CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: Comets Upset First Place Checkers, 4-3 In Overtime

Game #31

At Charlotte Checkers

Tuesday, December 18th, 2018

7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific

The 17th overall Utica Comets were back at it today in Charlotte to take on the first ranked Checkers, (Carolina affiliate) for game number 31 of the season. The Checkers had a record of 22-6-1-0 coming into today’s action, while the Comets were showing a record of 14-13-2-1 for their season’s efforts to date. The Checkers had 45 points on the season, while the Comets had 31.

Utica had been outscored by a 106-95 margin this season, while Charlotte had outscored their opponents by a count of 100-76. The Comets had gone 6-3-1-0 over their previous 10 contests, while Charlotte had a record of 8-2-0-0 over that same span. The Checkers were showing a home record of 9-2-0-0, while the Comets had gone 7-6-2-1 on the road this season.

The Comets power play was the AHL’s fifth-ranked unit, scoring 30 times on 136 opportunities for a success rate of 22.1%. Their penalty kill was the league’s 11th best, giving up 22 goals while down a man 120 times for an 81.7% success rate.

Charlotte, for their part, had the 12th ranked power play in the league, scoring 27 times on 133 chances with the extra man for a 20.3% success rate. Their penalty kill was ranked seventh overall after giving up 21 goals while being shorthanded 137 times for an 84.7% success rate.

The Checkers got a few bodies back from the parent Hurricanes, including leading scorer Janne Kuokkanen. Kuokkanen had 11 goals and 16 assists, giving him 27 points in 26 games this season. Andrew Poturalski sat second with 10 goals and 16 helpers, giving him 26 points in 29 games. Martin Necas rounded out their top three with seven goals and 14 assists to give himself 21 points in 25 contests this year.

Reid Boucher was the big cheese in Utica with 14 goals and 12 assists, giving him 26 points in 19 games. Tanner Kero was second with nine goals and 15 helpers, giving him 24 points in 30 games, while Zack MacEwen rounded out their top three with 13 goals and 10 assists to give himself 23 points in 29 games.

Jalen Chatfield, (month-to-month) Ashton Sautner, (week-to-week) Olli Juolevi, (knee surgery, done for the season) Wacey Hamilton, (day-to-day) Brendan Woods, (day-to-day) Jonathan Dahlen, (day-to-day)Colton Saucerman, and Tanner MacMaster.

25 Darren Archibald (A) – 16 Brendan Gaunce – 15 Zack MacEwen

9 Lukas Jasek – 10 Tanner Kero – 24 Reid Boucher

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

18 Vincent Arseneau – 27 Tony Cameranesi – 22 Jonah Gadjovich

55 Guillaume Brisebois – 2 Evan McEneny

 64 Jesse Graham – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

4 Jagger Dirk – 8 Dylan Blujus

30 Thatcher Demko

32 Richard Bachman (backing up)

The first period of hockey saw a little more action than Sunday’s opening frame, but the score was similar by the time the horn sounded.

Guillaume Brisebois has had to step up in the absence of Olli Juolevi and Ashton Sautner on the Comets left side and the second-year blueliner has played well of late. That will have to continue as the Vancouver Canucks announced today that Juolevi is done for the season after having successful knee surgery.

Brisebois was looking to get things off to a quick start when he let fly with a shot early that was gloved down by netminder Alex Nedeljkovic. Nicholas Roy went the other way and tried his luck with a shot off the left side that was soaked up by Demko for the whistle.

There was some early back and forth, with many whistles in between before we saw Jagger Dirk make good use of his body in the Comets zone to force a turnover, sending the Comets out of their end. Jesse Graham followed up with a point shot that was denied by Nedeljkovic.

Gregg McKegg was dinged for a high-stick at the 4:17 mark and the Comets had a power play to work with. We saw units of Archibald, Kero, MacEwen, McEneny, and Boucher, as well as the second unit of Gaunce, Jasek, Lind, Brisebois, and Graham. Gaunce came up with a nice spin and fire play in tight but was denied by Nedeljkovic. The Comets came up empty with the extra man.

At the other end of the ice, Demko turned aside a one-timer by Nicholas Roy before shutting down back-to-back chances from Janne Kuokkanen to keep his team in the game.

Jagger Dirk dished a nice pass to Dylan Blujus along the Checkers blueline for a shot that was gobbled up by Nedeljkovic for a whistle. Dirk followed up with a nice pinch to keep the puck in the offensive zone for his club before Jaime Sifers was sent off for holding at the 9:35 mark.

We saw penalty killing groups of Gaunce with Bancks, Archibald with MacEwen, and Kero with Boucher, along with defenders Brisebois and McEneny, along with Dylan Blujus. Demko made a save on Julien Gauthier before shutting down a pair of chances by Martin Necas and the Comets had a good kill.

Kole Lind broke in for a great chance for his first goal but had his stick lifted by Roland McKeown at the last second, foiling his attempt. Boucher followed up with a shot from the circle before Clark Bishop was sent off for hooking at the 15:06 mark.

