COMETS SPLIT BACK TO BACK WITH LAVAL
Mar 18, 2023Laval, PQ. – Coming a victory less than a day previous, the Comets battled the Laval Rocket for the second times in as many days and tried for the same result, a win on the road. On Saturday afternoon, in the Place Bell, the crowd was roaring as the two North Division teams fought for the final time in the regular season as they both wrestled for playoff positioning withing the Division. During the contest, the Comets gave up three goals in the first period and were unable to mount a comeback in Laval as they lost the contest, 4-1
During the first period, Laval struck for the first two goals of the contest. The first was a shot by Brandon Gignac that just rolled behind Comets goalie Jake Theut at 2:41. The second Laval goal of the period was a point shot by defenseman Tory Dello at 3:38 that clicked off the post and in on the blocker side of Theut giving Laval a 2-0 advantage. Later in the first period, the Rocket added another goal and it was Nolan Yaremko at 15:46 deflecting the puck into the Comets net and the period ended with Utica trailing 3-0.
The Comets got onto the scoreboard in the second period after a one-timer blasted by Reilly Walsh flew passed Cayden Primeau at 8:07. The goal was Walsh’s fifth of the season and it was assisted by Brian Halonen and Simon Nemec sliced the deficit to 3-1. But, as the period progressed, Laval scored another goal and it was a bullet of a shot that beat Theut after Mitchel Stephens found the back of the net at 9:41.
In the final period of regulation, the Comets were unable to find any offense to close the gap and skated away with the loss by a 4-1 score.
The Comets next game will be at home on March 24th against the Syracuse Crunch at 7PM. Tickets are still available. Visit uticacomets.com for more information.