4:00 pm Pacific

The second overall Lehigh Valley Phantoms, (Philidelphia affiliate), rolled into Utica today to take on the fifth-ranked Comets for game number 54 of the Comets’ season. The Phantoms had 73 points coming into today, while the Comets had 68.

The Phantoms brought the AHL’s 14th ranked power play into the game, operating at 16.5%, while their penalty kill was running at 81.9%, which put them 18th overall in that category. The Comets, for their part, had the third-best power play in the league, running at 20.6%, while their penalty kill took a dip from their previous ranking, dropping from second in the league to sixth with an 85.4% effective rate.

Phil Varone led all Phantoms skaters with 51 points in 53 games, while T.J. Brennan was their blueline leader with 34 points in 42 games. Reid Boucher was the Comets’ leader with 42 points in 39 games, while Patrick Wiercioch led the Comets’ active blueliners with 22 points in 37 games this season.

The Comets were coming off a 5-4 win over Belleville, while the Phantoms last played to a 4-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Lehigh Valley had gone 7-1-1-1 over their previous 10 games, while the Comets had gone 9-0-0-1 over the same span.

The Phantoms had a road record of 15-9-0-2, while the Comets were sporting a home record of 12-9-3-3. Utica had outscored their competition this season by a count of 158-145 while the Phantoms had outscored theirs by a 189-161 margin.

The two teams had played one game against each other this season with the Comets skating away with a 3-2 overtime win.

Reid Boucher sat 12th in league scoring with 42 points, was tied for second with 23 goals, was fourth with 153 shots on net, and sat third with four shootout goals on five chances.

Thatcher Demko was seventh in the AHL with a goals-against average of 2.33, sat fifth with 19 wins, third with 964 saves, fifth with a 0.927 save percentage, and second with four shootout wins.

Zack MacEwen has finally made his way into the AHL’s top 20 rookie scorers, sitting tied for 18th with 29 points.

In other Comets news, the Vancouver Canucks recalled goaltender Richard Bachman from the Comets ahead of their game against the Avalanche yesterday.

The Comets followed up that news by letting us know that they had recalled goaltender Michael Garteig from the Kalamazoo Wings.

Bachman was recalled because Canucks netminder Jacob Markstrom has a minor injury that shouldn’t keep him out long.

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

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

58 Michael Carcone – 21 Michael Chaput (A) – 24 Reid Boucher (A)

82 Andrew Cherniwchan – 11 Cam Darcy – 17 Alexis D’Aoust

22 David Dziurzynski – 19 Cole Cassels – 27 Tony Cameranesi

44 Adam Comrie – 57 Mathieu Brodeur

6 Ashton Sautner – 8 Dylan Blujus

28 Patrick Wiercioch – 55 Guillaume Brisebois

30 Thatcher Demko

The Comets were wearing those fantastic green alternate jerseys of theirs again in this one. I really do dig those greens.

Zack MacEwen got things started when he broke into the Phantoms’ zone and got a shot off, but the big winger sent it wide of the net. Reid Boucher followed up by forcing a turnover and getting a shot off that Phantoms netminder John Muse blockered away to the corner.

At the other end of the ice, Nicolas Aube-Kubel came down the boards with a hot shot that Demko stopped and held onto for a whistle.

The two teams would have some good back and forth with Tony Cameranesi sending David Dziurzynski in for a chance, but Muse denied him. Adam Comrie got a quick shot away off a faceoff win, but Muse was ready with another save.

T.J. Brennan came in on Thatcher Demko with a low, hard shot and Demko made the save.

At the other end of the ice, Zack MacEwen came up with a spinning move to get past a defender and get a tip on a Griffen Molino offering. The puck went in the net but it was determined that the whistle had gone before it went in. No goal.

The Comets kept it coming, first with a Dylan Blujus wrister from the point that Muse turned aside, and then it was MacEwen whose shot was denied.

Phil Varone put the Phantoms up 1-0 at the 4:39 mark when he beat Demko for his 15th goal of the season. T.J. Brennan earned his 24th assist of the season on the play, while James de Haas picked up his eighth.

Thatcher Demko had to be sharp after the goal when Danick Martel came in with a low shot that Thatcher got a pad on to send to the corner.

Andrew Cherniwchan was back in the lineup today and he got a quick shot away off a Comets’ faceoff win, but once again, Muse said no. Zack MacEwen hit Wacey Hamilton with a pass, but Hamilton’s shot was tipped wide of the net. Tony Cameranesi got a shot away from an odd angle that Muse had trouble with, but the netminder got it under control and held on with David Dziurzynski lurking.

