Sorry for the lateness on this one my Vancutica Camuckets fans; Unfortunately for me, my landlord has given me the option of accepting an illegal rent increase, or move out so its been a lot of frantic house-searching and viewings immediately after work. So the Farmies schedule might not be too on-point in the coming weeks sadly as my schedule is rapidly getting filled; but alas I’ll do my best, work the late night hours, burn the midnight oil, everything I can to give this subreddit the Prospect content they deserve!
It’s a pretty busy night in the AHL; With 4th place Belleville taking on Providence, 1st place Rochester taking on 5th place Cleveland, and 8th place Binghamton taking on Springfield. With the 6th place Comets taking on the 7th place Rocket…now would be a good time to earn some points to even remotely have a shot at Calder playoffs. Fortunately Belleville is losing 1-0 to Providence…a loss would still keep Utica kind of in the hunt….a win for Belleville and another loss for Utica would be disastrous though.
Don’t think anyone new joined the injury list nor did anyone come off it so its probably going to be a repeat of Wednesdays lineup…barring some crazy line shakeups…..annnnnnd they’re being shaken up. Let’s get into it boys and girls, should be a weird one!
Starting Lineup
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Pyatt | Kero | Gaunce |
| Malone | Woods | Jasek |
| Bancks | Darcy | MacEwen |
| Arseneau | Gardiner | Lind |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Blujus | Chatfield |
| LeBlanc | Sifers |
| Petgrave | Graham |
| G |
|---|
| Michael Leighton |
Not sure how to feel about this one… I liked Lind/Woods together and was hoping Malone would get a shot up with maybe MacEwen and Jasek…but now we’re moving him to the wing…interesting…Moving Macdaddy to the wing worked wonders so I trust Cull on this one!
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 | Saucerman | Stevenson | Thomas |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
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 Blue
- Zack MacEwen(#15) picks up a loose
- Laval netminder is Connor LaCouvee who played three games for the Comets in November, providing relief for a badly overworked Ivan Kulbakov who had started 12 of 14 games for the Comets with Richard Bachman up with the Canucks then injured
- a shot from Jalen Chatfield(#5) gets blocked by a skate sending Hayden Verbeek on a breakaway but he flubs the shot
- GOAL – LAVAL – 1-0 Rocket: Comets in their own end, Jaime Sifers(#26) with no stick, and Daniel Audette goes cross ice to Brett Lernout on the blue line and his shot finds its way through traffic past a heavily screened Leighton to give Laval the opening goal and the lead.
- Jesse Graham(#64) holding the blue line gets absolutely leveled from behind giving the Comets a powerplay, no clue where the fuck Antoine Waked was that entire play because his entry into this play almost seems like he was leaving the penalty box or some shit… dumbass penalty
- 1st Powerplay unit: Malone, Kero, MacEwen, Graham, Darcy – ozone draw gets cleared, second entry gets cleared after a pass is picked off – 3rd entry leads to the pp unit losing possession in a board battle and they face a scoring chance as the first group changes
- 2nd Unit: Pyatt, Gaunce, Gardiner, Jasek, Petgrave
- 2nd unit powerplay manages to setup off some give and go’s between Brendan Gaunce (#16)And Lukas Jasek(#9), leading to Matt Petrave(#38) saucing one over to Reid Gardiner( #14) for a one timer that appears to stun Tom Pyatt(#20) in the leg
- Vincent Arseneau heads down the tunnel with the medical staff…not sure if he took a bad hit or stick to the face
- Apparently Shinkaruk is in the lineup for Laval tonight…hasn’t done anything of note until around the 9:30 mark when Joe Roberts on the mic names him in a tie-up along the boards…
- Seamus Malone(#19) along the left wing with a beauty saucer pass up to Brendan Woods(#21) who drives to the net for a shot but it goes wide
- the Captain Carter Bancks(#34) gets in a good ol’ hockey fight with Antoine Waked, in response to Waked’s earlier hit from behind on Graham
- Vincent Arseneau returned to the bench after the fight ended, so not sure what the issue was that had to be looked at
- Vincent Arseneau about to be sprung on a breakaway in the Comets zone gets tripped to his stomach and stays down for quite a bit – needed assistance getting to the tunnel, not putting any weight on his right skate – was quite an innocuous hit to be honest…so wonder if there was something lingering from the earlier trip to the dressing room
- 1st powerplay unit: Gardiner, Gaunce, Pyatt, Petgrave, Jasek
- Comets on the powerplay, after 45 seconds of battling on the boards, Jasek(#9) fishes the puck out to Gardiner(#14) who’s wrister gets blockered aside by LaCouvee
- Tanner Kero(#10) gets high-sticked immediately off a neutral zone and the Comets will geta 57 second 5 on 4
- 5 on 4 unit: Darcy, MacEwen, Kero, Graham, Gaunce – group cycles for a bit until Kero drops to a knee to rip a one timer from the right circle but it gets deflected out of play
- Gaunce(#16 )with two great defensive plays, one to hold the blue line, and the other to prevent a breakaway, unfortunately Cam Darcy(#11) takes a hooking penalty on the play and the Comets powerplay ends – game at 4 on 4 for 58 seconds
- Comets on the penalty kill and Kero(#10) springs Bancks(#34) ahead for a breakaway chance, then follows up himself with a chance for himself
Score at the end of the first period: 1-0 Rocket
Despite the goal, the Comets looked pretty decent in the opening frame – outshot the Rocket 12 to 9 and had quite a few good looks on the powerplay and in the Rocket zone. Holy fuck, by the way, Dylan Blujus has got a NASTY scar on his neck…I hope that wasn’t from a skate cause jesus Christ that thing is fucking nasty huge.
