It was a much better week for the Utica Comets, AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, from January 8 through 11. The Comets notched two decisive wins with a loss to one of the best teams in the AHL sandwiched in between. Each decisive victory had a Comet post three points; first, Simon Nemec, then Nolan Foote.
For last week’s preview, please click here.
Weekly Results
Comets 5, Crunch 1; Jan. 8
The Comets started the week off well against the now 16-11-5-3 Syracuse Crunch. The first and third periods had all the action, as the second frame was scoreless.
In the first period, Mike Hardman (10) and Shane Bowers (1) helped the Comets out to a 2-0 lead just under five minutes into the game. The Crunch were able respond late, pushing the score to 2-1 after one period. As mentioned, the second period was scoreless, but the action picked back up in the third.
In period three, the Comets scored all three of the period’s goals. Jack Malone (3), Simon Nemec (3), and Joe Gambardella (3) were the goal scorers. Nemec also assisted (8) on Gambardella’s tally, which pushed his game point total to three. The goal was Gambardella’s second point of the game.
The shot totals in the game were low, as the Comets held the edge 24-21. Isaac Poulter was in net, and responded after a tough last week, stopping 20-of-21 in victory. Utica started out the week very strong.
Americans 5, Comets 1; Jan. 10
The Comets’ second game of the week was an extremely tough test in the form of a visit to the AHL’s third-best team and the North Division leaders. In Rochester, the Comets were on the other end of a 5-1 scoreline.
It was a very promising start for the Comets, as the captain, Ryan Schmelzer, potted his fifth goal of the season to give Utica an early lead. After leading 1-0 after the first period, the Americans scored five unanswered goals to end the game; two in the second and three in the third.
Special teams were huge in this one. The Comets went 0-for-4 on the power play while the Americans had seven man-advantage chances and scored twice. As a result, there were a ton of shots in the game, as Rochester led the shot on goal battle 37-30. Isaac Poulter got the loss for the Comets, stopping 32 of the 37 shots he faced.
Comets 4, Marlies 1; Jan. 11
Saturday’s game went almost identically in reverse of the Comets’ loss the night before. After giving up the first goal of the game to a Marlies team which currently sit fourth in the North Division standing, Utica scored the last four goals of the game.
Before the first period ended, Utica answered the Marlies’ lone goal, a power play tally, that happed just over three minutes into the game. Filip Engaras (2), a 25-year-old former sixth-round pick by Edmonton, was the one that scored. It came via assists by defender Dmitry Osipov (first point as a Comet) and Nolan Foote (11). Osipov was recently acquired from the Hershey Bears; the 28-year-old was undrafted and has played 204 AHL games and 123 ECHL games.
The Comets potted one goal in the second period and two more in the third period to end the game. Brian Halonen got his team-leading 13th goal of the season in the second frame, and Nolan Foote tallied two goals (7, 8) in the third, one being a shorthanded marker with less than four minutes left in the contest. Halonen assisted on one of those goals, given him his second point of the game.
The Comets outshot Toronto 33-28 in the game. 28-year-old Jeremy Brodeur notched his first career AHL victory in the game, stopping 27-of-28. He was strong in the ECHL last season, posting a 0.918 save percentage across 32 games. Now, getting a shot with Nico Daws injured.
Statistics Update
Both Simon Nemec and Nolan Foote tallied three-point games during the week. The 20-year-old Nemec is up to 11 points in 22 games this season and Foote is at 19 points in 26 games. Foote ranks third on the team in points and in AHL Tracker‘s game score per game metric (GS/G) which helps track overall on-ice impacts.
Brian Halonen’s three-point week has him sitting at 21 on the season, tops on the team. He also leads the team in goals (13) and is second in GS/G. The individual who is tops on the team in GS/G is Adam Beckman. His 20 points trails only Halonen and he leads the team in assists (13). The former Wild top prospect had two points during the week, he was acquired in exchange for Graeme Clarke in the offseason.
Standings Update
After a 2-1 week, the Comets now sit at 9-18-2-2 on the season. That 22 point total is 11 behind the next closest team to the Comets in the North Division standings; the sixth-place Senators. To qualify for the playoffs, Utica would need to move from seventh to fifth. Currently, fifth-place Syracuse are 18 points up on the Comets.
Upcoming Schedule
In the upcoming week, the Comets are set to play three more games. They start the week with two-straight home games against the Hartford Wolfpack on Wednesday and the Laval Rockets on Friday. They finish the week off on a second end of a back-to-back against the Rockets in Laval on Saturday. Hartford sits sixth in the Atlantic Division, while the Rockets are third in the North Division.
Note, Seamus Casey remains sidelined due to injury. It was also announced that Casey is the Comets’ All-Star Classic representative.