Michael Carcone made a nifty backhand pass through traffic to Reid Boucher for a chance that the winger blasted high over the net.

David Dziurzynski would tie the game at one when he tipped a Wiercioch offering to beat Muse for his third goal of the year. Dziurzynski has had a nice little run of games for the Comets of late. Patrick Wiercioch earned his 16th assist of the season on the Dziurzynski marker, while Cole Cassels did the same.

Dziurzynski followed up his goal with a solid hit on Will O’Neill in front of the Comets’ bench. I am warming up to the idea of Dziurzynski earning an AHL deal with the Comets at some point this season. With Archibald in Vancouver, he brings that big, physical presence that the Comets would otherwise be missing.

It has been established in this space that Michael Carcone has wheels for days, and he had those wheels on display again today, blowing past a Phantoms defender, nearly getting a scoring chance, forcing Muse to make a diving play to reach the puck before Carcone did. We would be hearing from Carcone before this one would end.

The Comets worked a nice setup play that nearly panned out when Hamilton dished to Molino, who then found Ashton Sautner with a pass before Sautner riffled a shot off the side of the net. MacEwen grabbed the puck and hit Sautner with another pass and the defenseman ripped another shot on net, this time Muse whipped out the mitt to deny him.

That was it for period number one. The Comets showed a 10-9 edge on the shot clock, but the game was tied at one.

Zack MacEwen kicked off the second period, coming up with a big shot block and heading the other way. Michael Carcone let fly with a wrister that Muse gloved down. Adam Comrie and Alexis D’Aoust had back to back chances turned aside, but it was clear that the Comets came out to play to start the middle frame.

Wacey Hamilton centred the puck to Griffen Molino who was coming with speed, but Muse read the play and was ready with the save. The Comets had a good shift in the Phantoms’ zone, hemming them in and seeing Michael Chaput send a shot wide before Guillaume Brisebois sent a shot on the net that Muse gobbled up and held for a whistle.

Demko wasn’t going to let Muse have all the glory of stopping pucks as he showed with this dandy little save.

Cole Cassels and Cam Darcy broke in for a chance, but Cassels wasn’t able to get his pass across to make the play.

At the other end of the ice, Colin McDonald tried to jam a puck in from the side of the net but Demko said no. Zack MacEwen dished out a solid hit in his own end which squeezed a puck loose to Reid Boucher, who was able to clear the zone. The Phantoms broke back in and Demko had to flash the leather to keep a point shot from putting the Phantoms up 2-1.

Demko wasn’t going to stop everything the rest of the way though, as Phil Varone picked up his second of the day to put the Phantoms up 2-1. The goal was Varone’s 16th of the season, while Will O’Neill earned the lone assist for his ninth helper of the year.

Michael Carcone would get that goal back quickly to even the score at two just 1:15 later when Reid Boucher hit him with a pass at speed and he lifted a backhander over the blocker of Muse. The goal was the 11th of the season for Carcone, while Boucher picked up his 20th assist of the year and Mathieu Brodeur picked up his second helper of the season and first point with the Comets.

Thatcher Demko followed up the Carcone goal with a sharp save on a tricky spinning backhander. Carcone was looking for his second goal of the game when Chaput hit him with a pass for a quick shot, but Muse denied him.

Demko would come up with a big save on Tyrell Goulbourne when he was sprung for a clean break. Demko made the save and held for a whistle.

The two clubs would have some good back and forth, with Adam Comrie unloading a heavy point shot that Muse steered over the glass. Boucher followed up by stepping over the blueline and letting fly with a wrister that Muse swallowed up for a faceoff.

The Comets would go up 3-2 when Chaput got the puck to Boucher out of a corner scrum and saw  Boucher feed Carcone, who stuffed the puck past Muse for his second of the game and 12th goal of the season. Boucher picked up his 21st assist of the season on the play, while Chaput grabbed his 15th.

Zack MacEwen followed up the Carcone goal with a lively shift, getting a chance but sending it wide. The Comets would come up with a handful of blocked shots in their own end before the trio of Cassels, Cameranesi, and Dziurzynski would get a late chance that they couldn’t convert on. The period would end with the Comets showing a 14-6 advantage on the shot clock.

The third period started off with a Griffen Molino chance off a net-front scramble, but Muse was once again ready with a save.

