2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Bad Goalie]

Schmid makes a big stop sliding across his crease and Johnsson fell over him.

The Crunch moron crowd screaming for a penalty any time anything of any kind happens on the ice.

Walcott goes after Geertsen who just skates away. Ha Ha Ha!

Clarke shot deflects off a skate and goes out of play.

Russo rings it off the INSIDE of the near post, across the crease and out!

 

[Bad Goalie]

Crunch whining about everything as well. Also baiting every Comet on every whistle. Nobody biting. Keep it that way.

The Comets made their two brain farts at the beginning of the period and got away with both penalties.

Offsides Crunch.

TVTO
3:54 to go

A--felt will be leaving at some point. Need to get the puck into their zone and keep it there. Very tough ask against the Crunch.

I would skip the line he has put out there, Rivera/Schmelzer/Dugan. They promptly ice it.

Crunch shot out of play. Get them off the ice!

Dineen now goes with the Talvitie line. Comets not rich in clutch defensive players.

Puck goes out of play with 3:29m to go.

A--felt is gone. Comets clear it down and it's icing. 3:20 to go.

Comets get it out.

Nemec turns it over and the Crunch set up. 1-timer wide.

Johnsson shoots it into the Crunch bench.

A--felt back in.

Comets mishandle it 2 times.

Big shot blocked.

Another block.

A--felt gone again.

They will set up for the perfect shot. They get it, but it's blocked and out to center.

Nemec got it down the ice and no icing!

Talvitie goes for the net and misses.

Russo blasts it wide. Talvitie goes for it again and it's blocked and out to the point. Nemec has it. He waits, dumps it to the corner, and the clock runs out.

C*O*M*ET*S W________________I __________________________________N!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm serious. I must be delirious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SCHMID was godly!

First shutout of the season for both Schmid and the team.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Final score

Utica Comets 1 Syracuse 0

SOG:
Comets - 9 17 4 = 30
Crunch - 11 8 4 = 23

PP:
Comets - 0/3
Crunch - 0/4

Scoring -
Clarke (16) from Gambardella (14)

3 Stars:
#1 - Hugo Alnefelt (Syracuse Crunch) 29/30
#2 - Akira Schmid (Utica Comets) 23/23
#3 - Graeme Clarke (Utica Comets) 1 G

Schmid was robbed! He won the game with a shutout. That's #1
The other guy lost and should've been #2 at best. It's not like he made 50 saves. LOL

Comets back in action again tomorrow night in the Aud (Adirondack Bank Center) at 7pm vs the Providence Bruins.

Good Night, all.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Rochester, Syracuse, and Laval, the 3 teams closest behind the Comets all lost tonight giving the Comets 2 more points up on all of them. Utica now has 50 Points. Rochester (43) and Syracuse (42) have 3 games in hand on the Comets making these 2 points even bigger. Laval with 40 has played 1 more game than the Comets.

Those games in hand make this race real close.

 

[swiiscompos]

Things are back to how they should be.

 

[britdevil]

Things are back to how they should be.

View attachment 642875

@Bleedred

 

[RSeen]

Any reports on how Nemec is playing? Is he getting PP time or PK time?

 

[Bad Goalie]

Any reports on how Nemec is playing? Is he getting PP time or PK time?

Nemec is on the 2nd PP. Neither Comets PP unit is any good. Their PP ranks #23 in the league.
Nemec's shot, though accurate, can't break glass. He does pass well, but the Comets PP is not very active and the passing is thought out before taking place making the pass telegraphed and the opponent is right there to harass the receiver when it gets there. Worse is that the passes are so slow taking place they can be picked and cleared or start SH chances. They often have no lane to make a pass anywhere safely besides the perimeter. Attempting to force passes through the box are most often disasters, picked or fired out to a breaking mate creating SH breakaways. Nemec is as guilty as any of them making these bad decisions.

He also kills penalties., but is not on the first unit. They are a little better on the kill ,than they are on the PP ranking #20 in the league. Wotherspoon and Russo are the most used D-men on the kill while Walsh and Nemec get their share as well. Vukojevic, Groleau, and Blujus will also get time, but not as much.

