CanucksArmy Utica Comets Post-Game Report: Comets Drop 6-1 Decision To Amerks, Boxscore Special

Game #6

Vs Rochester Americans

Wednesday, October 17th, 2018

7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific

The 12th overall Rochester Americans rolled into Utica today to take on the 11th ranked Utica Comets for game number six of the season. Both teams showed a record of 3-2-0-0 coming into today’s contest.

The Americans power play was ranked fourth in the league, going seven for 22, giving them a 31.8% success rate. Their penalty kill sat 24th in the AHL, having given up six goals while down a man 23 times for a 72.7% success rate.

The Comets, for their part, had the league’s sixth-ranked power play, going six for 20, giving the team a 30.0% success rate with the extra man. Their penalty kill sat 11th, having allowed two goals while being shorthanded 19 times, giving them a success rate of 89.5%.

The Comets were coming off of a 5-3 win over the Toronto Marlies, while Rochester last played to a 3-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Americans had gone 2-0-0-0 on the road this season, while the Comets showed a home record of 1-2-0-0 so far this season.

Utica had scored 21 times this season while giving up 19 goals. Rochester had put 17 pucks in the opposing net while allowing 18.

The Americans were lead in scoring by a pair of rookies, with Victor Olofsson on top with three goals and five helpers, giving him eight points through five games. Fellow rookie, Lawrence Pilut sat second on the team with two goals and five assists, giving him seven points in five games this season. Zach Redmond rounded out their top three with two goals and five assists, giving him seven points in five games as well.

Reid Boucher sat atop the AHL with eight goals and one assist, giving him nine points through his first five games of the season. Zack MacEwen was still sitting second in Comets scoring with two goals and four helpers to give himself six points in five games, while rookie Tanner MacMaster and forward Tanner Kero were tied for third with five points apiece through five games.

Comets veteran, Darren Archibald came into today’s contest just one goal shy of tying the Comets record for career goals with the team. He had 66 goals, while the current record holder, Alex Grenier put up 67 markers over parts of four seasons in Utica.

There is another potential milestone coming up on Friday as the Comets came into the day just two games shy of setting a new AHL consecutive sell-out record. From what I understand, Friday’s contest is already sold out, so today was the day that would determine if the club was successful in their quest for a new record. *The game was indeed a sell-out and the Comets will set a new record on Friday.

As we know, defenceman Alex Biega has cleared waivers and is expected to join the Comets later this week. He would not be available for today’s action.

Wacey Hamilton, (injured, week-to-week) Brendan Gaunce, (injured, day-to-day) Jonah Gadjovich, Petrus Palmu, Vincent Arseneau, Jesse Graham, and, Jaime Sifers.

19 Tanner MacMaster – 10 Tanner Kero – 24 Reid Boucher (A)

25 Darren Archibald – 11 Cam Darcy – 58 Michael Carcone

13 Kole Lind – 21 Brendan Woods – 15 Zack MacEwen

54 Jonathan Dahlen – 34 Carter Bancks (C) – 9 Lukas Jasek

48 Olli Juolevi – 5 Jalen Chatfield

6 Ashton Sautner (A) – Dylan Blujus

55 Guillaume Brisebois – 2 Evan McEneny

32 Richard Bachman

31 Ivan Kulbakov (Backing Up)

Fair warning folks, the reason why this post-game reoprt is a day late is that I lost my internet connection during the game. I was hoping that things would be cleared up this morning, but that wasn’t the case. As such, I didn’t have time to watch the game, so you will be getting a boxscore special.

This will be a condensed post-game, (I can hear some of you cheering already, haha) but with my internet issues fixed, everything looks good for the two games this weekend.

The Comets got into penalty trouble early when Jalen Chatfield was whistled for cross-checking at the 1:04 mark. It took Zac Redmond just 1:12 to put the visitors up 1-0 with his third goal of the season. Rookie, Lawrence Pilut picked up his sixth helper of the season on the play, while Kevin Porter earned his second.

The Americans would score two more goals in the opening frame after Kole Lind was dinged for slashing and on the ensuing delayed penalty, Dylan Blujus was also fingered for the same crime. Rochester would make both men pay as Redmond buried his second of the game and fourth of the season followed up by a Victor Olofsson tally.

C.J. Smith with his second, and Olofsson with his sixth grabbed the helpers on the Redmond marker, while Pilut and goaltender Scott Wedgewood assisted on rookie Olofsson’s fourth of the year with their seventh and first helpers respectively.

Jalen Chatfield was headed back to the box at the 18:33 mark when he was sent off for tripping, but the Amerks’ power play lasted less than a minute as Brendan Guhle was sent off for interference at the 19:17 mark.

The Comets penalty kill took a beating in the first frame, giving up three goals. Rochester showed an 11-3 advantage on the shot clock in the first, and it showed on the scoreboard as well.

Dalton Smith and Brendan Woods threw down for a tussle that saw Woods get dinged with five for fighting, while Smith was issued penalties for the fight as well as for slashing at the 6:15 mark of the second period.

This time it was the Comets who would take advantage. Olli Juolevi scored his first AHL goal just nine seconds into the power play. Tanner Kero picked up his team-leading sixth assist on the play, while Reid Boucher grabbed his second.

Brendan Guhle and Darren Archibald were the next to head off together when Guhle was assessed with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, while Archibald was given a high-sticking penalty at the 7:46 mark.

The Americans kept it coming when Olofsson grabbed his fifth of the year. Alex Nylander picked up his fifth assist of the season on the play, while Lawrence Pilut earned his eighth. Those rookies in Rochester are getting it done.

Roughly four minutes later, Danny O’Regan scored his second of the season to put the Americans up 5-1. Olofsson with his seventh, and Andrew MacWilliam with his first were awarded helpers on the play.

The Comets showed an 11-6 advantage on the shot clock for the middle frame.

Guillaume Brisebois was whistled for interference at the 8:04 mark and once again, Rochester took advantage. This time it was Nylander doing the scoring with his second of the season, while Rasmus Asplund earned his first helper of the year on the play. Brendan Guhle picked up the other assist for his fourth of the year.

Tyler Randell was the final man headed to the box in this one when he was sent off for interference, but the Comets were unable to make him pay.

Rochester showed a 13-11 advantage on the shot clock for the third period and a 30-25 advantage for the game.