Whats up Canucks fans, Farmies back at it again with another no-holds barred adrenaline fueled thrill ride! The Comets take on the Belleville Senators, a team that put together one of the leagues best point streaks to usurp the 4th and final Calder playoff spot from the Comets…granted…any team could usurp the Comets place in the standings these days as they have just struggled immensely to have things go their way. They’ve currently dropped a season worst seven straight games and have several of their best players riding quite lengthy pointless/goalless droughts.
Weirdly enough I think this is one of the few times this season where both the NHL club AND the AHL club are facing both the NHL-AHL tandem on the same night.
The team has a few guys returning to the lineup for the first time in what seems like ages; Dylan Blujus returns to the lineup after picking up a hand injury on February 1st, Tom Pyatt also slides back into the lineup after being out with a concussion during a March 9th game. Granted that’s not the heavy hitters we were hoping for like Reid Boucher or you know…any of the core guys currently with the Canucks…but hey it’s a start!
So you know what, im going to downplay the negativity and just hop straight into tonight’s lineup and maybe that’ll will some good puck karma from the Cosmos for the Comets.
Starting Lineup
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Gaunce | Kero | Jasek |
| Pyatt | Darcy | MacEwen |
| Bancks | Woods | Lind |
| Arseneau | Malone | Gardiner |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Blujus | Chatfield |
| LeBlanc | Sifers |
| Graham | Saucerman |
| G |
|---|
| Michael Leighton |
Not sure I’m a fan of splitting up Jasek and MacEwen, they had some great passing and play setups between them last game…Gaunce isn’t exactly a finisher, so that first/second line of Gaunce/Kero/Jasek will probably be odd as that’s 3 playmakers, not finishers on a line together. If Anything I would’ve liked to see, Jasek-Darcy-MacEwen, as Jasek and Darcy had great chemistry a few games ago, and most recently Jasek/MacEwen did… but what do I Know!
RE: INJURY REPORT
| Injury Report | — | — | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachman | Boucher | Juolevi | McEneny | Hamilton | Gadjovich |
| Out for the Season | hand | Out for the season | Out for the season | Neck Injury | Upper Body Injury |
| Healthy Scratches | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anselmini | Petgrave | Stevenson | Thomas |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
I’m actually pretty shocked Anselmini got scratched, but not really surprising given the teams roster decisions this season…he’d looked like a better powerplay QB than any of our other 2nd unit QB’s and played quite physical and did a great job in his own end. That being said, I’m fucking glad its Saucerman who gets a shift back in…he brought such a better rounded game than Petgrave OR Anselmini so hopefully he’s able to pick up where he left off .
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
- opening faceoff has Darren Archibald lined up against the man he was traded for, Tom Pyatt
- Sorry about the streamable quality here as the white balance by the cameras is rough with the ice-surface and the Comets away whites
- Seamus Malone had a decent shift in the offensive zone with quick skates and an active stick to fight 2 Sens for the puck along the boards
- lol refs with the classic, goal is completely off its moorings but they let the Senators get a shot PAST Leighton into the net but blow the play dead as it goes past him, I feel like the refs maybe waited too long to call that play dead
- Colton Saucerman(#39) with a stretch pass down the middle to Brendan Woods(#21) that gets poked out to Carter Bancks(#34) who gets a shot on netminder Marcus Hogberg
- lil chippy as Woods(#21) plays a little hacky with the Ottawa Sens newly acquired Erik Brannstrom, Woods AND Brannstrom picked up slashing penalties so the game is at 4v4
- Zack MacEwen(#15) taking a stretch pass from Dylan Blujus(#8) and bursts down the wing for a cut towards the goal and a backhand but misses wide
- Comets doing a good job to gain the Senators zone and force Hogberg to cover up for the ozone draw… not too many plays being setup though
- Jaime Sifers stick gets caught in the skates of former Comet Joe LaBate and the Comets are off to the PK without one of their better PK’ers
- 1st Group: Chatfield, Blujus, MacEwen, Darcy
- 2nd Group: LeBlanc, Gaunce, Graham, Kero – Kero’s stick breaks as they’re completely hemmed intheir own zone but the Comets manage to kill the remainder of the penalty while the Senators pressure – Erik Brannstrom is legit … holy moly the skates on him
- Kole Lind(#13) with a solid play set up attempt, and then with a great effort to prevent a breakout rush from the Senators after Lind’s pass gets picked off, good recovery from the rookie
- Seamus Malone(#19) has kind of got moves… perfectly at the net….interesting
- Malone(#19) recovers a pass from Tom Pyatt(#20) off his skate and then tries to get a drop feed off but its disrupted, Malone is looking pretty solid tonight
Score at the end of the first period: 0-0 Tie
Pretty solid period of hockey, end to end play! Really enjoying Seamus Malone’s play, he’s looking way more comfortable on the ice out there…plays very similar to an Adam Gaudette or Zack MacEwen…wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him slide up the lineup for a look…guy has got the speed to matchup with guys like Darcy/MacEwen etc. Comets outshot by the smallest of margins, 10 to 9.
