CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game: No Sympathy For The Devils. Comets win 3-1.

4:00 pm Pacific

The 30th ranked Binghamton Devils, (New Jersey affiliate), rolled into Utica today to take on the eighth overall Comets for game number 51 of the Comets’ season.

Binghamton brought the league’s 21st ranked power play into the game today, operating at 15.9%, while their penalty kill sat 17th overall with an 82.6% effective rate. The Comets had the league’s fourth-best penalty kill, sporting a 20.9% rate of effectiveness, while their penalty kill sat third overall with an 86.1% effective rate.

Jacob MacDonald led both the Binghamton defence, as well as their team with 34 points in 47 games, while Bracken Kearns led the Devils’ forwards with the same point total in one more game. Rookie Zack MacEwen was the Comets’ active points leader with 25 in 45 games, while Patrick Wiercioch led the Comets’ active blueliners with 19 points in 34 games.

The Devils last played to a 5-2 loss to Toronto, while the Comets’ last game was a 3-2 overtime loss to Syracuse. Binghamton had gone 2-6-1-1 over their previous 10 games, while the Comets had gone 7-0-2-1 over the same span.

The Devils had a road record of 6-12-3-2 coming into today, while the Comets had a home record of 11-9-3-3. Utica had outscored their opponents by a count of 145-136 this season, while the Devils had been outscored 165-115.

The two teams had played each other four times already this season with the Comets holding a three-games-to-one advantage in the series, with one win coming in overtime. All four games had been close contests.

Scratched today for the Comets were: Carter Bancks, (injured), Yan-Pavel Laplante, (injured), Brendan Woods, (injured), Jayson Megna, (injured), Evan McEneny, (injured), Jalen Chatfield, (injured), Frankie Simonelli, and Justin Taylor.

13 Griffen Molino – 36 Wacey Hamilton (A) – 15 Zack MacEwen

58 Michael Carcone – 21 Michael Chaput (A) – 17 Alexis D’Aoust

16 Joe LaBate – 11 Cam Darcy – 82 Andrew Cherniwchan

22 David Dziurzynski – 19 Cole Cassels – 27 Tony Cameranesi

6 Ashton Sautner – 8 Dylan Blujus

28 Patrick Wiercioch – 55 Guillaume Brisebois

44 Adam Comrie – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

32 Richard Bachman

The first period moved along pretty quickly as we saw only one penalty called. Devil’s leading scorer, Jacob MacDonald reeled off an early point shot that Richard Bachman turned aside. Binghamton newcomer, Christoph Bertschy followed that chance up with one of his own when he got in behind the Comets’ defence for a chance but Bachman flashed the leather and denied him.

MacDonald was back for more with another point shot and Bachman gloved it down and held on for the whistle.

At the other end of the ice, Michael Carcone caught a streaking Guillaume Brisebois with a pass and the rookie defenseman got a shot away but Devils’ netminder Mackenzie Blackwood whipped out the mitt and said no.

There was a good scramble in front of the Devils’ net that saw Zack MacEwen, Griffen Molino, and Patrick Wiercioch all take swings at a loose puck, but none of them would get the puck to the net. Molino had a solid first period after missing 20 games with an injury.

Dylan Blujus loaded up with a wrister that Blackwood turned aside. David Dziurzynski and Cole Cassels worked an odd-man rush into the Devils’ zone. Dziurzynski elected to shoot rather than pass and Blackwood was ready with a save.

Michael Carcone was once again playing the kind of game that makes him one of the more exciting Comets’ players to watch. The man is roughly 5’9″ and weighs in at a buck 70, but he had no problem trucking the 6’2″, 195lbs Yaroslav Dyblenko. He is fun to watch and I have a lot of time for the kind of game that Carcone brings to the table.

The Comets would get the game’s first power play when Brandon Baddock was whistled for slashing at the 11:17 mark. Adam Comrie uncorked a heavy clapper from the circle and Blackwood swallowed it up and held for the whistle. That was the best chance that the Comets would get on their power play.

Blake Speers sent Tim Kennedy in on Bachman for a chance and the Comets’ keeper came up with another save. Blake Pietila came with another shot and Bachman denied him as well.

