COMETS CAP OFF SEASON WITH SHOOTOUT WIN
Apr 14, 2019Utica, N.Y. – The Utica Comets overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to top the Syracuse Crunch 4-3 in a shootout Sunday night at the Adirondack Bank Center to give retiring defenseman Jaime Sifers a proper send-off. Brendan Woods, Vincent Arseneau, and Zack MacEwen scored for Utica. Marek Mazanec made 15 saves on 18 shots to earn his third straight win.
Sifers, first-star, was joined on the ice post-game by all his teammates for a special final send-off for the 13-year veteran.
Alexander Volkov put Syracuse up 1-0 early with a power play goal 3:49 into the game. The Comets had a pair of power plays and threw nine shots on net but were unable to solve Crunch goaltender Atte Tolvanen in the opening frame.
Otto Somppi doubled the lead for Syracuse on a breakaway four minutes into the second period. Woods brought the Comets to within one when he buried a loose puck on the power play at the 7:50 mark of the period. Lukas Jasek and Jesse Graham picked up the assists. Nolan Valleau restored the Crunch’s two-goal lead with 4:38 to go in the middle frame. Arseneau poked home his own rebound to cut the deficit to one just two minutes later. Woods and Jasek tallied the assists.
MacEwen tied the game at three 32 seconds into the third period, putting home a loose puck on the power play. Tanner Kero and Graham had the assists. The Comets controlled play in the final period, but neither team could find a go-ahead goal and the game would head to overtime.
Despite an abundance of chances, no one found the net and the game would require a shootout.
Lukas Jasek and Nick Bligh traded goals in the second round of the shootout. Kole Lind netted the winner in the third round to give Utica the win.