CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: Marlies Down Comets 5-2 As Playoff Hopes Continue To Slip Away

Game #69

Vs Toronto Marlies

Friday, March 29, 2019

7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific

20 Tom Pyatt – 10 Tanner Kero – 24 Reid Boucher (A)

16 Brendan Gaunce – 11 Cam Darcy – 15 Zack MacEwen

19 Seamus Malone – 21 Brendan Woods – 9 Lukas Jasek

34 Carter Bancks (C) – 14 Reid Gardiner – 37 Dyson Stevenson

3 Stefan LeBlanc – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

 8 Dylan Blujus – 39 Colton Saucerman

38 Matt Petgrave – 64 Jesse Graham

49 Michael Leighton

33 Marek Mazanec (backing up)

We had a pretty solid first period of action in this one, even if neither team would score any goals. The Comets were bringing it early as Reid Boucher let fly with a shot off the right side that gave goaltender Michael Hutchinson some trouble, but the save was made.

Comets play-by-play man, Joe Roberts, (@RobertsOnTheMic) pointed out that Boucher has swapped out his normal white stick tape in favour of black. I always find it interesting when players change up their routines late in a season.

The Comets kept the shots coming when Jaime Sifers sent a point shot through traffic that Hutchinson got a piece of. The puck rolled through the Marlies’ crease before being sent the length of the ice. That Sifers shot came as a direct result of the hustle of Lukas Jasek in the offensive zone. I love the way this kid works.

Michael Leighton saw his first action of the game when Rasmus Sandin unloaded with a shot off the left side. Leighton came up with the save.

At the other end, Jesse Graham got a shot away that Hutchinson blockered away for another save. Dyson Stevenson had his followup chance denied as well. The Comets kept the pressure on as Tom Pyatt sent Boucher in all alone for a chance that was turned aside. Dylan Blujus took a holding-the-stick penalty behind the play as well.

With Blujus in the box, we saw penalty killing groups of Brendan Woods with Carter Bancks, Brendan Gaunce with Zack MacEwen, Gaunce with Kero, and Cam with Reid Boucher. Stefan LeBlanc, Jaime Sifers, and Jesse Graham saw action on the back end.

Woods came up with a nice shot block on the kill, and Kero and Gaunce had a shorthanded chance while paired together. Gaunce put his shot wide. Cam Darcy and Reid Boucher would steer this one home and the penalty was killed.

The Comets were pushing the pace in the opening frame. Sifers came with another point shot through traffic with Jasek looking to tip his offering past Hutchinson, but the Marlies netminder was ready with the save. Matt Petgrave followed up by teeing up Zack MacEwen for a one-timer from the high slot, but TheBigFella put his shot wide.

Chris Mueller sent the Comets to the power play at the 7:01 mark when he was dinged for holding. We saw Trent Cull roll out an all-forward power play that included Zack MacEwen, Tanner Kero, Tom Pyatt, Brendan Gaunce and Reid Boucher. Boucher and Gaunce manned the points. Boucher would have a shot tipped on the net that Hutchinson denied before the second unit of Jesse Graham, Colton Saucerman, Lukas Jasek, Cam Darcy, and Seamus Malone replaced them.

The second unit fared no better and the Comets came up empty.

The Woods line followed up the power play with a great shift in the offensive zone that saw them buzzing around the ice before Leighton had to come up with a blocker save at the other end. Leighton followed up that blocker save by shutting down a Michael Carcone chance before a brief scrum ensued.

At the other end of the ice, Gaunce had his shot off the right side kicked out before MacEwen showed some nice wheels and good body position to rub Pierre Engvall off the puck in the neutral zone, forcing a turnover to send the Comets back the other way.

Lukas Jasek has been Mr.Forecheck all season and he showed more of that relentless effort in the offensive zone, leading to Seamus Malone setting up a Dylan Blujus point shot that was gloved down. Jasek kept the work going when he whipped out a series of nifty moves to weave through a sea of Marlies to break out of his own end of the ice.

Tanner Kero was dinged for high-sticking at the 14:18 mark and the Comets had another penalty to kill. Leighton had to come up with a sprawling save to keep the game knotted at zero and the Comets came up with another good kill.

Pierre Engvall followed up the power play with a shot from the right circle that was denied by Leighton as the Marlies started to mount some pressure of their own.

It would be the Comets threatening to open the scoring late in the period, however, as LeBlanc had a pair of late chances denied by Hutchinson before the horn sounded to end the period.

Utica showed a 10-7 advantage on the first period shot clock.

The Comets would get an early chance for the go-ahead goal when Adam Brooks was sent off for holding just 15 seconds into the middle frame.