2nd Period
- Kole Lind gets an early chance to bat in a rebound off Hogberg’s pad’s but it’s a swing and a miss on the bouncing puck
- Brendan Gaunce(#16) sets up Lukas Jasek(#9 ) for the breakaway try but he sends it wide of Hogberg’s stick side
- same shift, Gaunce(#16) chases a Hogberg clearing attempt and passes it back through the entire Senators squad to Lind(#13) who’s slapper goes off the post and out of play
- GOAL – BELLEVILLE – 1-0 Senators: Vitlay Abramov, Filip Chlapik and Jack Rodewald combine for a quick tic-tac-toe on the cycle in the Comets zone, where Rodewald is left unchecked on the cycle and is able to drive to the net to open the nights scoring for the Sens
- Gaunce(#16) with a speedy drive on Hogberg that gets deflected wide, ending with shots from Jasek(#9) and Blujus(#8)
- Malone(#19) with a steal along the boards leading to a shot on goal from Arseneau(#18)
- Erik Brannstrom just casually blowing past 3 Comets, getting tied up and still getting a shot/pass off
- Gaunce(#16), Jasek(#9) and Jesse Graham(#64) combining for some hectic chances in the Senators zone
- Comets pressure the Seantors in their end until they ice the puck so they get an offensive zone draw against a tired group – Comets fail to win the draw and fail to set up or control the puck in the Belleville zone so they manage to make the change…blown opportunity there
- holy shit, Reid Gardiner(#14) with a hero block on a wide open net to deny Darren Archibald the goal
- Erik Brannstrom gets dinged for holding and the Comets are off to their first powerplay of the game
- 1st Unit: Gaunce, Kero, Graham, Darcy, MacEwen – couple one timer attempts from MacEwen and Darcy, but that’s all
- Before 2nd Unit can come up, Graham(#64) gets pressured behind the Comets net by Filip Chlapik and gets called for tripping so powerplay is over
- 4v4 group: Jasek, Pyatt, Blujus, Sifers
- Comets kill the brief penalty and we’re back to even strength
- a centering pass by Gaunce(#16) ricochets off a skate leading to a 2 on 1 in the Comets zone – Blujus(#8) makes a solid sprawling save to prevent the scoring chance
The Score at the end of the 2nd period: 1-0 Senators
3rd Period
- Comets get absolutely hammered in their own end, whole squad gets stuck for at least 2 minutes in their own end before Jasek clears it down the ice to allow for a full sale change
- 6 minutes into the 3rd and I don’t think the Comets have registered a shot on goal yet
- A blown tire leads to a breakaway chance for Brannstrom; fortunately Sifers breaks up the chance without taking a penalty
- Comets pressured again in their own end, and despite clearing the puck Lukas Jasek takes a hooking penalty as the Senators quickly re-enter the zone…Comets to the penalty kill
- 1st PK Group: Woods, Bancks, Sifers, LeBlanc
- LOL, Filip Chlapik hooks Stefan LeBlanc off the draw, and the Belleville powerplay ends after just 11 seconds of it
- LOL this fucking freezframe is incredible
- Refs really not calling much tonight…MacEwen gets blatantly boarded followed by a clear interference by Utica… they’re just like “ahhh fuck it” at this point
- Lind(#13) off the ozone draw gets a turning shot on goal
- Stefan LeBlanc (#3) dekes around Darren Archibald for a drive on Hogberg that he has to cover up
- jesus Christ, Erik Burgdorfer was just smashing Tanner Kero at the front of the net with crosschecks to the back and to the chest and the refs, literally right there watching, call nothing…
- MacEwen (#15) fishes the puck out through traffic and has his shot on goal go OFF the post and out
