stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 No score at the end of the first, Bridgeport leads in shots 11-10. Several dangerous chances for both teams but Bachman has been good and so has Halak at the other end. The Comets had one powerplay but couldn't set anything up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckledraggin Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Bachman playing a back to back with Demko sick. #5 Dal Colle and #6 Virtanen total bust 20 year olds playing in this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 1-0 Bridgeport with a goal from Ryan Pulock. A poorly timed offensive zone penalty from Hamilton leads to the Sound Tigers PP goal, a quick point shot off of a faceoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Still 1-0 at the end of two - Grenier just ripped one off the bar at the buzzer, but no luck. Shots are 23-17 for Bridgeport through two; the Comets will have about 1:30 of PP time to start the third period. Bachman has been Utica's best player by far. Virtanen had a decent opportunity breaking down the right wing and got a nice wrister off, but there was no threat of a pass across so Halak was able to stay in position and make it look easy. Subban had a rough period and got caught twice giving up breakaways. The first was a poor decision to join the rush, as Robak was going for a change and he was the last guy back - the puck got coughed up and it turned into a 2-on-0 the other way but Bachman shut the door. The second was a joint fault by he and Robak as Kellen Jones managed to split them with a burst of speed and break in on Bachman for a chance. His offensive instincts are apparent but he needs to be more aware of when he's the last guy back and when not to pinch or rush the puck. Rendulic also had a breakway of his own after a Bridgeport turnover but couldn't finish it off. Among the Utica skaters, he's had a noticeably positive game so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Tie game! Archibald deflects a centering pass from Grenier and its 1-1 with 14:15 to go in the second period. Edit: and 10 seconds later, the Comets get a powerplay with a chance now to take the lead. PP hasn't generated much in this game so far, though. It ends up being one of the worst powerplays I've ever seen. First Robak coughs up the puck at the point leading to a breakaway, which Bachman stops. Then as the Comets recollect the puck they give it away again before they get to their own blueline (couldn't tell the player that did it) for another breakaway which Bachman also turns aside. He's the only reason this is even a close game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Comets score!! Grenier finishes off a tipped pass by Archibald and its 2-1 with 2:26 to play. That line has been on fire - basically generating all the offence for Utica lately. Valk the second assist as he made the original pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 3-1 Comets! McEneny seals it with an empty netter from the other end of the ice with 45 seconds to play, Cassels with the assist. Final shots are 33-29 for Bridgeport - Bachman with 32 saves, many of them prime scoring chances to keep the Comets in it. Without him there's no way this comeback happens, although you have to give credit for the Archibald-Valk-Grenier pulling through yet again. Three straight wins now for the Comets. 1st No Scoring 2nd 7:33 BRI Ryan Pulock (4) ASST: Devon Toews (20), Joshua Winquist (3) (PP) 3rd 5:35 UTI Darren Archibald (11) ASST: Alexandre Grenier (18), Curtis Valk (13) 17:34 UTI Alexandre Grenier (13) ASST: Darren Archibald (14), Curtis Valk (14) 19:14 UTI Evan McEneny (2) ASST: Cole Cassels (1) (EN) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuxfanabroad Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Awesome! Just like the parent club, clawing back to .500 hockey. Thanks for updates, gents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beary Sweet Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Didn't catch the game but a nice win by the Comets tonight over the Sound Tigers 2-1. The Archibald-Valk-Grenier continues to provide the offense the Comets need despite several players that can chip in are in the parent club. Archibald and Grenier notched a goal and an apple each while Valk scored a pair of apples. McEneny scored his 2nd of the season while Cassels got a point on the goal as well. Jake continues to take strides in his development despite the constant raging going on in the Jake Virt thread. He didn't get on the scoresheet but got 4 shots off which is a great sign that it's only a matter of time before those shots turn into goals. Hope he continues to trend towards a 200 ft type of play and possibly earn himself a call up again at some point this year if injuries go out of hand again. I'm certainly rooting for him and hope you all got his back as well. Go Comets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckledraggin Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 8 hours ago, Beary Sweet said: Didn't catch the game but a nice win by the Comets tonight over the Sound Tigers 2-1. The Archibald-Valk-Grenier continues to provide the offense the Comets need despite several players that can chip in are in the parent club. Archibald and Grenier notched a goal and an apple each while Valk scored a pair of apples. McEneny scored his 2nd of the season while Cassels got a point on the goal as well. Jake continues to take strides in his development despite the constant raging going on in the Jake Virt thread. He didn't get on the scoresheet but got 4 shots off which is a great sign that it's only a matter of time before those shots turn into goals. Hope he continues to trend towards a 200 ft type of play and possibly earn himself a call up again at some point this