With Brooks in the box, we saw the same all-forward power play unit climb over the boards. Kero and MacEwen were shut down on early chances as the Comets put on some pressure. Gaunce fed Boucher for a one-timer that was gobbled up by Hutchinson and the Comets came up empty. Not only that, but Jesse Graham was quickly whistled for a cross-check and it was the Comets turn on the kill.

Brendan Gaunce did what Brendan Gaunce does when he blocked a shot and went in all alone for a scoring chance, unfortunately, the forward pushed the puck a little further ahead of himself than he would have liked and lost his chance to a Michael Hutchinson poke check. The Comets came up with a good kill.

At the other end of the ice, Leighton stopped and covered a shot from Hudson Elynuik for another save.

Tanner Kero redirected a shot at the other end but saw Hutchinson kick his offering aside before the Darcy line came with some pressure that saw Blujus and Gaunce both denied. The Woods line followed up with another busy shift in the offensive zone that saw Hutchinson take a shot into the logo for another save.

At the other end, Jeremy Bracco went to the net with a chance that Leighton got a piece of before Jesse Graham hit Tom Pyatt with a stretch pass, sending him in all alone. Hutchinson was ready with another save.

Jaime Sifers was dinged for slashing at the 8:55 mark and it was back to the penalty kill for the Comets. It took 19 seconds for Bracco to put the Marlies up 1-0 with his 20th goal of the season on a back door play. I should clarify that the goal looked like it was actually scored by Chris Mueller, so it might still be changed. As it stands, the goal is listed as Bracco (20) from Dmytro Timashov (33) and Calle Rosen (39).

Zack MacEwen nearly tied it soon after when he was sent in on the rush by Jesse Graham, tipping the Graham offering on the backhand but putting it wide of the net. The Marlies went the other way and Frank Corrado clanged a shot off the iron.

The Marlies kept it coming as Leighton had to hold his ground with a loose puck pinballing around his crease until he could cover it up for a whistle. Things didn’t get a whole lot easier when Brendan Woods coughed the puck up to Mueller for a free shot that Leighton was able to shut down.

The Marlies were putting on some pressure and it led to a Carter Bancks slashing penalty after Leighton denied Bracco of another goal. We lost our audio feed for the entire power play, but I did see Brendan Woods have a shorthanded chance blocked. The Comets would come with a good kill.

Jaime Sifers blocked a shot with his right foot on this kill and seemed to put no pressure on it as he headed off the ice. He finished the game, but that might be something to keep an eye on, going forward.

The period would end with the Comets picking up another power play as Hudson Elynuik was dinged for slashing at the 18:13 mark.

Gaunce had a point shot gloved down by Hutchinson at one end before Tanner Kero gave the puck away to Pierre Engvall for a free shot on Leighton. The Comets netminder would prove to be equal to the task, but the Comes would get no traction and finish the period down a goal.

Utica showed an advantage of 14-7 on the shot clock for the middle frame.

The Comets still had a little bit of power play time to work with to start the period and we saw TheBigFella pick off a pass in the defensive zone and go the other way before getting the puck to Cam Darcy for a chance that was turned aside by Hutchinson. The Comets came up empty with the extra man.

There was some early back and forth before the Marlies went up 2-0 when Colt Conrad scored his first pro goal on a redirect. Rasmus Sandin picked up his 20th helper of the year on the play, while Frank Corrado grabbed his fourth.

The Comets were now down 2-0 and it didn’t get any better when former Comets forward Michael Carcone came right back in and beat Leighton for his 19th goal of the season just four seconds later…Yikes! Pierre Engvall picked up his 13th helper of the year on the play.

Congrats to Carcone, I enjoyed watching him play as a Comet and had him listed as one of the potential players who could hit 20 goals for the club this year before he was traded for Josh Leivo.

Trent Cull watched his trio of Seamus Malone, Brendan Woods, and Lukas Jasek wreak havoc in the offensive zone earlier in this game and he sent them out looking for some energy, and energy they did bring.

Woods had a chance denied from in tight before Malone pounced on a loose puck and buried his second goal since joining the Comets on an ATO five games ago. If you add in the shootout goal that he scored, (yes, I am aware that those don’t count towards his points totals the young man is making a fine first impression with the team. Woods picked up his eighth helper of the year on the play, while Lukas Jasek grabbed his 14th.

Colton Saucerman followed up the Malone tally with a heavy shot off of a faceoff win that Hutchinson swallowed up for the whistle. Tanner MacMaster soon went the other way for a chance but Brendan Woods got just enough of him to warrant a penalty shot…apparently. MacMaster went in, made his moves and Leighton shut the door.

