COMETS DOWNED BY HARTFORD IN FRONT OF SELLOUT CROWD
Nov 4, 2023
Utica, NY— After back-to-back victories on the road, the Utica Comets came back home to the Adirondack Bank Center on Saturday night to battle an Atlantic Division opponent, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The sold-out crowd was treated to a game of great intensity, and it help build momentum even before puck drop. However, despite scoring the first goal of the contest the Wolf Pack pulled away in the third period and the Comets two-game win streak was snapped losing 3-2 at home.
With the crowd roaring from the start of the game, the Comets got the hometown fans even louder when they hit for the first goal of the contest. Timur Ibgragimov took advantage of a turnover in the Hartford zone and sent the puck right to TJ Friedman who blasted it into the gaping net at 16:13. It was the first AHL goal for Friedman and it gave Utica 1-0 lead. With a late power-play, the Wolf Pack tied the contest after a Mac Hollowell one-timer found the back of the net behind Erik Kallgren, the Utica netminder at 19:00. The period ended with a 1-1 score.
Hartford took their first lead of the game after Zach Berzolla snuck a puck in from a sharp angle a 13:51 giving his team a 2-1 lead. The Comets captain answered right back after he took advantage of a strange bounce of a puck that was intended to be dumped into the Hartford zone by Joe Gambardella. As Schmelzer went to the net, he found the loose puck and an empty net and he had no issues scoring his second of the season at 15:05. After forty minutes the score was tied, 2-2.
In the third period, the Wolf Pack achieved a lead again and it was off a rebound from a Kallgren save that was pounced on by Adam Edstrom at 3:40. This put Utica down, 3-2. Despite pulling the goalie late in the contest, the Comets couldn’t close the gap and lost the contest, 3-2.
The Comets next game takes place on the road against the Americans in Rochester before heading back home one week from tonight against the same Americans team on Saturday night with a 7:00 PM start time.
Single game tickets are now available for the 2023-24 season. Visit uticacomets.com/tickets for more information. Season Ticket Memberships are also available for the 2023-24 Season. Tickets are still available. Visit www.uticacomets.com/ticketsfor more information.