year if injuries go out of hand again. I'm certainly rooting for him and hope you all got his back as well. Go Comets Cassels is a legit prospect. It took a while but his feet have caught up to his hands and his brain. Virtanen needs repetition, he's always the fastest player on the ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boudrias Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Evan McEneny? For all the Comet watchers that post on here. Your observations are always appreciated. I am curious about how well McEneny is progressing. He has a NHL body but wondered about his speed when I watched him at the Prospects Tourny in Penticton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 2 hours ago, Boudrias said: Evan McEneny? For all the Comet watchers that post on here. Your observations are always appreciated. I am curious about how well McEneny is progressing. He has a NHL body but wondered about his speed when I watched him at the Prospects Tourny in Penticton. I'd be interested as well to read a detailed breakdown on McEneny's progress from some Utica fans. As far as what I've read, this quote from "orcatown" on HFBoards seems consistent with most of this season's fan reports: McEneny - has shown significant improvement in his play. Improvement in skating has allowed for greater range in his play and more ability to get involved offensively. Still this hasn't shown up much statistically and he still needs to matched with veteran players. Sometimes has trouble handling traffic around the net. Appears to be one of the few players in Utica with upside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldstevebernier Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 3 hours ago, Boudrias said: Evan McEneny? For all the Comet watchers that post on here. Your observations are always appreciated. I am curious about how well McEneny is progressing. He has a NHL body but wondered about his speed when I watched him at the Prospects Tourny in Penticton. McEneny has been a player that's caught my eye most games that I've watched this year. He's good enough positionally where he can hold his own, but right now he's paired with Sautner who hasn't been the same since returning from a concussion and that pair has been struggling, mostly due to Sautner. I don't notice his skating as an issue although at the same time he's not notably fast - he does like to push the play though, and join in on the offense when he can. There were a couple shifts yesterday where he was carrying the puck into the corners and passing it off before returning to his position at the point. Almost scored on a nice slapper but Halak just managed to keep it from crossing the goal line after it squeaked through him. Its also obvious that Green sees the same improvements and trusts him. He was out for the final minute protecting a 2-1 lead yesterday which is how he wound up with the empty net goal. He also sees regular usage on the second powerplay unit, although the powerplay as a whole has been pretty dysfunctional for Utica lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuxfanabroad Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 22 minutes ago, chilliwiggins said: well the sound tigers are 2 wins in the last 11 so not really something to jump up and down about ...But I'm on a cushy sofa :^/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuxfanabroad Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 2 minutes ago, chilliwiggins said: Jump Around Jump Around Jump up & get down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 On 14/01/2017 at 11:53 AM, stonecoldstevebernier said: Demko's still out with the flu; the Comets have signed local product Jonah Imoo to a PTO to serve as the backup today. Also, due to a change in the qualification rules this year, the Comets are actually in a playoff spot right now despite their sub-500 record. The top four teams from each division qualify (no wild cards this year) and the Comets currently sit fourth in the North, although things are extremely tight below them. that's how it should be in the NHL. Rivalries are good for hockey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mll Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 From last week: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/comets-coach-green-steering-canucks-prospects-challenging-season/ Quote Comets coach Green steering Canucks prospects through challenging season Utica Comets head coach Travis Green is the first person to admit that there will be no easy games for his American Hockey League team. No games where sheer skill can take over to lead his team through the grind of a long season. A hot name mentioned extensively in published reports for NHL head-coaching work last summer, Green is attempting to steer his Vancouver Canucks prospects through a challenging season. Green’s Comets endured a nine-game losing streak in December that could have put a berth in the Calder Cup playoffs this spring in danger. Utica’s 0-4-4-1 slide in that nine-game span tied them with the Rockford IceHogs for the AHL’s longest winless streak this season. “We’re not an overly skilled hockey team,” Green admitted. “We struggle to score goals.” “We’re a team that we want to be hard to play against with our tenacity and our work. Realize what our strengths are and what our limitations are. We can’t play a soft, easy game. We don’t have that high-end skill that we can move pucks around. We’ve got to play a really gritty game.” The numbers bear out the 13-16-5-1 Comets’ battle through 35 games. Their 2.40 goals per game places them 29th in the AHL in scoring. “We’ve had to win a lot of games 2-1, 3-2,” Green said. Centre Curtis Valk, whose 12 goals tie him with Alexandre Grenier for the team lead, is not even on an NHL contract with the Canucks. Valk, who