COMETS WIN THIRD IN A ROW IN HARTFORD
Mar 28, 2022Utica, NY – Taking on a second Atlantic division opponent in two nights, the Utica Comets stepped onto the ice on Monday night against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Previously, inside the Adirondack Bank Center on January 8th, the Comets were defeated by a 2-1 score. This time, on the road, the Comets got some revenge when they put up seven goals in a 7-3 win. Greer, who just returned from the New Jersey Devils, put up four points in the win including a goal and three assists. Akira Schmid took the victory in the net for Utica.
During the opening period, Comets forward Graeme Clarke scored on a backhand wrap-around after Hartford goalie Adam Huska made a save on a Brian Flynn slap shot but couldn’t located the rebound. The goal at 1:44 put Utica up 1-0 and was Clarke’s ninth goal of the season. The home team answered back at 13:59 on a cross-ice one-timer by Zac Jones that sailed passed Akira Schmid tying the contest at 1-1 which remained the score after the first period concluded.
In the middle frame, the Comets took the lead again and it was a power-play goal by the captain Ryan Schmelzer that did it. He tipped a Fabian Zetterlund slapper over the glove of Huska and struck for his 14thgoal of the season at 6:36. It was the Wolf Pack who, yet again, tied the contest after a goal from Anthony Greco on a rebound chance at 8:57. The Comets were undeterred when they went back on the power-play and this time it was AJ Greer’s deflection on the shot from Reilly Walsh at 14:34. The Comets left the second period up 3-2.
In the third period, the Comets went up by two goals after Zetterlund sniped his 24th goal of the season on a cross-ice pass from Fredrick Gauthier at 11:45. The Wolf Pack were resilient when they got a goal from Lauri Pajuniemi at 13:33. It only took 13 seconds later for Chase Deleo to answer back on a nifty goal that was setup by Greer at 13:46. DeLeo and Greer combined again as DeLeo scored again at 17:14 into the empty net. Clarke sent one more puck into the Hartford goal at 18:49 for his second of the game and a 7-3 victory for the Conference leading 38th win.
The Comets continue on the road on Wednesday night in Rochester before making their way back home to the Adirondack Bank Center at 7:00 PM on Friday night, April 1st against the Syracuse Crunch. Tickets are still available. You can purchase them by going to uticacomets.com/tickets.