Whats up guys, Farmies back at it again with another double dosage of Comets coverage. Tonight the Coemts run it back against the Syracuse Crunch, looking to earn some points as they fight for a playoff spot, hopefully the boys worked out the kinks and come into tonight prepared to fix their mistakes!
McEneny a lower-body injury.
Boucher “nicked.”
Both per Joe Roberts on the radio.
R.I.P
Wellp, with Reid Boucher out of the lineup, the scoring pressure falls to Zack MacEwen, Tanner Kero and Brendan Gaunce who will form our 1st line tonight. Absolutely no clue where they find goals in the rest of the lineup though because it looks rough!
Starting Lineup
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Gaunce | Kero | MacEwen |
| Lind | Woods | Pyatt |
| Jasek | Darcy | Bancks |
| Arseneau | Gardiner | Gadjovich |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Anselmini | Sifers |
| Petgrave | Chatfield |
| Saucerman | Graham |
| G |
|---|
| Marek Mazanec |
RE: INJURY REPORT
| Injury Report | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachman | Boucher | Blujus | Juolevi | LeBlanc | McEneny | Hamilton |
| Out for the Season | undisclosed | hand | Out for the season | Undisclosed | Lower body injury | Undisclosed |
| Healthy Scratches |
|---|
| Thomas |
| 5 |
With injuries to LeBlanc, Boucher AND McEneny, this looks legitimately like a junior or ECHL team featuring a first line of NHL players. That D-Core holy quacamole…and people think the Canucks have got it bad…that’s 36 year old Sifers, 3 PTO’s and Jesse Graham holding it down on the back end.
Streamable Clarity Improvement Notice
Continuing with last issues theme, going to be Players full name (jersey number) – place in streamable (if not outright obvious) then every sub sequential play featuring that player it’ll be last name(jersey number) – place in streamable (if not outright obvious) I’m also going to reduce the amount of hyperlink in the GOAL streamables, since that’s what I think MOST people are here for and don’t want some gaudy blue taking up the screen.
1st period
Comets in White
- GOAL – SYRACUSE – 1-0 Comets: a lazy clear from Jalen Chatfield(#5) along the boards lets Taylor Raddysh pick up the puck easily and give it to Ross Colton behind the net… whole team watches Colton as he sets up Raddysh who easily taps in the setup pass to open the scoring 52 seconds in the game
- That’s two awful giveaways from Chatfield in two games that directly led to goals against
- legitimately one of the funniest things I’ve seen while doing the Farmies… this kid represents what it feels like watching Comets hockey the past two weeks
- Joe Roberts on the Mic confirms – Comets have gone 8 games without a first period goal…the jinx is in
- Cam Darcy has a burst of speed on a zone entry and centers the puck but theres too much traffic for Lukas Jasek to settle the puck for a shot
- Colton Saucerman breaks up two offensive rushes from Syracuse in one shift
- Kole Lind(#13) ALMOST keeps it onside with a slick pass but is just a bit too late getting the pass off, too bad as it was a slick tape to tape feed
- Brendan Gaunce(#16) catches his own rebound and weaves through traffic to get a shot off on Pasquale, Gaunce manages to draw a hooking penalty on Conacher as well
- 1st unit powerplay: MacEwen, Kero, Pyatt, Graham, Gaunce
- 1st unit fails on 2 passes to Graham on the blue, then gives it away for an easy clearing attempt so the 2nd unit comes out only to be hemmed into their own end
- 2nd Unit: Jasek, Lind, Darcy, Anselmini, Gadjovich
- Lukas Jasek(#9) goes to dump the puck but it goes of Boris Katchouk and the opposite way for a shorthanded chance…Jasek gets a little aggressive with te stick lift and gets dinged for hooking in return
- 1st Unit penalty kill: Woods, Chatfield, Sifers, Bancks
- 2nd Unit PK: Gaunce, Pyatt, Saucerman, Sifers
- GOAL – SYRACUSE – 2-0 Crunch: Comets second shift fails to clear a rebound off Mazanec’s pads and Alex Barre-Boulet makes it 2-zip
- Cam Darcy(#11) gets high-sticked by the 6’9” Oleg Sosunov
- 1st unit powerplay comes up: Pyatt, Kero , MacEwen, Gaunce
- Gaunce(#16) taking one-timer lessons from Boucher
- 2nd unit: Jasek, Gadjovich, Darcy, Anselmini, Lind
- Lukas Jasek gets off a slapper from the right circle and the ricochet goes off the ref straight to a Crunch defender allowing for an easy clear and effectively ends the powerplay
- Jonah Gadjovich(#22) hits the breaks after skating behind a Crunch forward and gets dinged for interference Comets second penalty kill of the night
- 1st pk group: Kero, MacEwen, Sifers, Chatfield
- 2nd shift: Pyatt, Darcy, Sifers, Bancks
- Respect to Sifers who always doubleshifts on the the penalty kill
Score at the end of the first period: 2-0 Crunch
The jinx is set, 9 straight games of being unable to score in the first period. Shots were amazingly in favor of the Comets on that one 5 to 4. Petty slow going period, once again poor defending opens the scoring against… I’m hopeful that the team can find that gear late, like they did on Wednesday, but without the firepower of Boucher on that right side it really isn’t looking too hot.
