Utica Comets Post-Game Report

Game #24

At Laval Rocket

Saturday, December 1st, 2018

3:00 pm Eastern/12:00 noon Pacific

Pre-Game

The 25th overall Utica Comets rolled into Laval today to take on the 28th ranked Rocket, (Montreal affiliate) for the 24th game of the season. The Comets were showing a record of 9-12-1-1 coming into today’s action, while the Rocket had a record of 8-12-2-1 on the season. Just one point separated the two clubs as the Comets had 20 points to Laval’s 19.

Reid Boucher was the Comets leading scorer with 10 goals and seven assists, giving him 17 points in 13 games played this year. Zack MacEwen sat second on the strength of nine goals and eight assists to give himself 17 points in 23 games. Tanner Kero rounded out the Comets top three with seven goals and 10 assists to give himself 17 points in 23 games as well.

Jonathan Dahlen led the Comets active rookies with 3 goals and 10 assists, giving him 13 points in 22 games played. Jake Evans was the rookie leader for Laval with six goals and eight assists to give himself 14 points in 23 games this year.

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Alex Belzile was the top dog in Laval with two goals and 14 assists, giving him 16 points in 23 games this season. Evans sat second with his 14 points, while Byron Froese rounded out their top three with eight goals and five helpers, good for 13 points in 23 games.

The Comets power play was ranked 6th in the AHL after scoring 24 times on 104 opportunities for a success rate of 23.1%. Their penalty kill was the league’s 11th ranked unit after giving up 16 goals while shorthanded 95 times for an 83.2% success rate.

The Rocket power play was ranked 31st in the AHL after scoring just 12 times with 106 opportunities for a success rate of 11.3%. Their penalty kill was ranked 17th in the league after giving up 18 goals while down a man 98 times for a success rate of 81.6%.

Utica had gone 4-5-0-1 over their previous 10 games, while Laval had a record of 3-5-1-1 over that same span. The Comets were coming off of a 4-2 loss to Belleville, while the Rocket last played to a 3-2 overtime loss to Lehigh Valley.

The Comets brought a road record of 5-5-1-1 into today’s contest, while the Rocket had gone 5-5-1-1 at home.

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Laval had been outscored by a 63-58 margin this year, while the Comets had scored 65 times while giving up a staggering 85 goals. Only the Stockton Heat have given up more with 89 goals against this season. Only seven teams have scored fewer than Utica’s 65 goals as well.

The Comets have returned defender Brandon Anselmini to the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL, leaving them with seven healthy defensemen on the roster. Anselmini was recalled earlier in the week but did not see any action.

Comets Scratches

Wacey Hamilton, (week-to-week) Vincent Arseneau, (week-to-week) Jalen Chatfield, (week-to-week) Olli Juolevi, (week-to-week) Carter Bancks, (week-to-week), Jagger Dirk, Jonah Gadjovich, Lukas Jasek, and Petrus Palmu.

Comets Starting Lines

25 Darren Archibald (A) 10 Tanner Kero (A) – 24 Reid Boucher

54 Jonathan Dahlen – 21 Brendan Woods – 13 Kole Lind

58 Michael Carcone – 11 Cam Darcy – 15 Zack MacEwen

19 Tanner MacMaster – 27 Tony Cameranesi – 16 Brendan Gaunce

6 Ashton Sautner – 8 Dylan Blujus

55 Guillaume Brisebois – 26 Jaime Sifers (A)

2 Evan McEneny – 64 Jesse Graham

32 Richard Bachman

30 Thatcher Demko (backing up)

First Period

Well, this first period was a new experience from AHLTV. I had no sound for much of the period and when the sound finally did come on, it was in French until the feed dropped out completely for about three minutes. When I finally got the feed up again, I was able to once again hear Joe Roberts…in English with about two and a half minutes remaining in the period. As such, you will be getting a condensed first-period wrap-up.

On to the game. The Rocket were dinged with a delay of game penalty at the 1:59 mark after consecutive faceoff infractions. The Comets would get some shots through, but they would come up empty with the man advantage.

Michael Pezzetta was whistled for a cross-check at the 5:28 mark and it was back to the power play for Utica.

Reid Boucher would have a one-timer turned aside before Tanner Kero put his club up 1-0 with his eighth goal of the season. Those eight goals match his AHL totals from last season in Chicago. Evan McEneny picked up his sixth assist of the season as it was his point shot that Kero redirected on the play. Tanner MacMaster earned the other assist for his ninth of the year.

Kero tips a shot from @EvanMceneny2 on the power play and the Comets lead 1-0! @TannerMacMaster also picks up an assist!#UTIvsLAV pic.twitter.com/29U6yWJHtd — Utica Comets (@UticaComets) December 1, 2018

Zack MacEwen and Michael Carcone followed up with a busy shift, swarming the Laval net with the puck tangled up on the side of the cage. MacEwen followed up with a chance that was turned aside by Laval netminder Charlie Lindgren. It was a solid shift for the Carcone, Darcy, MacEwen trio.

