COMETS CONCLUDE SEASON WITH TOM COYNE'S FINAL GAME
Apr 21, 2024Utica, NY – It was the final game for the Utica Comets in the 2023-24 season as they stepped onto the ice at the Adirondack Bank Center on Sunday afternoon. Their opponent, the Rochester Americans, already punched their ticket for the playoffs while Utica did their job to play spoiler to Rochester’s hopes of clinching the North Division title. In a back and forth game which was highly competitive, and in front of a loud and boisterous Utica crowd, the Americans ultimately used a surge of goals in the third period to achieve a 3-2 lead which they never relinquished.
In the opening period, there was no scoring but in the second period, Rochester got on the scoreboard first after Isak Rosen scored on a two-on-one rush as he sliced the puck into the Comets net through Nico Daws at 2:24. The Comets tied the game at 8:12 on Graeme Clarke’s 25th of the season from Justin Dowling and Robbie Russo as Clarke hammered away at a rebound in front of Rochester goalie, Devon Levi. The Comets took the lead on the powerplay after Justin Dowling took the perfect pass from Kyle Criscuolo at 10:33 and slammed it home giving Utica a 2-1 advantage.
In the final period, the Americans tied the game at 5:35 after Ethan Prow’s shot from the blueline was inadvertently deflected by a Comets player passed Daws tying the game at 2-2. This was quickly it was followed by another goal, and it was Rosen who redirected a cross-ice pass into the Comets net at 6:05. After the quick strikes by the Americans, the Comets were down 3-2. The Comets pulled their goaltender in the hopes of tying the contest but were unable to come up with a goal. The season ended with the Comets dropping the contest by a 3-2 score.