has overcome a serious knee injury, is playing on an AHL deal, but he has emerged as one of the few offensive weapons that Green can deploy. On the other side of the puck, the Comets’ 3.09 goals-against per game lands them in 22nd place. Top goaltending prospect Thatcher Demko could be an eventual No. 1 in the Vancouver net, but for now he is a rookie finding his way in the pro game. But there is hope for the Comets after a promising start to 2017. Since ending that nine-game free fall, they have won three of their past four games, including back-to-back outings last weekend against a pair of premier teams in the Albany Devils and Hershey Bears. They have managed to pick up at least a point in five of their past seven games (3-2-2-0). “To be honest, I’m happy with the way our team has played this year,” Green said. “Sometimes you can’t just judge the way your team is playing by your record at this level.” Their recent run has inserted the Comets into the thick of a four-team race for fourth place in the North Division. The top four teams in each of the AHL’s four divisions will qualify for Calder Cup play. “Could we be above .500 right now?,” Green asked rhetorically. “Yeah, we probably could if we played really good hockey. We’d probably be three, four games above .500. But you’re going to have down nights. Our team realizes the type of hockey that they have to play to win. For the most part, they bring what they can.” Part of that formula for success is playing low-risk, low-event hockey. The Comets’ 28.7 shots allowed per game is eighth-best in the AHL. Demko, a second-round pick taken 36th in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Canucks, is another piece of that plan after three exceptional NCAA seasons with Boston College. The goaltender turned 21 on Dec. 8 and came to Utica with an impressive resume that included being a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season as well as winning the Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goaltender. This season has been a learning process for Demko, who has gone 9-8-0 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage while receiving much of the playing time in a partnership with veteran Richard Bachman. But Demko has heated up lately. His 18-save third period last Saturday at Hershey set up a 3-2 come-from-behind win in overtime. A 6-foot-4, 192-pound goaltender who can play an aggressive, shot-challenging style, Demko frustrated one of the AHL’s best offences repeatedly. He has turned aside 66 of the past 69 shots that he has faced. “He has been good,” Green said. “Like a lot of young guys in the league, he has had some really brilliant nights, and he has had some nights that he would like to have back. But that’s all part of [the development process].” One of Green’s biggest tasks this season involves right-winger Jake Virtanen, the sixth-overall pick in the 2014 Draft. In 24 games as a second-year pro, he has tallied four goals and three assists. Last season with the Canucks he went scored seven goals with six helpers in 55 NHL games. Now that he is eligible for AHL play as a 20-year-old, the Canucks have opted to let him learn the pro game under Green. “It has been an adjustment coming from the NHL to here,” Green said of Virtanen. “He’s a still a young guy, and he has lots of things to learn. He is working hard to become a better player.” “Like a lot of young guys, [he needs to improve] his total game, continue to be direct in his game. There is not one thing that you can put a finger on with Jake. It’s just an all-around game that he needs to develop to be a power forward that Vancouver wants him to be.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beary Sweet Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 3 hours ago, The 5th Line said: Super impressed with Utica they are working their tails off. St Johns has controlled the 3rd though 3g 1a +4 for Pelletier 1g 2a +3 for McEneny 1g 1a + 4 for Kunyk 2a +4 for Zalewski 1a each for Subban, Sautner and Carcone. 26/28 for Bachman Our old buddy Bobby Farnham with a 5 minute boarding major in garbage time when his team is down 5-2 actually I think you may have a couple typos. Pelletier got a pair of goals and a helper while Zalewski notched a goal and a pair of helpers. but no worries. I agree though that the Comets have been super impressive to watch as of late. Green has the guys dialed into what he wants and expects from them and the team has delivered with wins in 3 of their last 4 games I think not sure. Jake also continues to show a positive improvement in his development as well getting 3 shots off. It's great that Green has let him go for goal when he has a chance to. Willie gave him the chances to play and shoot but gave him so little time to do it. so it's great to see him get that confidence to shoot and if he scores a few more points with some goals in there, Jake might be considered and be called up by Benning at some point during this season if we continue to have our injury woes. Bachman also looked like they had a good game. hope that the Comets keep this going. Go Comets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jatylo Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 managed to watch the game. Can tell that the tools are there for Jake, but i feel his confidence is not there quite yet which will come with time. (a few loose pucks he didn't go for and a couple passes he panicked on). May be harsh on Subban but i always felt nervous when he was on the ice and you could tell the icecaps picked his side when on the rush. In general great game. pelletier and archibald were obvious standouts. While Bachman was solid and had little chance on the 2 goals he let in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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