CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: Lind Scores In Second Straight Game, Comets Down Devils 5-3

Game #44

Vs Binghamton Devils

Friday, January 18th, 2019

7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific

Richard Bachman, (out for season) Olli Juolevi, (out for regular season) Jalen Chatfield, (month-to-month) Ashton Sautner, (month-to-month) Vincent Arseneau, (day-to-day) Wacey Hamilton, (day-to-day) Luke Schenn, (in transit) Lukas Jasek, (illness) and Cliff Watson.

20 Tom Pyatt – 17 Adam Gaudette – 24 Reid Boucher (A)

54 Jonathan Dahlen – 16 Brendan Gaunce – 15 Zack MacEwen

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

22 Jonah Gadjovich – 21 Brendan Woods – 19 Tanner MacMaster

2 Evan McEneny – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

55 Guillaume Brisebois – 8 Dylan Blujus

64 Jesse Graham – 39 Colton Saucerman

31 Ivan Kulbakov

49 Michael Leighton (backing up)

In the Comets last game, Tom Pyatt put his club up 1-0 just 25 seconds into the opening frame. Could he do the same today? Nope…this time it would be the Comets who would give up an early one as Eric Gryba snuck a point shot past Ivan Kulbakov just 21 seconds in and the Devils were up 1-0.

Zack MacEwen is no shrinking violet and has been bringing a consistent physical effort in his games this season, bringing the hits when the opportunity arises. Well, TheBigFella dished out a couple of early ones to keep that style of play going.

Jonah Gadjovih showed a good stick to keep the puck in the offensive zone before his linemate Brendan Woods finished his check and crushed Blake Speers into the boards. That drew the ire of Gryba and a brief wrestling match ensued. Woods was dinged for roughing, while Gryba was also given a roughing minor, along with an extra two for roughing and the Comets had an early power play to work with.

Kulbakov had to steer an early shorthanded chance out of play before Boucher and MacEwen were each denied by netminder Cam Johnson at the other end.

Adam Gaudette was whistled for tripping at the 3:12 mark and we had some four aside action. Just 10 seconds later, Eric Tangradi…yeah, that guy, ran over Ivan Kulbakov and was sent to the box for goaltender interference. The Comets had a brief power play but were unable to convert before the teams were back to full strength.

Kulbakov followed up by smothering a shot through traffic before Boucher buzzed through the Devils crease for a chance that was denied by Johnson. Jonathan Dahlen has been doing some nice things away from the puck of late and he came up with a nice takeaway in the offensive zone to gain possession for his club.

We saw some back and forth before Jonah Gadjovich sprung Tanner MacMaster for a break. Unfortunately, MacMaster blew a tire and fell to one knee without getting his shot away.

Boucher and Dahlen found themselves on the ice together and Boucher dished a sweet behind the back pass to Dahlen for a shot that was denied by Johnson.

Kole Lind scored his first pro goal last time out and he didn’t take nearly as long to grab his second as the young winger came off the boards with a little how’s she goin’ and buried his second of the year. The goal was unassisted.

Colton Saucerman’s beard followed up with a point shot that Boucher got a piece of, but so did Johnson when he kicked out a leg for the save. Nick Lappin came back the other way with a shot that Kulbakov gloved down before MacEwen blocked a shot and looked to take a stick up high at the same time. He hobbled to the bench but would return.

Brendan Gaunce let fly with a shot that Johnson shut down before Kulbakov soaked up a Micheal McLeod offering at the other end. Reid Boucher shows an opportunistic side and the winger forced a turnover and went the other way for a chance, but lost the handle on his shot.

Nathan Bastien came back with a shot off the right side that was denied by Kulbakov before he buried his next chance for his 10th of the season. Colton White picked up his 14th helper of the year on the play, while McLeod earned his 18th.

Kulbakov kicked a shot aside before Evan McEneny evened things at two with his fifth of the season. His shot hit the goaltender and went up in the air before landing on the right side of the goal line for the Comets. Boucher picked up his 21st helper of the season on the play, while Adam Gaudette grabbed his fifth.

Boucher was looking to give his team a lead when he danced in for another chance but once again, lost the handle. That was it for the opening frame as the Comets showed a 12-11 advantage on the shot clock.

