CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: No Quit Comets Claw Back From 2-0 Deficit to Win 4-2

4:00 pm Pacific

The 10th overall Utica Comets rolled into Syracuse today to take on the eighth-ranked Crunch, (Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate), for the back half of their home and home series. Yesterday the Comets took the first game by a 3-1 score to pull within one point of Syracuse in the standings.

The Comets special teams were both sitting fifth overall in the AHL. Their power-play was running at 20.1%, while their penalty-kill was operating at an 86.1% effective rate. The Crunch power-play was sitting 18th, having a 15.7% effective rate, while their penalty-kill sat ninth, running at 84.7%.

Reid Boucher was still the Comets leading scorer with 40 points in 37 games. Nikolay Goldobin was second with 28 points in 26 games, while Philip Holm sat third with 24 points in 39 games.

Matthew Peca and Mathieu Joseph sat tied atop the Syracuse scoring pile with 31 points each, while Anthony Cirelli was right behind them with 29 points in 40 games this season.

The Comets had gone 7-1-2-0 over their previous 10 games, while the Crunch had gone 5-4-1-0 over the same span. Utica brought a road record of 14-5-3-1 into the game today, while the Crunch had a home record of 13-6-1-0.

The Comets came into the game today having outscored their opposition by a count of 133-127, while the Crunch had outscored their opponents 149-124.

So far in the season series, Nikolay Goldobin had six points in three games, Boucher had five points in five games, while Philip Holm had five points in six games. For the Crunch, Carter Verhaeghe had six points in five games, Anthony Cirelli had six points in six games, while Adam Erne had five points in six games.

In other Comets news, the team announced this morning that they had released forward Tony Cameranesi from his PTO. You can read more about the Cameranesi move below.

Scratched today for the Comets were: Carter Bancks, (injured), Yan-Pavel Laplante, (injured), Brendan Woods, (injured), Jayson Megna, (injured), Griffen Molino, (injured), Evan McEneny, (injured), Jalen Chatfield, (injured), Thatcher Demko, (injured), Andrew Cherniwchan, and David Dziurzynski

16 Joe LaBate – 21 Michael Chaput – 15 Zack MacEwen

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

77 Nikolay Goldobin – 11 Cam Darcy – 24 Reid Boucher

44 Adam Comrie – 36 Wacey Hamilton (A) – 17 Alexis D’Aoust

6 Ashton Sautner – 8 Dylan Blujus

52 Philip Holm – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

28 Patrick Wiercioch – 55 Guillaume Brisebois

32 Richard Bachman

Whew, this first period was a dud. The teams managed just 14 shots between them in what was a sloppy, slow period of hockey.

Zack MacEwen had an early chance when Crunch goaltender Connor Ingram bobbled a puck but he made the recovery to keep the puck out of the net.

Erik Condra would send the Comets to the first power-play of the game at the 3:23 mark when he was sent off for tripping. Philip Holm had a one-timer turned aside early, and Dylan Blujus had a wrist shot from the point, but otherwise, the Comets power-play was sloppy and couldn’t get any traction.

At the other end of the ice, we saw an extended puck battle along the boards that seemed to last for about a month before the puck would squirt loose. The whistles were in the pocket for that sequence.

Guillaume Brisebois found himself all alone with the puck on his stick in the Crunch zone and let fly with a shot, but Ingram blockered it away.

Nikolay Goldobin would get the next Comets’ chance when he put a shot on net, but Ingram whipped out the mitt and held on for a whistle.

We were halfway through the first period and we had four shots on net, all by the Comets. Like I said, this first period was not firewagon hockey.

Zack MacEwen was doing his part in his own end, blocking a shot that looked like he felt a little more than he would have liked. Not long after, Mitchell Stephens unloaded with a shot that would clang off the iron.

Jaime Sifers managed to get a point shot off, which was tipped just wide by Goldobin.

Cam Darcy wound up getting hurt, but I was unable to see what happened on the AHL Live feed. Darcy would go to the bench in discomfort and would not return.

Reid McNeill unloaded with a big shot, but Bachman was equal to the task.

At the 13:04 mark, Carter Verhaeghe was whistled for tripping and the Comets went back to the power-play. Holm set Boucher up for a hard one-time blast, but once again, Ingram was ready with the save and held on for the whistle. That was about the extent of it as far as quality chances on this power-play.