The Comets wouldn’t be able to make the man advantage count, but they did score one second later when Gaunce beat Nedeljkovic with a tap-in after a nifty feed from Brisebois. The goal was the seventh of the season for Gaunce, while Brisebois picked up his fifth helper of the year on the play and Jesse Graham earned his eighth. Graham has proven to be a shrewd AHL signing as somewhat of a power play specialist.

The Comets finished the period with some nice pressure and a one-goal lead. Utica also showed a 13-5 advantage on the shot clock.

The second period got off to a quick start as Zack MacEwen forced a turnover in the Checkers end, resulting in an Archibald shot that was denied. The Comets kept it coming, however, as MacEwen hit Gaunce with a sweet pass and Gaunce teed up the one-timer for Evan McEneny. The Comets were up 2-0. The goal was the third of the season for McEneny, while Gaunce grabbed his fifth helper of the season and MacEwen picked up his 11th.

Demko followed up with a flurry of saves as he shut down a shot before stopping a Jake Bean offering through traffic. Thatcher kept the saves coming when he stopped another Bean shot and the Aleksi Saarela rebound chance that followed.

The Comets fourth line of Gadjovich, Cameranesi, and Arseneau brought a solid shift, spending time in the Charlotte end and dishing a couple of hits.

Demko soaked up a shot from the high slot before Jagger Dirk corked Martin Necas with a stiff hit.

Dylan Blujus was sent off for hooking at the 6:08 mark and the Comets had a penalty to kill. Andrew Poturalski had a one-timer denied by Demko and the Comets had another good kill. Trent Cull and his staff are looking like they are turning the PK around after a bit of a shaky start to the year.

Demko followed up the penalty kill with another save and he held for the whistle before Dirk used some nice pressure at the Comets blueline to force a Charlotte turnover.

Jake Bean pulled his team to within a goal at the 9:25 mark when he sent a wrister on net that beat Demko high to the stick side. The goal was the fifth of the season for Bean, while Nicholas Roy earned his 10th assist of the season on the play and Martin Necas picked up his 15th.

The Checkers could have made it 2-2 quickly if not for an alert save by Demko when he kicked out a leg against the flow of the play to stop a shot. Michal Cajkovsky followed up with a shot that was denied by Demko before Dennis Robertson was whistled for holding at the 11:18 mark.

With the Comets on the power play, Tanner Kero tried a spin and fire from the left circle and was denied by Nedeljkovic before the Comets second unit gave up a shorthanded scoring chance that didn’t go. The Comets came up empty.

Carter Bancks had a chance denied from in close and Nedeljkovic held for the whistle. At the other end of the ice, Trevor Carrick let fly with a shot from the left point that was gloved down by Demko before he shut down a Saku Maenalanen tip chance from in close. Thatcher followed up by steering aside a shot that Jake Bean put through traffic.

Morgan Geekie knotted the game at two when he put a shot off of Guillaume Brisebois, off the iron, off of Colton Saucerman’s beard in the press box, off of Demko’s back and in for his seventh goal of the season…okay, maybe one of those things didn’t happen, but only one of them. Jake Bean picked up the lone helper for his 11th assist of the season.

The Checkers showed that they were in first place for a reason as they kept it coming. Andrew Poturalski came in for a chance that was kicked aside by Demko before Saarela had a chance denied as well. Lukas Jasek had a point shot through traffic kicked out at the other end before Demko had to make another save through traffic in the Comets end.

Kole Lind was pressing for his first goal today and he looked to have a great chance when he was sprung for a break, unfortunately, he was just offside on the play.

That was it for the middle frame as the teams were tied at two and the Checkers showed a 19-8 advantage on the shot clock.

Buckle up, kids. The teams were tied at two and neither club was ready to go down without a fight.

We saw some early back and forth as Demko kicked the third period off with a save and he held for the whistle. Boucher went the other way, letting fly with a high shot that was fought off by Nedeljkovic before Demko had to kick out a floater from the point.

Thatcher followed up with another save, this time on a point shot through traffic from Robertson.

Trent Cull juggled the lines early, swapping Gadjovich and MacEwen from line to line, but that only lasted for one shift. Gadjovich did manage a scoring chance with that opportunity, however, getting a shot away from the left circle that was turned aside by Nedeljkovic, leaving a juicy rebound for Archibald. The goaltender won that battle as well, denying TheMayor from in tight.

Evan McEneny followed up with a shot that was kicked aside before we saw MacEwen back with Archibald and Gaunce.

Demko came up with another save before Brendan Gaunce was sent off for tripping at the 7:58 mark and the Comets had another penalty to kill. The Comets did great work while down a man as Brisebois came up with a shot block, but otherwise, the Checkers chances were kept to a minimum. The Comets had another good kill.

Demko made a save on a Poturalski offering from the high slot before McEneny put one off of Nedeljkovic’s dome at the other end. MacEwen followed up with a chance from the right circle that was kicked out to Gaunce for a rebound chance that was also denied by the Checkers netminder.