The line of Dahlen, Woods and Lind followed up with a solid shift of their own in the Laval zone before Bachman had to steer aside a Laval chance off the rush. Bachman followed up by kicking aside another shot as the two clubs had some good back and forth.

Bachman kept the saves coming as he blockered away another chance before coming up with a big save on a Hunter Shinkaruk offering from the circle. At the other end of the ice, Jaime Sifers ripped a shot off the iron from the high slot, and that was when my game dropped out completely for a few minutes.

Daniel Audette was dinged for tripping at the 18:15 mark and it was back to the power play for Utica. McEneny teed Boucher up for a one-timer that was denied before MacMaster had a chance from the slot kicked aside. The period ended with a Lindgren save on a Jonathan Dahlen one-timer.

The Comets showed a 16-11 advantage on the shot clock for the opening frame.

Second Period

The Rocket kicked the second period off by killing the remainder of the Audette infraction before tying the game at one just 1:31 in. Alex Belzile was the goal scorer, picking up his third of the year, while Michael McCarron picked up his sixth helper of the season on the play and Alex Alain earned his seventh.

This was Laval’s Teddy Bear Toss night, so we had a lengthy delay while all of the stuffed animals were removed from the ice.

Once things got back underway, we saw Dahlen and Lind break in for a two-on-one chance that saw Dahlen’s pass go off Lind’s skate and Lind crashing into Lindgren. By the time the smoke had cleared, Lind was off to the box for goaltender interference.

The Comets were aggressive on this kill as Gaunce and Archibald did great work early, including a bone-crushing hit that Archibald dished out to Alex Alain in the Laval zone.

Bachman followed up with a pair of big saves before Lind came out of the box and right onto a breakaway. The rookie forward ripped his shot high of the net, however…next time, Kole…next time.

There was some more back and forth as this period of hockey was a good one. Karl Alzner let fly with a shot off the rush that was shut down by Bachman before Michael Pezetta put his team down a man after being whistled for boarding.

The Comets started their second unit and they ended up getting hemmed in briefly before the first unit came out and got the job done. Tanner Kero was robbed by Lindgren before Archibald put his team up 2-1 with his fifth goal of the year. Carcone picked up his 10th helper of the season on the play, while McEneny grabbed his seventh.

Archibald came looking for more when he unloaded with a shot and was stoned by Lindgren with a flash of the leather. Carcone tried to fool Lindgren with a bouncer from centre-ice and nearly got it to go, but Lindgren wrestled with the puck for a save.

Ryan Caulkin tied the game at two when he beat Bachman for his first goal of the season at the 12:02 mark. Byron Froese picked up his sixth helper of the year on the play, while McCarron grabbed his seventh.

Former Comets forward Hunter Shinkaruk hasn’t been having a great season, but he was looking to grab a goal against his former squad, letting fly with a shot at a wide-open net that missed everything as Comets play-by-play man Joe Roberts would say.

At the other end of the ice, Zack MacEwen hit Carcone with a pass in the slot, but Lindgren was ready with another save. Brendan Gaunce followed up with a solid hit in the offensive zone before Darren Archibald saw a nifty backhand chance turned aside as well.

Bachman followed up by gloving down a Byron Froese offering and held for the whistle. The Comets went the other way with a chance as Boucher clanged the iron with a shot before Guillaume Brisebois saw his point shot through traffic stopped by Lindgren.

Zack MacEwen picked up his 10th goal of the season at the 19:25 mark to put the Comets up 3-2 after using his sneaky good release to beat Lindgren off of a Cam Darcy faceoff win. Darcy picked up the lone assist on the play for his fifth of the season. This was game number 24 today, MacEwen scored 10 goals in his entire 66 game rookie campaign last year. That’s some pretty good player development from TheBigFella.

.@zmacewen11 puts the Comets ahead after two with an absolute dart off the faceoff! @cdarcy19 gets credit for the assist!#UTIvsLAV pic.twitter.com/aq3gxXDwh8 — Utica Comets (@UticaComets) December 1, 2018

Unfortunately, MacEwen also took a high-sticking penalty at the 19:54 mark and the Comets would be starting the final frame shorthanded.

Utica held a 14-9 advantage on the shot clock in the second period.

Third Period

Once again, AHLTV was having issues and much of the final frame was watched with no audio.

Bachman came up with a good save after some excellent puck movement from the Laval power play. Unfortunately, Hunter Shinkaruk picked up his second goal of the season from the resulting rebound. Michael McCarron earned his eighth assist of the season on the play, while Alex Belzile picked up his 15th. The game was tied at three with lots of hockey still to be played.

The two clubs had some good back and forth before the Comets got some great offensive zone pressure from the Archibald, Kero, Boucher line, however, the team had not yet registered a shot on net through the first five minutes.

Bachman swallowed up a Byron Froese shot and held for the whistle before the Carcone, Darcy, MacEwen line had a dangerous shift in the offensive zone. That line is a hard-working trio that can bring a physical element, a nasty edge, and some offence to boot. Trent Cull might just be dialling in a few of his lines now that he has most hands on deck up front.