The Comets were looking to get back into this one when MacEwen fed Gaunce for a chance in close, but Gaunce fired his shot over the net. Boucher followed up with a spin and fire play that Tanner Kero redirected on the net. Hutchinson had another save waiting for him.

At the other end of the ice, Leighton had to come up with another save and a brief scrum ensued. By the time the smoke had cleared, Cam Darcy was off to the box for roughing.

For this penalty kill, the sound dropped out once again. We saw Leighton make a save on a scramble play before the Comets had another good kill in the books. It’s nice to see that Zack MacEwen has become a staple on the penalty kill late in the year. More of that will only help his game improve.

Speaking of MacEwen, he and Gaunce were hooking up for scoring chances on the regular in this one but just couldn’t finish. This time it was MacEwen at speed, being fed by Gaunce for a redirect play that Hutchinson turned aside.

I sure wish that the Comets could get their penalty taking issues under control as even if they are killing the majority of them off, they are hampering their chances for offence while they are down a man. This time it would be Colton Saucerman headed off for tripping at the 14:06 mark to put his club down a man.

Gaunce and MacEwen weren’t saving their scoring chances for five aside play as Gaunce sent MacEwen in for a shorthanded opportunity. MacEwen let fly with a shot from the right circle and Hutchinson checked off another save. The Comets would come up with a good kill.

Trent Cull shuffled up his lines a little as time wound down. We saw the trio of Jasek, Kero, and Boucher make an appearance. Those three saw a good stretch of games together earlier in the year with mixed results.

Jordan Subban let fly with a point shot that Leighton kicked out before he was summoned to the bench for the extra attacker with 2:42 remaining in the game. I think we all know where this is going…we’ve seen this movie a few times this year.

Brendan Woods had a chance denied from in close but for the most part, the Comets were looking a little sloppy. Chris Mueller seemed to be daring the Comets to try to score when he took a slashing minor at the 18:01 mark and gave the Comets a power play to work with to finish the game. The Comets called their timeout.

The game got back underway with Leighton still on the bench and the Comets operating with a six-on-four advantage. At the 18:58 mark, Nicholas Baptiste scored a shorthanded, empty-net goal for his 14th of the season. The goal was unassisted…and wasn’t even the last one we would see with just over a minute remaining.

Dyan Blujus ripped a shot off the iron before Matt Petgrave scored a power play goal for his first of the season to pull the Comets to within a pair. Blujus grabbed his seventh helper of the year on the play.

The scoring wasn’t done there as Dmytro Timashov put his club up 5-3 at the buzzer with his 14th goal of the season into the empty net. That makes two empty net, shorthanded goals against in this one given up by the Comets if you are following along at home. Andreas Borgman picked up his 12th assist of the year on the play, while goaltender Michael Hutchinson earned his first.

That was it for this one, folks. Those playoff hopes are looking mighty bleak. Utica showed a 15-9 advantage on the shot clock for the third period and a 39-23 advantage for the game.

Malone (2) from Woods (8) and Jasek (14).

Petgrave (1) from Blujus (7). Power play goal.

3rd Star: Seamus Malone. One goal.

2nd Star: Colt Conrad. One goal.

1st Star: Michael Hutchinson. 37 saves.

3rd Star: Brendan Woods/Lukas Jasek. I’m splitting the third star between two-thirds of the Comets energy line for this game. Jasek and Woods each grabbed an assist on the Seamus Malone tally, but the duo was also doing some great work on the forecheck. Jasek’s offence has tapered off a bit as the season has gone on, but his work along the boards just keeps getting better. Woods doesn’t provide much in the way of offence, but whatever line he happens to be at the center of always seems to spend a good amount of time in the offensive zone.

2nd Star: Brendan Gaunce. Speaking of offence drying up…it has been a while since Gaunce was putting up serious points. That doesn’t mean that the pivot-turned-winger isn’t setting up chances or getting some of his own. however. He and MacEwen were clicking today but were unable to make anything happen. Gaunce was credited with nine shots on goal today…NINE! that is a lot by his standards.

1st Star: Seamus Malone. Malone was credited with two shots on goal today and managed to score on one of them. He was wheeling around in the offensive zone and looked like he was finding some chemistry with his linemates. Malone can also play the middle and I wouldn’t mind seeing him back there, even if that means separating him from his fellow Wisconsin Badger alumni, Brendan Woods. I would kind of like to see how he’d look between Gaunce and MacEwen on a scoring line, or maybe with Jasek and MacEwen with Gaunce helping out another line.

Game #70

At Syracuse Crunch

Saturday, March 30th, 2019

7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific