The Comets look to rebound from a devastating 7-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch when they face off against the *checks notes* Syracuse Crunch.
Yeah, the schedule gets pretty bland and repetitive from here on out.
Six of the next eleven games come against either Syracuse or Rochester, so variety will be out the window.
Back to the Comets’ last game against Syracuse; The Comets actually out-shot Syracuse quite considerably at 5v5. Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize and wound up on the wrong end of the scoresheet.
Thems the breaks.
Pre-COVID Stretch: 6w-2L-0otl-1sol
+93 5v5 shot-attempt differential overall
32 Goals For – 28 againstPost-COVID Stretch: 4w-5L-0-0
-9 5v5 shot-attempt differential (8 of 9 tracked)
26 Goals For – 36 againstWent from dominating attempts in all-situations to not so much https://t.co/fGqY5FOSoQ pic.twitter.com/DBVl22QA5Z
— Cody Severtson (@CodySevertson) April 27, 2021
Weird to link my tweets, but I’m exhausted and don’t feel like re-typing something I already wrote out, haha.
On top of the above, the Comets face a litany of call-up and injury issues that might make tonight’s game just as ugly as Sunday’s.
Reinke has been a serviceable 5v5 minute muncher that's been mostly tasked with stabilizing VERY inexperienced d-partners, running PP1, and PK duty.
Serious lack of 5v5 offence, but a useful all situations swiss army knife
Huge loss to already depleted d-core#stlblues #Canucks https://t.co/FlE4XjFzTz pic.twitter.com/jEIFq6BZRK
— Cody Severtson (@CodySevertson) April 27, 2021
The Blues recalled one of the Comets’ minute-munching all-situations defenders in Mitch Reinke.
Reinke hasn’t been spectacular at 5v5 offence by any stretch. Still, he offers a ton of utility for the team as a powerplay point-man, penalty-killer, and stable partner to inexperienced rookie d-men.
Even with the addition of Guillaume Brisebois back into the Comets lineup, the Comets lack significant veteran leadership on their back-end.
This one could be pretty ugly.
DO SOMETHING
I don’t think I can stress enough how badly the Comets need 5v5 goalscoring elsewhere in their lineup.
Jonah Gadjovich leads the pack with eight goals at 5v5.
The runners-up? John Stevens (his current center) and Vincent Arseneau who are both tied at three 5v5 goals apiece.
Yea. It’s pretty fucking bleak, to say the least.
Given how watered down the talent pool is in the AHL this season, you’d hope to see a lot more 5v5 offence spread throughout the lineup. However, there just hasn’t been any. And they need it. Badly.
Though they’re facing off against a streaking Syracuse Crunch team, now would be a great time to see some others notch some 5v5 goals.
STARTING ROSTER
- Returning to the lineup is Sam Anas – sliding out is Sven Bärtschi, who is out due to injury.
- Making his debut tonight is St. Louis Blues’ 2019 5th Round draft pick, Keean Washkurak.
- Washkurak spent most of this season playing in the 2nd tier Slovakian hockey league, where he managed to pick up 110 penalty minutes in 21 games.
- Not even sure how that’s possible, haha.
- Washkurak spent most of this season playing in the 2nd tier Slovakian hockey league, where he managed to pick up 110 penalty minutes in 21 games.
- It looks like most of the OHL players are on the scratch list, except for Washkurak, who makes his pro-debut tonight.
- The team should hopefully have Di Pietro and Joshua for Friday’s game.
Don’t feel like reading? Click here for spoilers!!
GAME 19:
1st period:
- Early control from the Crunch
- Five minutes down and a whole lot of nothing happening insofar
- High-danger scoring chance for Tanner Kaspick (#26) after a Josh Teves (#4) dump-in ricochets off the stanchion and into the high slot.
- Arseneau (#18) chases down a Jett Woo (#22) dump-in and collides hard into the endboards. He struggles to make it back to the bench under his own power.
- The Crunch are doing an admirable job of holding the Comets to the corners of their end; Comets are generating nothing in the way of shots-on-goal with their offensive-zone time.
- Jett Woo takes a tripping penalty, and the Comets are off to their first penalty kill of the game.
PK1 – Jasek, Kaspick, Tucker, Wesley
- Kielly gloves down a shot to allow his PK group to change
PK2 – Lockwood, John Stevens, Teves, Brisebois
- Syracuse fumbles on their cycling and are forced to reset from the neutral zone; good kill for the Comets.
- Um, Josh Teves (#4) knocks his check into Kielly, and Kielly is down in a heap.
- Joel Hofer comes out — Kielly really in a bad way; alternate angle of the collision.
- Jett Woo leaves the box, followed by the Comets icing the puck.
- Gadjovich (#21) attempts to move the puck down the left-wing and takes a high-elbow to the face for his efforts.
- Arseneau back out for a shift and hitting everything that moves.
- Gadjovich (#21) displays some good speed on a chip and chase effort down the right-wing to get around Sean Day.
- Carson Focht (#19) picks up the loose puck from the neutral zone and races down for a three-on-one with McKenzie (#81) and Tyler Tucker (#2). Focht plays give-and-go with Tucker before setting up McKenzie on the doorstep, but the trio can’t connect for the opening goal.
- I wonder if Focht regrets not taking the shot, but that was a brilliant setup attempt.
- Focht, vibing on the ice, dangles through the offensive zone before getting stripped of the puck. Keean Washkurak (#39) picks up the loose puck for a shot on goal. Washkurak then picks up a missed shot attempt from Josh Teves (#4) and sets up Focht for his own shot attempt.
- Sam Anas (#7) disrupts a Crunch zone-entry attempt from the neutral zone, allowing John Stevens (#16) to steal the puck for an entry of his own. Stevens gains the zone for his line, then zips a cross-ice pass to Gadjovich (#21) for a shot on goal.
- Period winds to a close with shots favouring Syracuse eleven to ten
2nd period:
- Syracuse is hammering the Comets with shot attempts through the opening minute of the period.
- A turnover by Anas in the offensive zone results in a massive pad save from Hofer on Ryan Lohin.
- Antoine Morand goes knee on knee with Curtis McKenzie, and the Crunch’s coaches are fuming at the non-call.
- A quick-up play from the Comets by Nolan Stevens (#17), who drops for Lukas Jasek (#9), only to see Jasek’s attempt get deflected high over the glass by Lucas Carlsson.
- Lockwood (#10) with a one-timer followed by Jasek (#9) missing a redirect on the doorstep
- Keean Washkurak beats out an icing call.
- After a very long shift, Tyler Tucker and Antoine Morand throw down outside of Hofer’s crease.
- Jett Woo (#22) sends Focht (#19) and Teves (#4) into the offensive zone for a two-on-one. Focht hands off to Teves, who leans on his shot a bit too long, sends the puck off the foot of Andreas Borgman and wide of the goal.
- Lockwood with a backhand attempt that goes over the net of Spencer Martin
- Jasek (#9) with a good stop on Andreas Borgman’s toe-drag attempt to force Syracuse out of the Comets zone
- Lockwood (#10) with another impressive shift displaying his speed to create something out of nothing.
- Comets have repeatedly been looking for the goal-line redirect at the front of the net.
- Multiple scoring chances set up by the Focht line around the crease of Spencer Martins net.
- Nolan Stevens (#17) steals the puck in the defensive zone, Lockwood (#10) wheels into the offensive zone, and Mitch Eliot (#52) almost banks the puck off of a skate with a shot from the goal line.
- Syracuse’s Gabe Fortier turning on the jets to blitz around Jett Woo (#22)
- Will Lockwood draws a cross-checking penalty against Sean Day, and the Comets are off to their first powerplay of the game.
PP1 – Gadjovich, Jasek, N. Stevens, Brisebois, Anas
- Syracuse wins the faceoff, and they’re content to cycle the puck around the rink to close out the second period.
- Despite a bevy of offensive-zone pressure, the Comets finish the second frame down in shots thirteen to seven, 24 to 17 overall.
3rd period:
- Comets start the final frame with a minute-thirty on the powerplay.
- GOAL – UTICA – 1-0 COMETS: One second after the Comets powerplay expires, Jett Woo (#22) uncorks a bomb from the point that gets tipped at the last second by Jonah Gadjovich (#21). Comets try the goal-line tip twice in a row before they resort to the basics. Gadjovich picks up his thirteenth goal of the year while Woo picks up his first assist of the season.
- Lockwood (#10) steals the puck from the defensive zone and rushes up-ice for a breakaway chance. Despite having time and space, Lockwood whips his host nowhere near the net.
- Lockwood will undoubtedly want that chance back. Major oof.
- Hugh McGing (#14) steals the puck from Alex Green in the offensive zone and sets up Focht (#19) for a one-timer, but his pass is just out of Focht’s reach.
- Syracuse enters the Comets’ zone off a Comets line change, and Carson Focht (#19) makes a great play to steal the puck and high-flip to center for a reset.
- Syracuse’s Cole Koepke plays the puck back into his end, and Gadjovich (#21) races onto the loose puck and drives around Sean Day towards the net for a scoring chance.
- Devante Stephens collides with Lockwood off a zone entry, throws his hands around Lockwood’s head, and shoves him to the ice.
- John Stevens (#16) with a great move to shake Chase Priskie behind Syracuse’s net to set up Gadjovich (#21) for a shot on goal
- Brisebois almost redirects a pass off of Nolan Stevens skate and past Martin.
- Lucas Carlsson flips the puck over the glass, and the Comets will head to the powerplay with five minutes left in the game.
PP1 – Anas, Jasek, Gadjovich, N. Stevens, Brisebois
- Jasek attempts a goal-line redirect pass, but Syracuse picks it off and clears.
- Nolan Stevens with a misplay on the powerplay as he drop-passes to no one. Jett Woo (#22) faces down a shorthanded two-on-one as Hofer makes a massive save.
PP2 – Focht, Woo, McGing, McKenzie, John Stevens
- Oh boy. Boris Katchouk races around Jett Woo (#22) for another dangerous scoring chance. Hofer makes another huge save on Katchouk’s backhander.
- GOAL – SYRACUSE – 1-1 TIE: Tough break for Joel Hofer, who was making elite saves against Syracuse on the Comets powerplay. A risky pinch into the offensive zone by Tyler Tucker (#2) allows Taylor Raddysh to move the puck up-ice and into the Comets zone. Joel Hofer makes the initial stop on Raddysh’s shot, but Chase Priskie picks up the uncontrolled rebound and ties this game with less than three minutes remaining in the final frame.
- Comets handed the momentum to the Crunch during that powerplay
- Comets are peppering Martin with shot attempts in the final few minutes as they try to regain some momentum for themselves.
- Comets ice the puck with less than two seconds in the period, but this one heads to overtime.
- Comets close the gap but still end up out-shot 30 to 27.
Overtime:
- First trio: John Stevens, Lockwood, Brisebois
- Brisebois (#55) keeping pace with Raddysh to prevent the Syracuse setup
- Second trio: McGing, Woo, Jasek
- Cole Koepke beats McGing (#14) around the outside then sets up Priskie for a high-danger scoring chance in the slot. Hofer is again coming up huge for the Comets.
- Third trio: Focht, Gadjovich, McKenzie
- Cull is getting wild with the all-forward trio!
- Gadjovich (#21) strips the puck inside the d-zone and generates a breakaway opportunity only to get stoned by his future brother-in-law!
- GOAL – UTICA – 2-1 COMETS: It could only be you! Jonah Gadjovich (#21) turns into one of those pinball bumper thingies, and Carson Focht (#19) bumps a pass off of Gadjovich’s stick and past Martin for the game-winner! I had my doubts about the all-forward trio, but a great quick-up play from Curtis McKenzie leads to a solid victory for the struggling Comets. Syracuse win-streak ends at five.
RESULT:
Comets defeat Syracuse 2-1 in Overtime
SCORESHEET:
GAME THOUGHTS:
- Comets had a feeling I would criticize their 5v5 offence and scored the most “Canuck-ian” 5v5 goal ever. One second after the powerplay concluded, haha. Jonah Gadjovich adds two more goals to his tally, and the question becomes, is anyone else on this team capable of scoring goals?
- I kind of adore that Gadjovich’s future brother-in-law is the starting goaltender for the Crunch. It must be a very awkward family chat, post-game, when Gadj scores two, including the game-winner!
- Carson Focht and Will Lockwood both had incredible games, even if the latter didn’t wind up on the scoresheet. Focht was electric all night. I am looking forward to tracking this game just to see how many shot attempts he set up from the corner.
- Joel Hofer came up huge for this club tonight, came in cold midway through the first and effectively stopped Syracuse from running away with the game late in the third.
- Not a Canucks prospect, but I thought Keaan Washkurak looked pretty decent in his very limited ice-time! Decent wheels, good tenacity, and had a couple of good setups early in the first period.
- The first two periods were a slog to watch, was getting heavy Canucks/Senators vibes. Shoutout to Jett Woo for his point shot to kick the game up a notch.
- Brisebois looked pretty decent on a pair with Jett Woo. The latter of whom had a tough night dealing with the speed of the Crunch’s attackers. There were a couple of moments where Woo’s indecisiveness around the neutral zone led to him getting beat clean on the outside. Woo has been one of the Comets’ better skating defenders this season, so it was a bit surprising to see him beat cleanly as often as he was tonight. I’m sure the coaches will look over the tape and just tell him to move his feet earlier and not stop moving his feet when facing the rush—not concerned.
- I’m pretty baffled over how Ryan Lohin ends up as the third-star on tonight’s scoresheet.
Ask him how awkward the Martin family chat gets after he drops two against his future brother-in-law? 🤣
— Cody Severtson (@CodySevertson) April 29, 2021
- Big shoutout to the man, Chris Faber, for actually asking Gadjovich this question in the Comets post-game media availability. King shit.
Gadjovich on playing against Spencer Martin, who will be his BIL:
It is fun. It is really cool seeing my BIL out there. We talk during warmups. We're both rooting for each other. I want him to do well, he wants me to do well. It is fun to see him out there.— Ben Birnell (@OD_Birnell) April 29, 2021
- The answer in question, haha.
- Also, what an unfortunate way to end Kielly’s sophomore season in the AHL. He didn’t put up great numbers, but it sucks that such an innocuous hit from his teammate would end his season this way.
COMETS HARVEST THREE STARS
- Jonah Gadjovich
- Carson Focht
- Joel Hofer
Next Up on the Docket
Comets are back at it this Friday against the Rochester Americans at 7 PM EST/4 PM PST!
Plugs
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