Richard Bachman was playing well again today and he came up with a beauty of a desperation save on Nikita Jevpalovs before Boucher went the other way and was robbed by a kick save from Lindgren. Bachman followed up with yet another big save on Jevpalovs back at the other end of the ice.

Evan McEneny has also been playing well recently and he hit Tony Cameranesi with a sweet stretch pass that the pivot was unable to turn into any sort of offence. Brendan Woods followed up by being in the right place to get a scoring chance, only to bury his offering into the crest on Lindgren’s jersey.

Former Comets forward Alex Grenier let fly with a backhander off the rush, but Bachman whipped out the blocker for another save.

Nikita Jevpalovs was dinged with a double minor for high-sticking after clipping Archibald, sending him to the bench with a leaking face. Archibald would stay in the game.

Alex Alain had an early shorthanded chance that Bachman turned aside before Evan McEneny unloaded with a bomb past Lindgren for his second of the season. Carcone earned his 11th helper of the year on the play, (he had 12 last year in 68 games) while Reid Boucher picked up his eighth.

A lazer on the power play from @EvanMceneny2 put the Comets up 4-3!#UTIvsLAV pic.twitter.com/xo4YW7NeYB — Utica Comets (@UticaComets) December 1, 2018

Boucher came looking for more with a shot through traffic that was kicked aside by Lindgren before Brendan Gaunce tried to center the puck from behind the Laval net and put it in off of a Rocket defender for his fifth goal of the year. The tally was unassisted.

.@BrendanGaunce16 gets a fortunate bounce for his fifth of the year!#UTIvsLAV pic.twitter.com/j4uio8oqCs — Utica Comets (@UticaComets) December 1, 2018

Kole Lind is just getting back to playing after missing an extended period with an upper-body injury, so I haven’t been able to get much of a read on him yet, but today he did some nice work in his own end of the ice to force a turnover in the Comets favour, not long after the Gaunce goal.

Bachman came up with another save but was once again burned on the rebound chance as Victor Mete scored his first of the season for Laval after recently being sent down by the parent Habs. McCarron picked up his ninth assist of the season and a fourth of the game on the play, while Alex Alain earned his eighth helper of the year. The Rocket were back within a goal.

Bachman followed up the goal with a good pad save before Kero, Boucher, and Archibald came back with another aggressive shift. Archibald had another chance denied before Bachman came up with another big save on Grenier at the other end. Dylan Blujus got turnstiled at the Comets blueline and Grenier ended up with the scoring chance and Bachman said, no.

MacEwen came into the Laval zone with some speed, to go along with a few dipsy doodles to take the puck to the slot, putting it towards the net for Carcone who saw his chance foiled by Byron Froese.

With time running out on Laval, Lindgren was summoned to the bench for the extra attacker with 1:06 remaining in the period. Bachman made a quick save on Maxim Lamarche and held for the whistle. Laval called their timeout but they would be unable to muster another goal. The Comets held on for a 5-4 win.

Laval showed a 13-8 edge in shots over the final frame, but Utica had a 38-33 advantage for the game.

Today’s Official Boxscore

Comets Goals:

Kero (8) from McEneny (6) and MacMaster (9). PP goal.

Archibald (5) from Carcone (10) and McEneny (7). PP goal.

MacEwen (10) from Darcy (5).

McEneny (2) from Carcone (11) and Boucher (8). PP goal.

Gaunce (5). Unassisted.

The Three Stars in the building today were:

3rd Star: Richard Bachman. 29 saves.

2nd Star: Michael McCarron. Four assists.

1st Star: Reid Boucher. One assist.

CanucksArmy’s Three Stars.

3rd Star: Reid Boucher. All the man does is put up points…oh, and he is a pretty solid player on the defensive side of things for Utica as well. Boucher grabbed another point today in the form of his eighth assist of the season. He is now up to 10 goals and eight helpers to give himself 18 points in 14 games. Boucher was credited with eight shots on goal today, and that alone is enough to create opportunities for his linemates.

2nd Star: Zack MacEwen. TheBigFella grabbed his 10th goal today in his 24th game with a sneaky good release. MacEwen scored 10 goals last season in 66 games as a rookie. He has taken on penalty killing duties this year to go along with his power play time to become an all-situations player for Trent Cull’s Comets. I find it kind of fitting that MacEwen matched last season’s goal total in Trent Cull’s 100th game behind the Comets bench, as the player and coach have been growing together since last season when both joined the team for their first year in Utica.

1st Star: Michael Carcone. Carcone did it again with another two-point game today. He is now up to six goals and 11 helpers this year, giving him 17 points in 20 games played. He has nine points in his last six games, picking up two points in four of his last six outings. The speedy forward continues to improve his game under Trent Cull and his coaching staff and has become a bit of a Mr. Everything for the club. He kills penalties, plays the point on the power play and is a relentless worker in all three zones. It is certainly looking like Carcone is on the right path for another career year with the Comets.

Next Game

Game #25

At Rochester Americans

Wednesday, December 5th, 2018

7:05 pm Eastern/4:05 pm Pacific