This second period saw some back and forth hockey, but not much in the way of goals scored. Kole Lind was looking to keep his roll going when he floated one in on Johnson that was gloved down for a whistle.

Kulbakov kicked a shot aside at the other end but it had enough on it to lead to an icing call and the faceoff was back in the Comets zone. Kulbakov had to come up with a pair of saves, turning aside a John Ramage one-timer before soaking up another offering from Nick Lappin.

We saw some great hustle form the duo of Tanner MacMaster and Jonah Gadjovich in the offensive zone that led to back-to-back chances from Blujus and Brisebois that were both denied by Johnson, but the Comets managed to draw a penalty on the play.

With Josh Jacobs in the box doing time for a high-stick, we saw a second unit power play of Gaunce, MacMaster, Graham, Pyatt, and Lind roll over the boards to get down to work. Graham had a one-timer that changed directions and went on net only to be gloved down by Johnson. The Comets came up empty.

Reid Boucher was forcing turnovers today and he did it again in the third, leading to a break that saw him charge in for a chance that was turned aside in tight by the Devils netminder. At the other end of the ice, Kulbakov steered a Tangradi chance out of play before shutting down a Nathan Bastian offering from the high slot as well.

Kole Lind has been doing a fantastic job of forcing turnovers in all three zones since coming back from a month-long injury and he came up with another takeaway in the neutral zone to regain possession for the Comets. I wonder if that is something that the rookie has been picking up from linemates Bancks and Darcy and the like?…

Colton Saucerman showed some nice moves with a little dipsy-doodle just inside the Devils blueline to get a shot away that was denied before the defender came up with a solid defensive play in his own end on the backcheck.

John Quenneville followed up with a chance from a bad angle that Kulbakov was wise to before the netminder gobbled up another shot off the ensuing faceoff. At the other end of the ice, Dahlen hit MacEwen for a chance that was deflected out of play before MacMaster tried a spin and fire play that was denied by Johnson.

Evan McEneny came with a chance through traffic that was rebuffed by Johnson before the netminder denied a net-side chance from Gaudette. The Comets were applying some pressure.

Brisebois followed up with a chance of his own that was blockered aside before Gaunce had a chance shut down as well. Gaunce wasn’t done there as he unloaded with a stiff hit on Brandon Baddock on the backcheck to follow up his scoring chance.

We lost sound for a few minutes but saw Kulbakov come up with a save on Nick Lappin with a speedy mitt. The Devils looked like they were going to break out of their own end for a chance after forcing a turnover at their blueline, but Brisebois showed a quick three strides and a deft stick to break up the play in the neutral zone and send the Comets back the other way.

Dahlen hit MacEwen with another pass but TheBigFella couldn’t get his shot away. Boucher followed up with a shot from the high slot that Johnson got a glove on before Zack MacEwen danced into the Devils zone, lost the puck, got it back from Brisebois and hit Brendan Gaunce with a sweet backhand feed for the pivot-turned-winger-turned-pivot’s 13th goal of the season. MacEwen earned his 20th assist of the year on the play, while Guillaume Brisebois earned his seventh.

That was it for the middle frame as the Comets were showing a 13-12 advantage on the shot clock.

The third period kicked off with a trio of saves from Kulbakov and a big shot block from Colton Saucerman before Brendan Woods was sprung for a break by Jonah Gadjovich and made no mistake with his shot. The goal was Woods’ second of the year, while Gajovich picked up his fourth helper of the season on the play and Evan McEneny grabbed his 16th.

McEneny has been playing well for the Comets this season and has done a nice job of filling in as a point-producing defender while Olli Juolevi is on the shelf with his knee injury.

Just over two minutes later, Carter Bancks put his club up 5-2 with his second goal of the season with a tasty backhander. McEneny picked up his second assist and third point of the game on the play, bringing him to 17 helpers on the season, while Cam Darcy earned his eighth.

There was some brief back and forth before Nick Saracino pulled the Devils to within a pair just under three minutes later. The goal was the second of the season for Saracino, while Brandon Baddock earned his fourth helper of the year on the play and Josh Jacobs picked up his seventh.

It was a quick start to the period before things settle down a little.

You don’t see it happen often, but Jaime Sifers was mowed down by a big hit, but the veteran shook it off and stayed in the game. It was rookie Marian Studenic who delivered the hit, so he isn’t just a points guy for the Devils, he can dish a hit if he needs to as well.

