After losing three games in a row, the Utica Comets (AHL) snapped that skid in their first game of the prior week. However, after that win, and despite getting off to great starts in their next two games, the Comets ended the week with two straight losses. With only 12 games left, any playoff hopes seem all but gone.
For last week’s review, click here.
Weekly Results
Comets 4, Checkers 3; Mar. 19
The Comets started the week off on the right foot, as they used a huge first period to propel them to victory. Wednesday’s first period saw four goals, with Utica scoring three of them and going up 3-1 just 9:32 into the game.
Jack Malone, who scored a natural hat trick earlier in the season, threatened doing so again, getting the game’s first two tallies; his eighth and ninth of the season. Nathan Légaré, who assisted on Malone’s second goal, got the period’s fourth and final goal. Mike Hardman picked up an assist on each of the three Comets first period scores.
The game’s second period was another busy frame. Another three goals were scored, with Utica only chipping in one. Xavier Parent regained the Comets their lead, 4-3, as he scored just over a minute after Charlotte tied the game. Marc McLaughlin, acquired in exchange for defenseman Daniil Misyul at the trade deadline, picked up an assist; his first point as a Comet.
After seven goals in the game’s first two periods, the third period went scoreless and the Comets got the 4-3 decision. Three Comets scored multiple points: Hardman (three assists), Malone (two goals), and Légaré (goal, assist). Nico Daws got the win, stopping 28-of-31. Utica, who chased the Charlotte starting goaltender in the game’s first period, only had 24 shots in the game.
Checkers 3, Comets 2 (OT); Mar. 2
The Comets looked like they were well underway to a two-game sweep of an extremely strong Checkers team. However, a late Checkers surge resulted in only one point for Utica.
Utica jumped out to an early 2-0 as Austin Strand (2) scored just two minutes in, and Jonathan Gruden got a shorthanded goal two minutes into the second. The goal Gruden scored, who was acquired in the Cody Glass trade at the deadline, was his first as a Comet. Strand also picked up an assist on the shorthanded tally giving him two points in two periods.
After Utica got the two-goal lead early in the second frame, the Checkers scored three unanswered, with the last being a Michael Benning overtime winner with just about a minute left in the extra frame. Isaac Poulter got the started and saved 27-of-30 in the loss. Utica outshot Charlotte 35-30 despite only notching one point.
Americans 4, Comets 3; Mar. 23
It was another offensive onslaught in the Comets’ final game of the week. Against the North Division’s second-best team, Utica once again jumped out to an early lead, for the third-straight game, but were unable to hold it, dropping their second game in a row.
Utica scored just two minutes into the game via Filip Engaras’ third of the season. The Comets furthered their lead nine minutes into period two as Brian Halonen extended his team goal-scoring lead to 22. After that goal, Rochester struck for four straight, changing a 2-0 deficit to a 4-2 lead.
Austin Strand got his second goal of the week with just two seconds left in the game to make the score look a little better. Daws made his second start of the week, stopping 32-of-35. Both teams had 36 shots in the game. Marc McLaughlin was the only Comet with two points in the game (both assists).
Statistic Update
At the NHL trade deadline, the New Jersey Devils acquired forward Marc McLaughlin in exchange for defenseman Daniil Misyul from the Boston Bruins. Since the deal, the 25-year-old has been skating in a second-line role between Parent and Halonen. In doing so, he has picked up three points over his last three games. With Providence (AHL) prior to the trade, he had 14 points in 34 games this season. The undrafted free agent from Boston College has 26 NHL games and 175 AHL games under his belt.
Another forward who had a big week was Mike Hardman. Hardman, 26 years old, had four points over the last week and now has five points in his last four games (one goal, four assists). Hardman is in his first season within the Devils’ organization after being signed in the offseason from Rockford (AHL). The 36 points he’s on pace for would be the second highest of his AHL career.
Lastly, defenseman Austin Strand had a nice week as well. The 28-year-old AHL veteran came over midseason from Rockford and has been playing a top-four role. Over the past week, he had four points (two goals, two assists). Strand is closing in on 300 career AHL games (289) which has been split among six different AHL teams. The right-handed defenseman has also skated in 26 NHL games.
Standings Update
After another losing week, Utica’s playoff hopes are extremely dim. The Comets’ 24-29-5-2 record gives them 55 points which is 13 off the Syracuse Crunch who sit in the North Division’s final playoff spot. Belleville sits between Utica and Syracuse with 66 points. All three teams have played 60 games. There are only 12 games to play.
Upcoming Schedule
The Comets have off until Friday, but that will start another three games in three days run. Utica will travel to Syracuse to take on the fifth-place Crunch before back-to-back games against the Hershey Bears, who have the second-most points in the league and are one of three teams to already have clinched a playoff berth.