COMETS LOSE HEARTBREAKER IN HOME OPENER
Nov 1, 2017Utica, N.Y. – The Utica Comets fell to the Rochester Americans 4-3 in a shootout in their home opener at the Adirondack Bank Center.
Hudson Fasching struck 14 seconds into the game to take an early 1-0 lead. C.J. Smith and Kyle Criscuolo had the assists. Michael Chaput tied the game on the power play three minutes later, putting a rebound past Linus Ullmark. Darren Archibald and Reid Boucher picked up the assists. Darren Archibald’s second goal of the year gave the Comets a 2-1 lead with three minutes left in the first. Evan McEneny and Alexis D’Aoust tallied the assists. Kevin Porter tied the game at two with a power play goal of his own with 14 seconds remaining in the opening frame. Brendan Guhle collected the lone assist.
Alexis D’Aoust regained the Comets one-goal lead at the 7:42 mark of the second period Wacey Hamilton and Archibald notched the assists on D’Aoust’s second of the season. Steve Moses knotted the game at three with a power play goal from Smith and Criscuolo with 4:32 left in the middle frame.
The two teams traded chances in the third period but Ullmark and Thatcher Demko were up to the task. Despite the Comets outshooting the Amerks 44-30 through regulation, overtime was needed to find a winner.
The Comets dominated overtime with a number of scoring chances, including Boucher hitting the crossbar, but were unable to find the winner.
The game would go to a shootout. Porter struck first for the Amerks in round one, but Boucher would respond in the next round for the Comets. Eric Cornel netted the game winning shooutout goal in the eighth round.
Demko finished the game with 29 saves. Ullmark stopped 44 of 47 shots. The Comets power play went 1-6, while the penalty kill allowed two goals on six attempts.
The Comets are back in action Friday night as they welcome the Binghamton Devils to the Adirondack Bank Center. Puck drops at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to utilize the ticket exchange website, StubHub!. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL Live.