the Holm offering and settled in to help keep his team within reach of a tie.

The Rocket thought they had scored at the 11:20 mark when Yannick Veilleux put a puck past Demko with his skate. There didn’t look to be any distinct kicking motion, but after a review, the goal was waived off. I think the Comets dodged a bullet on that one.

Carcone followed up the waived off goal with another beast of a shift in the offensive zone. He is pretty good at chewing up minutes by using his wheels and his work ethic to outhustle opponents to pucks.

Demko was being Demko again, turning aside a wrist shot from Tom Parisi and sending the Comets back the other way on a break.

Aston Sautner was sent off for slashing at the 11:27 mark and the Comets penalty-killers got back down to work. Demko made a big glove save off of a Chris Terry offering to keep the home team up by a pair. Cassels was being a shot blocking beast again. The more I watch Cole Cassels, the more I am starting to see his General Manager in Utica. I can remember Ryan Johnson being a shot-blocking, penalty-killing, faceoff winning, bottom of the lineup defensive specialist when he played for the Canucks. Cassels is starting to play a very similar game. It may just get him noticed up top at some point, if only for a cup of coffee.

The Utica penalty-kill did an excellent jon]b, once again of keeping the play to the outside while they were down a man.

Antoine Waked would be sent off for goaltender interference at the 14:23 mark and the Comets would be back on the power-play. Cole Cassels had the best chance on the power-play on a one-timer set up by Archibald, but Lindgren robbed him.

With around three minutes remaining in the period, the Rocket were pouring on the pressure and getting some chances, but couldn’t convert. Archibald had a huge shift in the offensive zone to kill some time off the clock.

The Rocket pulled Lindgren with 2:03 left in the period but he would be right back in the net when the Comets forced an offensive zone faceoff. Lindgren was back on the bench for the extra man at the 1:30 mark. Six seconds later, the Rocket would call their time-out.

Trent Cull would send his line of Archibald, Cassels, and Carcone back out to wrap this one up, and wrap it up they did when Archibald sealed the game away with his second goal of the game and his fourth of the season. The empty net goal was officially unassisted, however, Carcone made the goal possible with another huge forecheck.

That would be it in Utica for today. The shot clock for the third period once again favored Laval by a count of 13-8, for a three period total of 38-25. Yes, Thatcher was good again today.

The Three Stars in the building today were:

3rd Star: Nikita Scherbak. One goal.

2nd Star: Thatcher Demko. 36 saves.

Philip Holm: Two goals.

3rd Star: Darren Archibald. Archibald had two goals and he played like a beast today. He has added a whole new dimension to that line with Cassels and Carcone. The big fella makes room out there for his linemates, and he has some decent hands of his own as well. Having him back out on the ice is one thing, but it sounds like having him back in the room is just as big for this team. I’m interested to see what kind of point totals the big man has at the end of the season. He missed a pile of games with his injury this year, but he hasn’t had any trouble picking up points since he’s been back.

2nd Star: Philip Holm. The slick-skating Swede picked up two more goals today to up his team-leading point totals amongst active players. He was very good in his own end and clearly showed some offensive punch today. It was almost as though he and Chatfield were trying to one-up each other today as Chatfield went end to end to try to set up a goal to no avail, and a shift or two later, Holm looked to be saying, “I will see your end to end rush and raise you a killer backcheck.” I enjoy watching Holm play. He plays a very efficient game in my opinion.

1st Star: Thatcher Demko. Demko was Demko again today. Putting up 36 saves is just another day at the office for the calm netminder. His cooler than the other side of the pillow approach to his game makes big saves look routine and huge saves look, well, just big. When the Rocket had their goalie pulled for the extra man, Thatcher even tried for an empty-net goal, only to have Matt Taormina pick it off at the Rocket blueline. I would have loved to see Thatcher score that goal and the ensuing reaction from the raucous crowd in Utica.