The Utica Comets (AHL) suffered a setback this past week, after posting a three-game stint where the team tallied at least a point in each. This past week, the Comets won their first game then dropped their final games of the weeks in back-to-back one-goal defeats on home ice.
On a positive note, forward Lenni Hämeenaho has really turned it on after a very disappointing start. He had goals in back-to-back games to end the week. His six goals are now tied for the team-lead with Xavier Parent.
Utica has had a lot of movement in terms of transactions this past week. As the big club continues to suffer injuries and other absences, forward Xavier Parent and defenseman Callen Addison were called up. As a response, the Comets recalled forwards Josh Filmon and Tag Bertuzzi.
For last week’s review, click here.
Weekly Results
Comes 3, Crunch 2; Dec. 10
A week after writing about how defenseman Dimitri Osipov has not exactly been passing the eye test, he scored two goals in a victory over a very strong Crunch team. Utica got their week started off right on Wednesday via a 3-2 victory.
Osipov scored in the game’s first and second periods. Syracuse sandwiched a goal in between and the score stood at 2-1. The Comets then added a third goal of the second period, as Seamus Casey scored his first of the season on a power play with just 10 seconds left. Thomas Bordeleau and Shane Lachance picked up the power-play assists.
The rest of the game remained scoreless and the Comets won 3-2. This, at the time, extended Utica’s point streak to four games (3-1-0-0).
Osipov led the way with the two goals. He had three across a two-game period. Nico Daws got the win, stopping 22-of-24.
Wolf Pack 2, Comets 1; Dec. 12
The Comets returned to their losing ways on Friday. Doomed by the power play, Utica lost to the Hartford Wolf Pack 2-1. All three of the goals came while Utica was on the power play.
Hartford started the scoring in the first period, as Brennan Othmann scored a shorthanded goal. In the second period, the Comets momentarily tied the game as Lenni Hämeenaho sniped one home. Seamus Casey and Matyas Melovsky picked up the assists. However, Hartford scored their second shorthanded goal just about 50 seconds later. The goal by Adam Sýkora ended up being the game-winner as Hartford took the game 2-1.
Despite the loss, Utica outshot Hartford 27-24. Utica’s penalty kill played quite well, holding the Wolf Pack 0-for-4. Jakub Málek got a rare start, played decently well, stopping 22-of-24.
Thunderbirds 3, Comets 2; Dec. 13
The Comets ended their home back-to-back set with another loss. Utica dropped another one-goal deficit, losing 3-2 to the lowly Springfield Thunderbirds. It was a game the Comets played quite well in, but just weren’t able to capture.
The game’s first goal was not scored until the second period. Jonathan Gruden scored as Dylan Wendt picked up his first AHL assist of the season. Springfield then responded with two goals of their own, one at the end of the second and beginning of the third, to take a 2-1 lead.
Utica scored shortly after the Thunderbirds’ second tally, as Hämeenaho got another, which was assisted by Lachance and Melovsky. However, Otto Stenberg scored for the Thunderbirds just four minutes after the Comets’ game-tying goal to defeat Utica 3-2.
Utica outplayed the Thunderbirds, outshooting them 34-21. Daws started the second half of the back-to-back, stopping only 18-of-21.
Statistics Update
As mentioned above, forward Lenni Hämeenaho had another strong week. He scored goals on Friday and Saturday, increasing his season total to six. After beginning the season scoreless in his first nine games, Hämeenaho has eight points (six goals, two assists) in his last 13 games. Hämeenaho entered the season fourth in our preseason organizational prospects rankings.
Two declarative statements came be said about 21-year-old Seamus Casey. He is a budding offensive talent but needs a lot of work defensively. Casey is continuing to display this offensive talent as he two more points this past week, including his first goal of the season. Casey is now up to 10 points in 16 games. He has seven across his last seven as well.
Standings Update
After losing two of their three games this past week, the Comets sit with a 5-14-3-1 record. This has them dead-last in the AHL trailing the Iowa Wild by one point. Utica is trailing the Belleville Senators by 11 points for the North Division’s final playoff spot.
Upcoming Schedule
Utica has another three-game week coming up. They begin on the road against the Rochester Americans on Wednesday. They then end the week with a home-and-home series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday and Saturday. Rochester sits in third in the North Division while the Penguins are tops in the Atlantic Division and second in the AHL.