COMETS DOWN THE CRUNCH 5-4 IN OVERTIME
May 7, 2021Utica, NY – The Comets picked up their thirteenth win of the season Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center after defeating the Syracuse Crunch by a score of 5-4 in overtime.
The Comets and Crunch faced off for the twelfth meeting of the season. Both teams came out of the gate battling for possession, keeping the frame scoreless for the first eight-teen minutes. The Comets struck first with 1:59 remaining in the period when Tanner Kaspick picked wrapped the puck around the net for his second goal of the season. It took twenty seconds for the visiting Crunch to answer the bell and tie the game up at 1-1.
In the second period it was the Crunch with the periods first big chance when Peter Abbandonato tested Comets netminder, Michael DiPietro, on the short side but DiPietro came up with the huge save. With 14:09 in the second the Comets would capitalize on the powerplay after John Stevens fed a cross ice pass to his brother Nolan who hammered it home to take the 2-1 lead. It was the Crunch who answered in quick fashion yet again. DiPietro came out to play the puck in the left corner when the puck bounced off the wall and on to stick of who slid into the open net to tie the game at 2-2. DiPietro would shake off the unlucky goal and make several key saves to keep the game even. With less than four minutes remaining in the second, Josh Wesley came flying down the left side wall and deked Crunch goaltender Spencer Martin to take the 3-2 lead.
Just one minute and nine second into the final frame Tyler Tucker rushed down the ice and fired the puck over the right shoulder of Martin, the goal gave the Comets the 4-2 lead. The Crunch would quiet the Comets fierce attack late in the third when Chase Priske and Antoine Morand would score back-to-back goals to tie the game at 4-4. Neither team could pull away in the final minutes and forced an overtime period.
In the overtime period Jet Woo would get the puck off the faceoff for a breakaway but would be turned away by Martin. Just seconds later Woo would get another chance on the breakaway and wouldn’t miss this time, sending the Comets home with the win.
DiPietro turned away 29 shot and the Comets out shot Syracuse 34-33 in the win. The Comets hit the road and return to the Salt City tomorrow to face the Crunch. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 P.M. on AHL TV and 94.9 KROCK.