Brendan Woods wasn’t about to be outdone when it comes to delivering a solid hit and the big pivot blew up Colton White behind the Devils net. The other Brendan, of the Gaunce variety, worked the puck to the net for a chance and beat Johnson, but was stymied by Nick Lappin with an astute defensive play to keep it a two-goal game.

Guillaume Brisebois has been gobbling up shorthanded minutes for the Comets this year, but his club would have to kill a penalty without him as he was sent off for a cross-check at the 10:36 mark. We also lost the audio feed at this point for a few shifts.

We saw forward units of Gaunce and Bancks, along with Boucher and Woods up front, with Sifers and Blujus playing the bulk of the kill on the backend. Kulbakov came up with a save and held for a whistle and the Comets would come up with a good kill.

The line of Dahlen, Gaunce, and MacEwen has been a treat to watch since they have been put together and they were no different today. The trio has a way of controlling a good amount of the play when they are on the ice together.

We saw some back and forth as Kulbakov stopped a long shot at one end before Woods hit Boucher with a cross-ice feed for a chance that was denied by Johnson at the other. Boucher came right back with another shot off the left side that Johnson got a shoulder on.

Trent Cull rolled out a trio of vets with roughly three minutes remaining on the clock, looking to protect the lead with Darcy, Bancks, and Woods before we saw rookie Jonah Gadjovich get some time with two minutes remaining. Cull is giving these kids chances to show what they can do in pressure situations.

Kulbakov came up with another save on McLeod before Johnson was summoned to the bench for the extra attacker. Kulbakov brewed up another pair of saves before firing out a quick leg on an Eric Tangradi chance and that was it for this one.

The Devils had an 11-6 edge on the shot clock for the final frame and a 32-31 advantage for the game, but the Comets came away with a 5-3 win.

Lind (2). Unassisted.

McEneny (5) from Boucher (21) and Gaudette (5).

Gaunce (13) from MacEwen (20) and Brisebois (7).

Woods (2) from Gadjovich (4) and McEneny (16).

Bancks (2) from McEneny (17) and Darcy (8).

3rd Star: Brendan Gaunce. One goal.

2nd Star: Evan McEneny. One goal, two assists.

1st Star: Brendan Woods. One goal, game winner.

3rd Star: Kole Lind/Carter Bancks/Cam Darcy. Trent Cull’s gritty trio brought it again today with another start to finish effort and picked up a point each for their work. For Lind, it was back-to-back games with goals after going his first 25 contests without one. Good on Bancks and Darcy for helping the young man along, and good on Lind for taking their lead and providing his coaching staff with a consistent effort level for the game. Lind is showing a knack for picking off passes and forcing turnovers for his team and that will only endear him to his coaching staff going forward.

2nd Star: Jonathan Dahlen/Brendan Gaunce/Zack MacEwen. Does anyone else want to see this line kept together? I know that I do. The trio has proven to be capable in all three zones and each brings something to the table to compliment their linemates. Dahlen is out there dishing filthy passes and darting into scoring lanes, Gaunce is providing a 200-foot game that has been pretty tough to beat, along with some opportunistic scoring, while TheBigFella has shown the ability to impose his will on the opposition, be it with a big hit, some sweet dangles, or sniping a goal from in close like few others can. Trent Cull has put together a line that can dominate when they are on.

1st Star: Evan McEneny. McEneny picked up three more points today with his goal and two helpers and is now up to 22 points in 42 games for the Comets. That puts him on pace for a regular 76-game AHL season of 40 points. For reference, Patrick Wiercioch led the Comets blueline last season with 37 points. McEneny has done a solid job of bouncing back from a couple of pretty awful knee injuries and it is nice to see him being rewarded for his hard work to provide this kind of offence for his club. The Comets backend hasn’t been a position of strength very often this year, but with Chatfield and Sautner not too far off and the addition of veteran Luke Schenn, the coaching staff with have some solid, solid pieces to work with should the team make the playoffs.

Game #45

Vs Belleville Senators

Saturday, January 19th, 2019

*Take note of that start time, folks. They are expecting a big ole winter storm in Utica tomorrow and the game has been bumped from a 4:00 pm Eastern/7:00 pm Pacific start to 2:00 pm Eastern/11:00 am Pacific.