COMETS POINT STREAK SNAPPED BY PHANTOMS
Feb 21, 2018Utica, N.Y. – The Utica Comets fell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by a score of 6-4 Wednesday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. The loss snaps the Comets 16-game point streak.
Phil Varone put the Phantoms up 1-0 four and half minutes into the game, putting a rebound past Thatcher Demko. T.J. Brennan and James de Haas were credited with the assists. David Dziurzynski tied the game at one with 7:38 remaining in the opening frame, tipping a shot past Phantoms goaltender John Muse. Patrick Wiercioch and Cole Cassels tallied the assists.
Varone struck again with 8:36 to go in the second to give the Phantoms a 2-1 lead. Will O’Neill had the lone assist. Michael Carcone tied the game at two over a minute later. Reid Boucher and Mathieu Brodeur picked up the assists. The assist was Brodeur’s first point as a Comet. Carcone struck again five minutes later to give the Comets their first lead of the night. Boucher and Michael Chaput registered the assists.
Greg Carey tied the game at three a minute and a half into the third period. Nicolas Aube-Kubel collected the assist. Brennan gave the Phantoms a 4-3 lead with a power play goal five minutes later. Mike Vecchione and Aube-Kubel had the assists. Patrick Wiercioch tied the game with 7:34 to go in regulation. Griffen Molino and Zack MacEwen tallied the helpers. Varone netted the hat-trick goal with 5:06 to go in the game. Travis Sanheim picked up the assist. Cole Bardreau scored the empty net goal with 44 seconds left to secure the win. Philippe Meyers notched the assist.
Demko finished with 19 saves on 24 shots and his record falls to 17-8-6. Muse stopped 36 shots to improve his record to 6-1-0. The Comets power play went 0-1, while the penalty kill surrendered one goal in their only attempt.
The Comets are back in action on Friday night as they take on the Laval Rocket. 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.