Highlights

Numbers

Quick Hits

• While the score was kept close for most of the game, it was pretty clear Utica was chasing the play for most of the night. There was extremely little sustained pressure in the Monarchs zone at even strength, and a fair number of their shot attempts came in transition and off the rush.
• Even then, I can’t really recall a fantastic chance the Comets generated off the rush. Manchester’s speed allowed them to stay with the Comets and apply good back pressure, resulting in a lot of Utica players curling at the blueline looking for a pass rather than finding a lane towards the net.
• The score flattered the Comets tonight as the game could have gotten out of hand early. Just a few moments in to the game, a Monarchs player got a grade-A scoring chance in the slot, but rang a shot off the crossbar behind Markstrom.
• Utica really seemed unable to get their bearings at any point other than the late first and late second period. Other than that, it was pretty thorough Monarchs domination. The Comets did their best to hang on and keep shots to the outside, but even then there were a number of goalmouth scrambles that Utica was lucky the Monarchs couldn’t score on.
• Of course, Jacom Markstrom played well too, making an especially nice diving glove save at one point in the second period.
• In terms of Canucks prospects, it was a pretty nondescript night. Jake Virtanen hammered 6’6″ Jeff Schultz from behind and put him out of the game and looked strong and fast, but did basically nothing in terms of manufacturing offense. Hunter Shinkaruk looked shifty on a couple of rushes, but was otherwise pretty quiet. Brendan Gaunce played well on Utica’s penalty kill, but like the rest of his team was virtually silenced on offense.
• The most impressive Comet was Sven Baertschi, who scored a goal, had another chance himself, and set up a handful more. Unfortunately, he went crashing hard into the net in the first period, and didn’t play a shift from about halfway through the second period onwards.

• Speed is perhaps the hardest thing to contain in hockey, and Manchester (especially their top line) has speed to burn. They were borderline unstoppable through the neutral zone, and the Comets simply couldn’t prevent guys like Jordan Weal from making plays at their blueline.
• Jacob Markstrom is the great equalizer, but you can’t count on him to win you games. Utica will absolutely have to find a way to either slow down the Monarchs or catch up to them and manufacture some more offense if they hope to win this series.