Griffen Molino made a nice play to strip a Devils’ player of the puck in the offensive zone and created a scoring chance but was unable to convert.

Josh Jacobs unloaded a quick wrister from a faceoff win, but Bachman said no with another glove save.

Cam Darcy dished to Ashton Sautner and the defenseman let fly with a bomb from the point, Blackwood was ready with the save.

Zack MacEwen was stepping up his defensive play, stripping a puck off a Devils player and clearing the zone. Adam Comrie floated a bouncing puck on net and Blackwood held on for the whistle.

Ashton Sautner unloaded another big shot from the point and Blackwood made the save and covered up for a faceoff. Griffen Molino was showing his ample wheels when he got back quickly on the backcheck on Blake Pietila to break up a scoring chance.

Zack MacEwen showed his passing skills when he found a streaking David Dziurzynski with a crisp pass and sent him in for a chance. Dziurzynski got his shot off and Blackwood gloved it down.

The period would finish up shortly after Adam Comrie came up with a nice play to sweep a puck off the Comets’ goal line and out of harm’s way. The Comets would finish the period with a 14-9 advantage on the shot clock.

The second period kicked off with an early save from Bachman off a Steven Santini rush.

Comets defenseman Jaime Sifers would put his club down a man just 33 seconds into the middle frame when he was sent off for interference. Bachman was good on this kill, stopping Bracken Kearns in close before shutting the door on a Bertschy chance and covering after a scramble broke out.

Guillaume Brisebois was having a good game today, skating well and engaging in physical battles. We would be hearing from Breezy Gui before this period was done.

Dylan Blujus showed off his shot blocking skills again. The man is a puck magnet in his own end. The Comets would kill off the Sifers minor.

Blujus used his wheels to come up with a nice backchecking play to break up another Devils’ scoring chance. Wacey Hamilton missed some time during this period but he would eventually make his way back into the game.

Guillaume Brisebois unloaded a bomb from the point that fooled the officials. The goal light went on and the ref waived it off, but after a review, it was clear that Brisebois had scored. The goal was Brisebois’ second of the season. Alexis D’Aoust earned his 11th assist of the year on the play, while Cole Cassels picked up his 14th. Cole’s career year just keeps getting better.

Just 21 seconds later, Zack MacEwen made it 2-0 when he beat Blackwood for his eighth goal of the season. The Comets were coming in waves. Griffen Molino, in his first game back, picked up his fourth helper of the season on the MacEwen goal, while Cam Darcy earned his 14th.

The Comets would find themselves on the penalty kill at the 11:09 mark when Michael Carcone was sent off for interference. Cam Darcy and Michael Chaput did great work on this kill, as did the forward pair of Hamilton and Cassels.

I have said it before, but I firmly believe that Wacey Hamilton has had a huge influence on Cole Cassels’ game. The two work so well on the penalty kill together and you can see Hamilton’s defensive game showing up in how Cassels has been playing. The Comets would kill the Carcone minor, with the Devils getting a grand total of zero shots with the extra man.

The Devils had a bit of jump after their power play with Tim Kennedy getting a shot off from in close that Bachman turned aside. Bertschy let fly with a wrister that Bachman got a piece of before Blake Speers ended up with a breakaway that saw Bachman doing his best Thatcher Demko impression. What a save by the Comets backup netminder.

Michael Chaput had a dandy little chance when he snuck between two Devils’ defenders and got a shot off, but Blackwood was ready with the save and held on for a faceoff. Griffen Molino followed up with a chance of his own, getting back in over the Devils’ blueline with a shot that Blackwood steered into the corner.

The Devils had the Comets hemmed in their own zone for what seemed like an eternity before Bertschy was whistled for hooking at the 19:04 mark. Just 44 seconds later, the Comets would be up 3-0 when Michael Chaput potted his 11th of the season and sixth goal on the power play this year. Patrick Wiercioch continued to step up in the absence of Philip Holm, picking up his 14th assist of the season on the play, while Dylan Blujus earned his eighth helper of the year.

That was it for the second period. The shot clock showed nine shots apiece for the middle frame.