2nd Period
- Zack MacEwen(#15) takes a run at the young tree Oleg Sosunov
- Darcy(#11) gets the puck to Carter Bancks(#34) at center who goes back to the blue line to Jesse Graham(#64) who rips a quick feed back to a trailing Darcy(#11)for a close chance on Crunch tendy Eddie Pasquale
- MacEwen(# 15)picks up the puck at the front of the Crunch’ net turns to the boards then hits the brakes and breaks Cal Foote’s ankles before turning for a shot on goal
- Graham(#64 )gets the puck then literally walks around the Crunch end of the rink before putting a weak backhand on net, nice move of MacEwen to go through the legs for a centering feed
- Tom Pyatt gets dinged for hooking and the Comets are back to the penalty kill
- 1st group: Chatfield, Kero, Sifers, MacEwen
- MacEwen is able to clear, but only the forward pair is able to shift off
- Comets kill the PK, then on the first shift of 5v5, Colton Saucerman gets dinged for slashing and the Comets are right back onto the penalty kill
- Jasek(#9) loses the faceoff draw but Graham(#64) holds the clear attempt on the blue line, passes to Darcy(#11) who sets up Jasek for a drive on the net but he gets denied by Pasquale
- A long shift for this Darcy/Jasek/Bancks group as Jasek(#9) takes a pass from the D then goes cross ice to Darcy(#11) who attempts to set up Bancks(#34) with a pass through the defenders legs
- Syracuse gets dinged for having too many men with 16 seconds left in the period so the Comets will start the 3rd on the man advantage
The Score at the end of the 2nd period: 2-0 Crunch
I’d really like to see a finisher like MacEwen moved to the Darcy/Jasek line, they’ve definitely created the most chances with great passing plays but have been unable to capitalize…The only bright spot in an otherwise dull lifeless period of hockey from both teams. Comets get outshot 11 to 8 but manage to kill 2 penalties.
3rd Period
- Lol, Brendan Gaunce takes a tripping penalty 12 seconds into the third so RIP powerplay
- Brandon Anselmini(#7) gets a fantastic centering feed to Tanner Kero(#10) but he holds it for way too long and gets no height on his backhand, huge blown opportunity here
- Vincent Arseneau(#18) ices the puck but Gadjovich(#22) outraces the defender to negate it
- Comets have two offensive zone draws back to back and both times Jaime Sifers cranks a bomb on Eddie Pasquale from the blue line
- Gadjovich( #22)with a quick and slick pass to Colton Saucerman(#39) who rips a shot from the blue line on Eddie Pasquale
- Comets with quite a few offensive zone starts in this third period, but the top 6 struggling to set up any plays
- Little Things Lukas Jasek(#9) battling hard along the boards, setting up Bancks(#34) at center
- GOAL – SYRACUSE – 3-0 Crunch: Mazanec with a softie, as he’s well off his post as Alexander Volkov cruises on a drive to the net, catches his rebound and scores from the goal line with a weak backhander
- Alexander Volkov gets called for holding with 4 minutes remaining, and the Comets are off to their 4th powerplay
- 1st group: Pyatt, MacEwen, Gaunce, Graham, Kero
- Besides speed, I don’t really think Pyatt brings much on the left wing spot on the wall…cant one time with his left hand shot ….unfortunate powerplay set up
- GOAL – SYRACUSE – 4-0 Crunch: A clearing attempt ricochets hard off the skate of Brandon Anselmini and Gabriel Dumont brings it to center for a shot on the empty net that all but seals it for the Crunch
- Jasek(#9) forechecking aggressively when Reid Gardiner(#14) comes in out of nowhere to poke the puck loose onto Jasek’s stick right at the front of the net but he gets denied again by Pasquale
- LOL Vincent Arseneau, admirably instigates Oleg Sosunov, Joe Roberts with a great call, “Sosunov @ 6’9”, Arseneau @ NOT 6’9”
- Last minute of play and Cull has rolled out, Graham, Anselmini, Arseneau, Jasek, Darcy