The Phantoms would tie things at three early when Greg Carey sent a high shot on net that beat Demko for his 22nd goal of the season at the 1:34 mark. Phil Varone picked up his 38th helper of the year on the play, while Phillipe Myers earned his 11th.

Guillaume Brisebois was trying to get that one back when he sent a shot high and wide before getting another wrister on net that Muse turned aside. Cole Cassels followed up with a pair of chances that Muse also denied. Muse was on his game today.

At the other end of the ice, Dylan Blujus came up with a shot block and Reid Boucher headed the other way with the puck. Phillipe Myers would get the puck and head back over the Comets’ blueline and unload a point shot that Demko gobbled up.

The game would see it’s first penalty called at the 4:57 mark when the Comets were whistled for having too many men on the ice. Alexis D’Aoust would serve the minor.

Demko would make a save off the stick of Varone, who was trying to stuff a puck past him from beside his net. Thatcher would not stop them all though, as T.J. Brennan banged in a rebound for his 12th goal of the season. Mike Vecchione picked up his 19th assist of the year on the play, while Travis Sanheim earned his 13th.

The Comets were looking to get that goal back when Guillaume Brisebois put a shot on net with David Dziurzynski looking for some garbage, but he was unable to get his stick on the rebound.

Patrick Wiercioch sent a point shot wide, but Boucher grabbed the rebound and quickly put it on the net and Muse was ready with the save.

The Comets would get their first chance with the man advantage when Nicolas Aube-Kubel was whistled for tripping at the 7:43 mark.

Michael Carcone dished a pass to Tony Cameranesi, who caught a speeding Griffen Molino blowing past a Phantoms’ defender, only to see Muse shut the door with another save. Michael Chaput got a low, hard shot off, but Muse grabbed it and held on.

Patrick Wiercioch would continue his excellent play of late when he received a heady pass from Molino, took an extra step and wired it over the shoulder of Muse to tie the game at four. The goal was Wiercioch’s eighth of the season, while Molino earned his fifth helper of the year on the play and Zack MacEwen picked up his 21st.

The Phantoms weren’t taking their foot off the gas, as Greg Carey forced Demko into a glove save right after the Wiercioch goal.

Just 2:30 after the Wiercioch goal, the Phantoms took a 5-4 lead when Phil Varone came in and wired a wrister over the glove of Demko for his third goal of the game and 17th of the season. Travis Sanheim picked up the lone assist, his 14th of the year.

The Comets weren’t going down without a fight though as Zack MacEwen fired a high shot that was turned aside before a Dylan Blujus wrister was tipped in front, somehow Muse was ready with another save.

At the other end of the ice, Colin McDonald ripped a shot off the iron.

Trent Cull would summon Demko to the bench with a minute remaining on the clock and 16 seconds later the Phantoms put the game away with an empty-net goal. Cole Bardreau picked up his fifth goal of the season on the play, while Phillipe Myers earned his second helper of the day and 12th of the season.

The Comets tried to make it interesting at the end when Carcone used a spin and fire move to get a puck on the net, but muse made the save on the redirect. Carcone followed that up with a pass to Chaput, who saw Muse make yet another save and the clock would run down.

That was it in Utica as the Comets dropped a 6-4 decision to the Phantoms. The Comets finished with a 16-10 advantage on the shot clock for the period and a 40-25 advantage for the game.

The Three Stars in the building today were:

3rd Star: Greg Carey. One goal.

2nd Star: Michael Carcone. Two goals.

1st Star: Phil Varone. Three goals, one assist.

3rd Star: Reid Boucher. Boucher picked up a pair of assist today to give him 23 goals and 21 assists, good for 44 points in 40 games. Boucher has now blown past his previous career high of 22 goals and 38 points in an AHL season. He now has three points in two games since returning from his latest stint with the Canucks.

2nd Star: Patrick Wiercioch. Wiercioch picked up a goal and an assist today and now has eight goals and 16 assists to give him 24 points in 34 games this season. He has put up seven points in his last six games. I think that if I were Jim Benning, that I would be picking up the phone and pumping Wiercioch’s tires around the league and trying to move him to a playoff club looking for depth on the back end.

1st Star: Michael Carcone. The Comets’ speedy winger picked up two goals today and now has  12 goals and 10 assists to give him 22 points on the season. He has surpassed his previous career high of five goals and 13 assists, good for 18 points, that he put up last season. Carcone plays much bigger than his size and he can flat out fly. It will be interesting to see how things play out for him down the stretch and into next season. I could see Carcone playing the part of playoff hero should the Comets find themselves getting games in the extra season.

4:00 pm Pacific