At the other end of the ice, Richard Bachman made a two-save sequence that was pretty great, unfortunately, the Crunch would take the lead shortly after. But check out these saves.

The goal that came after those saves would be scored by Olivier Archambault, his fourth of the season. Dennis Yan earned his ninth helper of the season on the play, while Erik Condra picked up the other assist, to give him six on the season.

Michael Carcone had a late chance when he used his blazing speed and great edge work to cut hard to the Crunch net, but Ingram kicked out a leg and kept his team up 1-0.

That was it for the first period, each team showed seven shots on goal in the opening frame.

This second period started out just as slow as the first, but I promise you, it did not finish that way.

The Comets would get an early power-play when Reid McNeill was sent off at the 1:02 mark for slashing Zack MacEwen. They should have maybe taken a pass on this power-play as they gave up more shorthanded chances than they had on the Crunch net.

First up, it was Anthony Cirelli cruising in with a shot that went wide, then it was Mitchell Stephens with a pair of chances of his own. Bachman stood tall and kept his team within a goal.

At the other end of the ice, Reid Boucher sent a shot on net that was held for a whistle.

Shortly after the penalty ended, we would see Cole Cassels sent off for roughing, while Michael Carcone and Erik Cernak both were issued unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

The Comets would come up with a good kill and Trent Cull would throw the lines into the blender. We saw Cassels between LaBate and MacEwen, we saw Hamilton between Archibald and Boucher and Cassels between Comrie and Boucher. Part of the line shuffling would be due to the run of power-plays/penalty-kills in succession.

Bachman was doing his best to keep the Comets in this one, the man saw a ton of rubber in the middle frame. He made a save on an Erik Cernak wrister before getting a piece of a one-timer that Adam Erne fanned on.

The Crunch thought they had gone up by a pair when a shot hit the iron behind Bachman and fell to the ice along the goal line. Bachman laid down to cover it up and the officials went to the video replay. The call on the ice stood and the Comets were still only down by a goal.

Cole Cassels was sent off for hooking at the 9:44 mark and the Comets were back to the penalty-kill.

Alexander Volkov ripped a point shot that Bachman steered to the corner, Mitchell Stephens leaned into a heavy shot, but once again, Bachman was ready with a save. He followed that up by making a save on a scramble in his crease and covered for the whistle. Dominik Masin was up next with a big point shot, Bachman denied him. Adam Erne was next with a one-timer, Bachman said no once again.

Cirelli let fly with a shot from the hash marks and Bachman came up with another save. The Comets were being outshot 15-3 with just seven minutes left in the period.

Bachman was very good in the second period, but he wasn’t going to be able to stop them all. At the 15:34 mark, Alexander Volkov beat Bachman for his 13th goal of the season. Reid McNeill earned his seventh helper of the season on the play, while Jamie McBain picked up his 17th.

Not long after the goal, Mitchell Stephens loaded up with another shot and Bachman had his number again.

A big scrum broke out in Bachman’s crease and everybody grabbed a dance partner. It was mostly just pushing and shoving, but Joe LaBate dropped his gloves with Daniel Walcott, and the Crunch defenseman wanted no part of it, playing the part of the turtle rather quickly.

The brouhaha resulted in LaBate, Dominik Masin and Dylan Blujus receiving roughing minors and the Comets would have another stint shorthanded to kill off. The Comets would get the kill, but not before Mitchell Stephens ripped yet another shot off the iron. Bachman had some big saves today from his posts and crossbar. He wasn’t so bad himself either.

This game would get very interesting as the period wound down. Philip Holm took a Reid Boucher pass and blew it past Ingram for his 10th goal of the season. Boucher earned his 19th helper on the play, while Michael Chaput picked up his 11th.

The Comets weren’t done there either, as Dylan Blujus would get a wrist shot past Ingram just 16 seconds later to tie the game at two. The goal was Blujus’ fourth of the season to give him 11 points in 22 games since joining the Comets. Darren Archibald picked up his ninth assist of the year on the Blujus tally, while Alexis D’Aoust picked up his eighth.

Two goals in the final minute and a half of the period to tie the game? Ouch! The Comets were outshot badly in the middle frame. How bad, you ask? Try 22-6 bad, yet they came out of the period tied up and riding that sweet wave of momentum.