Final Score: 4-0 Syracuse Crunch
Scoresheet
| Period | Team | Goalscorer | Primary assist | helper | type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Syracuse | Taylor Raddysh | Ross Colton | — | 5V5 |
| 1st | Syracuse | Alex Barre-Boulet | Andy Andreoff | Carter Verhaeghe | PPG |
| 3rd | Syracuse | Alexander Volkov | Nolan Valleau | Gabriel Dumont | 5v5 |
| 3rd | Syracuse | Gabriel Dumont | Nolan Valleau | — | EN |
Takeaways
- well… it wasn’t the WORST game of hockey…there was some upside…Jonah Gadjovich, Cam Darcy and Lukas Jasek continue to look like the only guys playing hockey in this past 6 game stretch. Truly not a whole lot to say about this game…a LOT of invisible players tonight. Didn’t even realize Gardiner was playing until that pokecheck that set up Jasek. Lind continues his stretch of just being a complete non-factor….I’m desperately hoping for some serious line shakeups after this stretch, the team needs a wake up call…
- Saucerman and Graham looked good tonight, they held it down on the back end pretty well tonight and had quite a few shots of their own, Saucerman had a few clutch play breakups too which was good to see…can tell the powerplay units are frustrated as fuck out there…the passing to the blue line is just not there whatsoever.
- Got to remind myself this is against the North Divisions leading team, so perhaps these last two games are a blip on the radar…but without Evan McEneny and possibly Reid Boucher, this team’s playoff dreams are in serious fucking trouble. A tonne of this teams offense was off the back of plays set up by Evan McEneny, and frankly not a single one of the current d-men on roster can fill that void. Even Guillaume Brisebois being returned to Utica wouldn’t fill that void… we are through the looking glass people!
- Apologies for the lateness on this one, was prepping mostly all day and night for a brief stint on Rink Wide on TSN1040, I got so caught up in planning I forgot to even mention it in the last Farmies or on the Canucks Discord, so apologies to those who missed it but wanted to listen in – ill have a link if they clip the segment – and to those who tuned in I appreciate the ever loving fuck out of you!
Comets Three Stars
- Lukas Jasek
- Cam Darcy
- Jonah Gadjovich
HM: no one
What’s Next?
The hockey gods were on the Comets side tonight, despite losing 5 of their last 6, miraculously the Belleville Senators 17 game Pointstreak came to an end Thursday, and then they lost again tonight 4-zip to keep the Comets and Sens deadlocked in a VERY tight race for 4th place in the North Division…Honestly given how bad this team has looked in the last few weeks, that last spot in the Calder playoffs is just ripe for the taking, but the Gods are on our side, so heres hoping our boys can step up huge tomorrow against the Laval Rocket.
The Rocket are currently the 7th team in the North Division and are winless in the month of March, with their most recent game being a 3-zip loss to the Toronto Marlies. The Rocket have the 2nd worst powerplay% and 2nd worst penalty killing % in the North Division, so in THEORY…the Comets have a chance…that being said… I am not holding my breath, as I just spent my Wednesday and Friday night watching a team go 0 for 11 on the powerplay…I dunno…maybe the Quinn Hughes foot injury has me thinking negative… positive approach though, I believe that if the Comets are going to break this losing streak, its going to be against the Burrows coached Laval Rocket…it has to happen. I believe it to be true.
Until tomorrow night, I Hope you guys enjoyed this edition of the Farmies, and as always any feedback, improvement suggestions, content or highlights you’d like me to focus/pick out during games, let me know and I’ll do my best to provide during the next Farmies!