2nd Period
- Bancks(#34) wins a battle on the end boards and turns to pass for Darcy(#11) for a shot on goal that rebounds out to Jasek(#9) who tries a tight angle shot
- Alex Alain gets dinged for slashing and the Comets are onto their 4th powerplay of the game – not much done with the powerplay, one good chance from Malone but that’s about it
- Malone(#19) if you’re reading this, next time you’re walking to center, don’t turn to pass, you’re fast…keep walking to the circle and rip a shot!
- Lavals Ryan Culkin gets dinged for a delay of game penalty (puck over the board) and the Comets are off to their 5TH powerplay of the game with 9 minutes remaining in the second
- 1st Unit: MacEwen, Malone, Kero, Pyatt, Graham – once again first unit loses the puck battle along the boards and have the puck cleared, second entry they do some good cycling ending with a shot on LaCouvee’s gloveside by Malone
- 2nd Unit: Gardiner, Gaunce, Jasek, Petgrave, Woods
- Jasek(#9) with two shots off legs on the powerplay, ending with a chance from Gaunce(#16) but he sends it wide and out
- 5 minutes left in the period and the Laval Rocket have not had a shot on net despite several instances of hemming the Comets in their end…pretty nuts
- Leighton faces his first shot of the period after a puck bounces over the stick of Graham(#64) onto the stick of Alex Alain, dangerous shot to be tested with this period
- Cam Darcy gets hit hard into the boards and goes down holding his head, but he is able to get up and finish a backcheck before shifting off…hope there’s nothing more to that one
The Score at the end of the 2nd period: 1-0 Rocket
Comets outshot the Rocket 14 to 2…. Lmao jesus Christ…that’s how you get bag skated the next day… Outshooting the Rocket so far 26 to 11 after 2 periods….the intermission interview with Pyatt essentially covers this brutal string of puck luck for the Comets where they’ve managed to outshoot nearly all off their past 8 opponents only to lose. MAYBE the puck luck comes up in their favor in the 3rd…FINGERS CROSSED!
3rd Period
- Comets in the first 3 minutes, pressuring in the Laval zone, and on any Rocket clearing they are backchecking faster than any Rocket can forecheck. Really loving the effort of the squad tonight
- Malone(#19) and MacEwen(#15) combine for a scoring chance at the corner of the net after playing give and go along the boards
- Kole Lind(#13) catches a rebound in the slot and wrists one on goal but its blocked aside by LaCouvee
- Ryan Culkin takes a roughing penalty seemingly out of nowhere…kind of a bizarre call…Comets onto their 6th powerplay of the game
- 1st Unit: Malone, Pyatt, MacEWen, Kero, Graham – that 1st unit spends nearly a minute 35 cycling and trying to setup and absolutely exhaust themselves and the Laval Rocket with active movement – really good looks from Malone on this powerplay…really quick movements around the net
- 2nd unit rolls out and Gardiner( #14) gets stripped of the puck but fortunately Jasek(#9) has a great effort to not take a penalty and still retain the zone while being pressured on the blue line
- Brendan Woods takes a slashing penalty with 5 seconds left in the powerplay, so Utica will be off to the PK shortly
- Comets penalty killers do a great job to prevent the shooting lanes for Laval and the powerplay for Laval ends with Dylan Blujus blocking a shot off his leg and clears
- GOAL – UTICA – 1-1 Tie: it’s a weird one but hell we’ll take it! The Comets, after outshooting the Rocket 30 to 12 after 3 periods….Chatfield(# 5) blasts a shot that misses the net and rebounds off the end boards to Pyatt(#20) who bats it out of the air to Kero(#10) who taps it past LaCouvee to tie it at 1!
