COMETS STREAK HALTED BY MARLIES
Jan 9, 2019Toronto, Ont. – Tanner Kero scored twice but the Utica Comets saw their four-game winning streak come to a close after suffering a 6-3 setback at the hands of the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night at Coca Cola Coliseum.
Midway through the first and after minimal chances, the Marlies capitalized on their first scoring opportunity. Colin Greening caught a pass on the right wing and moved in with a wrist shot that flew over the right leg of Ivan Kulbakov and in. The Comets tied the game 1:39 later, courtesy of Kero. Freeing the puck from his own end, Evan McEneny linked up with Lukas Jasek, who slid to an open Kero for his 14th of the year. Toronto earned two more before the first came to a close, using goals from Calle Rosen and Pierre Engvall over a span of 2:37 to establish a two-goal lead at the break.
Toronto padded its lead in the second period and opened up a 4-1 margin after an acute-angle goal from Trevor Moore, who was on the receiving end of a fortunate bounce. Utica sliced back into the Marlies’ lead with less than three minutes remaining in the second period, as Kero tallied his second of the night by re-directing a one-timer from Jesse Graham.
Early in the first and trying to claw back into the game, Brendan Gaunce drew Utica to within one after deflecting a shot from the stick of Jaime Sifers. Gaunce’s goal marked his 11th of the season and made it a 4-3 game with plenty of time remaining.
It was as close as the Comets would get, as Toronto pulled away in the third. Rosen tallied his second of the night at 7:14 of the period, and Carl Grundstrom put the contest out of reach with an empty netter at 15:51, closing out the 6-3 final.
The Comets hit the ice again Friday night as they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to utilize the ticket exchange website, StubHub!. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHLTV. Be sure to get there early as the first 1,000 fans through the door will receive a Thatcher Demko bobblehead.
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