- GOAL – UTICA – 1-1 Tie: Hey they didn’t say it had to be pretty! Jalen Chatfield(# 5)leads the breakout with Brendan Woods(#21 )who then drives up the wing then through center, fucks up a couple shots, then a fluttering backhander (of all the shots faced tonight) is the one that gets passes Hogberg. Glad to see Woods solid play of late finally pay off
- Woods(#21) follows up his goal with another drive, this time down the right wing, only this time he hits the breaks and goes cross-ice to Saucerman(#39) who rips one gloveside on a screened Hogberg
- Naturally, the audio cuts out just as things get intense
- GOAL – BELLEVILLE – 2-1 Senators: Cam Darcy(#11) tried getting fancy in the Belleville zone only to give the puck away to Nick Paul who hands off to Drake Batherson who goes cross-ice to Justin Falk who rips one gloveside past Leighton to regain the lead with less than 2 minutes remaining…
- Leighton pulled
- GOAL – BELLEVILLE – 3-1 Senators: Leighton out of the net and Archibald gets the puck and sinks it from near center ice
- Comets basically let the Senators hold the puck for the final minute and just don’t bother trying…team has officially checked out if they hadn’t already.
Final Score: 3-1 Belleville Senators
Scoresheet
| Period | Team | Goalscorer | Primary assist | helper | type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Belleville | Jack Rodewald | Filip Chlapik | Vitaly Abramov | 5v5 |
| 3rd | Utica | Brendan Woods | Jalen Chatfield | Dylan Blujus | 5v5 |
| 3rd | Belleville | Justin Falk | Drake Batherson | Nick Paul | 5v5 |
| 3rd | Belleville | Darren Archibald | Erik Burgdoerfer | Justin Falk | EN |
Takeaways
- 8 straight, 6 points back of Belleville for the final playoff spot and only 10 games remaining. Its been a peach for the Farmies guys, but barring some crazy run, I think there wont be playoff coverage for the Farmies this season….twas a good run though!
Droughts:
| Player | — |
|---|---|
| Lukas Jasek | 1 assist in last 14 games |
| Tanner Kero | 1g 2 a in last 7 games |
| Cam Darcy | 1g 3a in last 12 games |
| Kole Lind | 1g 2a in last 10 games |
| Zack MacEwen | last goal march 6th, 1 assist in 6 games since |
| Brendan Gaunce | last goal Feb 17th, 2 asssists in 12 games since |
| Vincent Arseneau | 1g in 9 games |
| Tom Pyatt | last goal Feb 17th, 1 assist in 9 games since |
Since Evan McEneny and Reid Boucher went down with injuries, the Comets have scored only 8 goals in 6 games and been shut out twice in that time. So really only 8 goals in 4 games. Can’t expect much from this team when your powerplay quarterback and your best shooter both go down at the same time…nor when your entire D-core gets called up to be the Canucks D-core…
I know it must just suck to be in these close contests and be on the cusp of winning, only to have it slip away in the worst ways possible. Heartbreaker after heartbreaker.
- Tonight’s game it seemed like each player had a great period but then they’d no-show the others…pretty unfortunate really. Chatfield, Gaunce, Woods and MacEwen were solid throughout all 3 periods though.
Comets Three Stars
- Michael Leighton
- Brendan Woods
- Jalen Chatfield
HM: Brendan Gaunce for TRYING his damndest to get shit going
What’s Next?
The Comets are back in action Friday night when they face off against the Laval Rocket at home. The last time they met, the Comets got off to a pretty great lead early only to see them give up 5 straight unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes of the game to lose in regulation. No expectations, no regerts, we’ll see what happens…
As always I hope you guys enjoyed this edition of the Farmies, I’ll see you all back here Friday 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!