The late rally in the second period gave the Comets new life and they came out ready to play in the third period.

Archibald sent Carcone in with a pass and the winger got a shot off but sent it wide. Reid Boucher was feeling his oats and he flattened Erik Condra with a hit. Patrick Wiercioch let a shot go that pegged Archibald in the stomach before bouncing toward Ingram, forcing him into a save. Alexis D’Aoust was playing another great game, he’s a hard worker, digging a puck loose and getting it to Holm for a point shot that was blocked.

Boucher unleashed a shot but put it right into the logo on the front of Ingram’s jersey. Ashton Sautner took a Boucher feed and got a shot off, but Ingram said no.

The Comets would get a power-play at the 8:56 mark when Syracuse was whistled for too-many-men. Dennis Yan served the penalty, but he wouldn’t have to sit in the box for very long. Philip Holm picked up his second goal of the game, and his 11th of the season just 16 seconds into the power-play. Darren Archibald picked up his ninth helper of the year and second of the game, while Nikolay Goldobin continued to add to his impressive assists totals with his 21st helper of the season.

With the Comets up 3-2, this game was still far from over. The Crunch still had plenty of time to get back into this one.

Richard Bachman has seen some ridiculously bad bounces this season. His numbers have not been good, but he has been playing very well of late, now going 5-0-2 over his last seven starts. He is a battler and he was on his game today.

Bachman was sharp with another save on Mitchell Stephens right after the Holm marker. Stephens had to be frustrated as he put no fewer than eight shots on Bachman today and each and every time, Bachman said no.

The Comets goaltender was good today, but he was also lucky when luck was needed. Carter Verhaeghe found himself wide open in the slot with a large crowd in front of a screened Bachman, and the centreman sent his shot wide.

Adam Erne had a quick wrist shot from the face-off circle turned aside by Bachman as well.

The Comets were doing good work to run the clock down, keeping possession of the puck for a good portion of the final few minutes.

Connor Ingram was summoned to the bench for an extra attacker with a hair over two minutes remaining on the clock and the Crunch tried to mount an attack. Verhaeghe unloaded with a shot, but Jaime Sifers came up with a timely block.

Wacey Hamilton would tie a bow around this one when he deposited a shot into the empty Syracuse net at the 18:44 mark. The goal was Hamilton’s third of the season, while Philip Holm picked up assist number 16 on the season and Alexis D’Aoust grabbed his ninth.

The crowd rained down chants of “Utica…Utica” after the Hamilton marker and the game was being played in Syracuse. The Comets have some of the best fans in the league.

That was it for this one. The Comets came back from being down 2-0, survived being outshot 22-6 in the middle frame, and came back with four unanswered goals to pick up a 4-2 win. Utica finished the third period with an 11-7 advantage in shots but they were outshot by a 36-24 margin for the game. Thank you, Richard Bachman.

Oh hey, and don’t look now, but the Comets are movin’ on up like George and Weezy. Oh hello, eighth place.

The Three Stars in the building today were:

3rd Star: Darren Archibald. Two assists.

2nd Star: Alexander Volkov. One goal.

1st Star: Philip Holm. Two goals, one assist.

3rd Star: Alexis D’Aoust. D’Aoust brought another strong game today. He uses his speed well and isn’t afraid to get to the dirty areas. He can play a hard, heavy game. D’Aoust also picked up two more assists today, to give him eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in 35 games. That is some solid rookie production that should earn him a two-way deal for next season. D’Aoust now has four points in four games since coming back from injury.

2nd Star: Richard Bachman. Bachman did it again. He was huge today for the Comets with Thatcher Demko nursing an injury. He made 34 saves and faced 22 shots in the second period alone, stopping all but one of them. Bachman has now gone 5-0-2 over his last seven starts. Is that good? Yes, I do believe it is.

1st Star: Philip Holm. Holm put up two goals and one assist today to bring his points totals to 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 40 games. I think that it is safe to say that Holm should get a look in Vancouver this season at some point. They need to see what he can do at the next level so they can gauge what moves need to be made ahead of next season. One thing is certain, he can move the needle at the AHL level, now let’s see what he can do in the NHL.

4:00 pm Pacific