- They give credit to Brendan Gaunce on the play which is kinda bizarre cause I don’t even think he touched the puck on the play
- Darcy(#11) slides through the slot to block a shot from Jake Evans and either takes the puck itself or gets clipped by Evans stick, either way Darcy goes down clutching that arm…not too good
- MacEwen(#15) with another BIG hit, this one on the blue line as the Comets attempt to clear
- Darcy came out for another shift so looks like his arm is okay
The Score at the end of the 3rd period: 1-1 Tie
Well the Comets certainly have momentum on their side…lets fucking pray to god they don’t blow it like they did the last time they got into overtime…maybe just bench Brendan Gaunce for the next 5 minutes? Comets outshot the Rocket at the end of three periods, 32-12…Laval had a single shot in the 3rd…
Overtime
- 1st trio: Kero, Gaunce (yipe), Chatfield – one rush chance but the puck gets stuck in some skates
- 2nd trio: Graham, Jasek, Pyatt – Pyatt with a solo drive on goal, a pass gets lost in the skates of Graham and they elect to change
- 3rd trio: MacEwen, Petgrave, Darcy – trio holds laval in their zone until Daniel Audette gets a speedy drive but no shots against
- 4th trio: Darcy (caught out), Woods, Chatfield, – Chatfield picks off a pass and gets a chance for Woods/Darcy but no shot
- 5th trio: Malone, Woods (caught out), LeBlanc
- Stefan LeBlanc(#3) aggressively forechecks allowing Woods to change off for Kero(#10) who’s shot goes off the pads of LaCouvee
- 6th trio: Blujus, Pyatt, MacEwen
- Leighton with a massive overtime save after the Rocket strip Blujus(#8) of the puck on the end-boards springing a 2 on 1 for MacEwen to defend
The Score at the end of Overtime: 1-1 Tie
The Comets didn’t choke in OT! How awesome! We’re off to the shootout! Let’s goooooo
Shootout
- Laval – Hunter Shinkaruk: SAVE Leighton
- Utica – Reid Gardiner: save
- Laval – Daniel Audette: SAVE Leighton
- Utica – Seamus Malone: SCORES
- Laval – Alex Belzille: SCORES
- Utica – Tanner Kero: SAVE
- Laval – Jake Evans: SAVE Leighton
- Utica – Zack MacEwen: SAVE
- Laval – Michael Pezzetta: SAVE
- THE WINNER IN THE SHOOTOUT: Lukas Jasek ends the shootout and ends the losing streak at 8
Final Score: 2-1 Utica Comets
Scoresheet
| Period | Team | Goalscorer | Primary assist | helper | type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Laval | Brett Lernout | Daniel Audette | Alex Grenier | 5v5 |
| 3rd | Utica | Tanner Kero | Tom Pyatt | Jalen Chatfield | 5v5 |
| S/O | Laval | Alex Belzile | — | — | so |
| S/O | Utica | Seamus Malone | — | — | so |
| S/O | Utica | Lukas Jasek | — | — | so |
Takeaways
- THE STREAK IS DEAD THANK GOD…Belleville loses too, so the playoff dreams are still alive! Now only 4 points back of Belleville (but sadly tied in points with Cleveland whom have the same amount of points with 2 less games played…so we’ll see how this plays out). I won’t call it a comeback or get my hopes up…but god damn does it feel good to review a game where the Comets are putting in a great effort in the shot column and getting rewarded with the W in the end.
- Really digging the game of Seamus Malone, has some really solid skating in and around the net, a good play maker and for the most part knows when to take his shot. I liked him on the wing, but I do like the combination possibilities of having him centering guys like Jasek and MacEwen. Really great game from him tonight.
- Practically everyone tonight had 2 or more shots on goal, with the exceptions being Stefan LeBlanc, Dylan Blujus and Vincent Arseneau.
- Oh boy though, that 14 shot production from Laval…Burr…what you doing over there bud? Hope he bag skates the Laval boys for that one cause holy shit they left Connor LaCouvee out to dry with that effort.
Comets Three Stars
- Lukas Jasek
- Jalen Chatfield
- Seamus Malone
HM: Tom Pyatt for his 5 shot night with time on the powerplay and a pretty good run in OT
What’s Next?
The Comets are back in action tomorrow night against the North Divisions #1 team (by a fucking WIDE margin) the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay’s affiliate, take notes JB on how to draft and build your farm team). FORTUNATELY, for the Comets, the Crunch are on a 1 game losing streak…granted its only there 3rd loss in their last 10 games…but STILL…maybe the Comets ride the momentum of getting the losing monkey off their back and they play their hearts out tomorrow on the road!
As always I hope you guys enjoyed this edition of the Farmies; I’m at doctors appointments, open houses and then spending time with family for the bulk of Saturday so Farmies might get delayed til Sunday or possibly LATE Saturday evening…but until then guys I hope you all have a great start to the weekend and as always, any suggestions to improve or expand on future Farmies editions, drop a line in the comments cause I’m always around to chat Utica hockey!
