COMETS LOSE IN OVERTIME AFTER SURRENDERING THREE-GOAL LEAD
Dec 17, 2016Binghamton, NY – After leading 3-0 late in the second period, the Utica Comets lost in overtime by a score of 4-3 to the Binghamton Senators on Saturday night at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.
The Comets didn’t post their first shot of the game until 6:41 of the first period. That shot found the back of the net with a one-timer from Curtis Valk. Darren Archibald fed the forward on the back door for his ninth of the season. John Negrin also assisted on the goal. At 9:57, Jordan Subban fired a shot from the point to score on the power play and extend the lead to 2-0. Alexandre Grenier and Pascal Pelletier assisted on the score. The Comets and netminder Michael Garteig were able to kill all three penalties during the frame.
For a majority of the second period, the teams skated with no scoring. With under two minutes left in the period, a scoring explosion occurred. At 18:43, a Joseph LaBate pass deflected off Cole Cassels’ skate and slid behind Senators goaltender Matt O’Connor. Cassels’ fourth of the season was also assisted by Marco Roy. A pair of Senators’ goals were scored within a minute by Buddy Robinson and Max McCormick. Robinson fired a wrist shot to beat Garteig blocker side. His fifth of the year was assisted by Kyle Flanagan and McCormick. With .3 seconds left, McCormick beat Garteig to move the score to 3-2 favoring the Comets. His tally was assisted by Chris Carlisle and Chad Nehring.
Flanagan tallied his fourth of the year at 9:07 of the third period to tie the game at three. His shot from the slot was assisted by Jason Akeson to erase the three-goal deficit and force an overtime period. Wacey Hamilton was penalized at the end of the third frame which carried into to the overtime period. After the Comets successfully killed the eighth of eight penalties in the contest, the Senators ended the game at 1:32 of the overtime period. Jack Rodewald grabbed a loose puck after a Chris Rumble shot missed the net and beat Garteig’s pad to the opposite side post. Alex Krushelnyski was credited with the secondary assist on Rodewald’s fifth of the year.
Garteig stopped 28 shots and fell to a record of 0-1-2 while O’Connor improved to a record of 6-9-1 with 23 saves. The Comets converted on one of three power play chances and were outshot 32-26.
The Comets return to the AUD on Wednesday night against the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK or viewed on AHL Live.
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