The Comets came out hot in the third period with a couple of early chances, but Blackwood held strong.

Yaroslav Dyblenko unloaded with a big point shot and Bachman whipped out the mitt and said not today. 

The two teams had some back and forth, with Tony Cameranesi picking off a puck in front of the Devils’ net, getting a shot away that went high and wide. Griffen Molino sent a shot on net that Blackwood bobbled, having to dive and cover the puck as Wacey Hamilton was coming in hot, looking for some garbage.

Having Michael Carcone and Alexis D’Aoust playing on the same line puts a smile on my face. I’m not sure that their opponents share my enthusiasm, however, as the pair seem to relish the heavy hits and playing in the dirty areas of the ice.

Andrew Cherniwchan had a nice chance, letting fly with a shot that the crowd heard ring off the iron.

Blake Speers would get the visitors on the board at the 10:25 mark when he beat Bachman for his seventh goal of the season. Colton White picked up his fifth assist of the season on the play, while Bracken Kearns earned his 25th.

Dylan Blujus was looking to get that goal back when he sent a shot on net, but it deflected off Michael Chaput’s skate and went wide. Cherniwchan hit Joe LaBate with a pass that sent the big winger in for a chance. LaBate got a backhander off before being hammered into the Devils’ net, knocking it off the moorings.

Cam Darcy used his wheels to get in for a chance that was turned aside, but he grabbed his rebound and caught Guillaume Brisebois with a pass that he put on net. Blackwood was ready with another save to deny Brisebois of a two-goal effort.

Josh Jacobs got in with a shot that Bachman grabbed and held onto. Trent Cull was leaning on Cole Cassels for the defensive heavy lifting in this one and he showed his coach that he can continue to do so. Cassels has been something of a Swiss Army Knife for the Comets. He has played on the fourth line, the first line, and everywhere in between. When the Comets were devastated by injuries and call-ups, he was running their first line and doing it well. When the team started getting healthier, he moved into a shut-down role. Now he is settling in as a two-way forward who can provide some decent secondary offence while taking care of his own end.

Tim Kennedy, seeing the clock running down, sent a puck on net to get a whistle. The Devils took their timeout and summoned Blackwood to the bench with 2:21 remaining on the clock.

Bachman came up with a big save on a backdoor play in the final two minutes. Zack MacEwen came up with a nice defensive play, breaking up a pass in the neutral zone to kill some more time.

Bachman would have to make one more save off of the stick of Mario Lucia and he would hold for a whistle as Michael Latta was all up in his face. The time would run out on the Devis and that would be it in Utica.

The shot clock for the third period favoured Binghamton by a 6-5 margin, but the Comets would hold a 28-24 edge for the game.

The Three Stars in the building today were:

3rd Star: Guillaume Brisebois. One goal.

2nd Star: Zack MacEwen. One goal.

1st Star: Richard Bachman. 23 saves.

3rd Star: Alexis D’Aoust. It was a good day for the rookies in Utica. D’Aoust played a rough and tumble, in-your-face brand of hockey again today and he picked up another assist. The rookie forward has wheels and some decent hands as well. He has played in seven games since missing a month with an injury. Over those seven games, he has put up one goal and five assists to give him six points. D’Aoust is another player that I would like to see get some more responsibilities/opportunities for the rest of the way in Utica.

2nd Star: Guillaume Brisebois. Another fine performance from a rookie today came from Brisebois. He was skating well today and he was engaged in physical battles in his own end. He picked up his second goal of the season with a bomb of a point shot and now has 10 points on the season. I said earlier in the season that I would like to see Brisebois use his shot more, and today’s goal only confirmed that for me.

1st Star: Zack MacEwen. MacEwen completes the rookie trifecta for today’s three stars. Bachman played a heck of a game and made some big saves, but I have to go with MacEwen for my first star today. He now has eight goals and 18 assists to give him 26 points in 46 games this season. That puts him at 0.57 points per game this season, or, on pace for 42.96 points for the season. Not bad production for a rookie season. FYI, Darren Archibald led all Comets players with 47 points last season. Let that sink in…solid rookie season indeed.

Saturday, February 17th, 2018

4:05 pm Pacific