The Comets already saw Demko get beat by a weird goal that seemed to bounce off of everything in Charlotte before going in, and they would see Demko get beat by another odd one. Aleksi Saarela came down the right side and flicked a backhander on net that somehow found its way up and over Demko for a goal.  It was the ninth of the season for Saarela, while Poturalski picked up his 17th helper of the year on the play and McKeown grabbed his 13th.

The Checkers had their first lead of the game.

Kole Lind showed some nice mitts with a sweet backhand feed to a streaking Carter Bancks, but the Comets captain lost the handle and the play died on his stick. Bancks followed that up with a hooking penalty and sent his team to the kill.

The Comets once again did great work, limiting the Checkers chances to a one-timer by Bean that was stopped and held by Demko. Thatcher followed up by absolutely robbing Gregg McKegg of a sure-fire tap-in goal.

A lot has been made this season about the kids not getting enough ice-time, or opportunity when they get into the lineup. Well, Kole Lind, who has yet to score a goal for the club, was out in the final 2:40 with his club looking for a tying goal. I would say that the coaching staff is doing well to give the kids their chances when they get in the lineup.

Demko was summoned to the bench with roughly 1:10 remaining in the period and the Comets sent out the extra man. Jasek had a glorious chance but was stymied by Nedeljkovic before showing some great hockey sense and a nice pass to set Boucher up for the tying goal. Many rookies would have fired this puck right back into the net-front crowd, but Jasek showed poise to spot Boucher and feed him with a perfect pass. The goal was the 15th of the season for Boucher, while Jasek earned assist number nine of the year. Tanner Kero picked up the other for his 16th.

Boucher’s goal came with 57 seconds remaining in regulation time. The period ended with the game tied at three and Charlotte showing an 11-6 advantage on the shot clock. This one would need extra time.

The Comets started out with Boucher, Kero, and Brisebois and saw Boucher get a shot off late in their shift that was stopped and covered. Aleksi Saarela ripped a shot off the iron behind Demko at the other end before Gaunce set up Archibald for a chance that was tipped over the net. It was back and forth early.

Boucher had another shot that was gloved down before Demko stopped a Kuokkanen offering at the other end. Nedeljkovic stoned Boucher once more before Archibald buried his eighth of the year to win it.

Brendan Gaunce set up the Archibald tally for his third point of the game and sixth helper of the season. Nedeljkovic can only blame himself on this one as not only did he pass the puck right to Gaunce, he called for his defender to let him make the break out play. Anyone who played hockey either with or against me back in the day has seen that play from me more than once. I was a goaltender who enjoyed playing the puck more than my teammates would have liked.

That was it in Charlotte. The Comets outshot the Checkers 3-1 in the extra frame but were outshot by a 36-31 margin for the game.

Gaunce (7) from Brisebois (5) and Graham (8).

McEneny (3) from Gaunce (5) and MacEwen (11).

Boucher (15) from Jasek (9) and Kero (16).

Archibald (8) from Gaunce (6). Overtime winner.

3rd Star: Aleksi Saarela. One goal.

2nd Star: Jake Bean. One goal, two assists.

1st Star: Darren Archibald. Game winner in overtime.

3rd Star: Guillaume Brisebois. Brisebois picked up an assist today on the Gaunce goal and a nice one at that. With Juolevi’s season now over and Sautner out for an extended period, Brisebois will have to step up in their absence. The second-year defender is eating up top minutes at five-on-five play as well as top penalty killing minutes. Brisebois has also started seeing some time on the second unit power play. Brisebois went through this last season when the Comets backend was decimated by injuries and he was thrust into prime duty as a rookie. I have been impressed with the poise that Brisebois has shown in recent weeks and look forward to seeing what he will do with this extra ice time going forward.

2nd Star: Lukas Jasek. Jasek picked up his fifth point in his last four games with today’s assist. He showed poise and a playmaker’s touch with his cross-ice feed to Boucher with less than a minute to play. Jasek is now just one point behind Jonathan Dahlen for the Comets rookie lead and he has played in three fewer games than the much more highly touted Swede. Every time I watch Jasek play, I come away impressed with his game. He has nice speed, a great release on his shot, a tireless motor, relentless board work and hockey sense for days. Jasek is quickly looking like a real diamond in the rough for the Canucks franchise.

1st Star: Brendan Gaunce. Gaunce has been a workhorse since coming back to Utica. He now has seven goals and six helpers, giving him 13 points in 15 games with the Comets this year. That’s a 0.87 points/game for the pivot-turned-winger-turned-pivot again. That would have him ending up with 35 goals and 30 assists over a regular 76 game AHL season. Those are pretty lofty numbers for Gaunce. He has also been a huge piece on the penalty kill, often coming up with shorthanded scoring chances. Gaunce has been seeing time on the second unit power play as well. The Comets don’t have much in the way of depth down the middle and having Gaunce back with the club and taking one of those spots has been a huge boost for the club.

Game #32

At Springfield Thunderbirds

Friday, December 21st, 2018

7:05 pm Eastern/4:05 pm Pacific