As to being on the ice when goals are scored Nemec is second with 34, 2nd only to Wotherspoon and Russo tied with 39. He is Wotherspoon's partner at even strength. Among the regulars he is tied for 2nd in +/- with Johnsson at 10. Stevens leads the team at 11 and Wotherspoon is at 9. Walsh is dead last at -8 and Russo is -6.

 

[Bad Goalie]

The Comets success this season has rested upon the shoulders of their goalies. I have mentioned before how often the Comets win most of their games scoring 3 or less goals. More than that is a luxury, not a norm.

Schmid has moved into 1st among all goalies in the NHL with a 2.08 GAA. His SAV% is .921 which ranks 5th.
He is 9-2-3 on the season in 15 GP that's 21 points out of a possible 25.

Daws has played 21 games and ranks #24 with a GAA of 2.82. His SAV% of .901 ranks #35. He is 11-9-1 on the season. He has earned the Comets 23 points out of a possible 41.

So, while absolutely not bad numbers, Daws has been around a .500 goalie due to his team's lack of scoring. While Akira has put up points at an .840 clip.

The unwritten rule for success as a coach in any league is to ride the hot goalie. That would mean Schmid should be getting the majority of starts in the upcoming games unless he cools off. He is basically giving up no more than those 2 goals. That's the number that gives the Comets a fighting chance in most games. 3 is a challenge to get to OT, but 4 or more usually means they have no chance.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Nikita Okhotiuk returned to the Comets 1/27.

He was listed as a scratch last night in Dallas. Would guess that means he won't be in the Comets lineup tonight. LOL

 

[Bleedred]

Schmid has been on a similar Vitek-like tear this month.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Schmid has been on a similar Vitek-like tear this month.

Correctomundo!

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

 

[Guadana]

The Comets success this season has rested upon the shoulders of their goalies. I have mentioned before how often the Comets win most of their games scoring 3 or less goals. More than that is a luxury, not a norm.

Schmid has moved into 1st among all goalies in the NHL with a 2.08 GAA. His SAV% is .921 which ranks 5th.
He is 9-2-3 on the season in 15 GP that's 21 points out of a possible 25.

Daws has played 21 games and ranks #24 with a GAA of 2.82. His SAV% of .901 ranks #35. He is 11-9-1 on the season. He has earned the Comets 23 points out of a possible 41.

So, while absolutely not bad numbers, Daws has been around a .500 goalie due to his team's lack of scoring. While Akira has put up points at an .840 clip.

The unwritten rule for success as a coach in any league is to ride the hot goalie. That would mean Schmid should be getting the majority of starts in the upcoming games unless he cools off. He is basically giving up no more than those 2 goals. That's the number that gives the Comets a fighting chance in most games. 3 is a challenge to get to OT, but 4 or more usually means they have no chance.

Goalies don't matter yanau

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Used to follow the Trenton Titans so I was just checking the Adirondack Thunder roster. Apparently former NJ high school star Grant Jozefak is the team's third-leading scorer.

 

[DevilsHughes86]

Can't wait to watch Nemec and the bunch, Utica comes to Laval still 3x until the end of the season!! Looking forward to it

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Anything to see with Filip Engaras or is this merely an ECHL transaction?

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Watched the highlights for Utica's 4-3 SOL against the Crunch. The Crunch goalie made some hughe saves while Daws let in some really bad goals. Utica should of won it in overtime too if it wasn't for a huge save for the Crunch goalie. Daws really had a rough game but Utica was up 1 to 0 and were trailing 3 to 1 late in the 3rd. They managed to score 2 empty net goals to force overtime. Nemec had a nice goal to tie it up at 3 too.

 

[UticaHockey]

Anything to see with Filip Engaras or is this merely an ECHL transaction?

Engaras played the last two home games. He looked small and easy to knock off the puck. I didn't see anything in his skill set that would make up for his lack of physicality and keep him in the line up. It's a very small sample size but he wasn't very impactful.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Engaras played the last two home games. He looked small and easy to knock off the puck. I didn't see anything in his skill set that would make up for his lack of physicality and keep him in the line up. It's a very small sample size but he wasn't very impactful.

He did show a level of IQ that the majority of the boys seem lacking. He was always in position, took passes intended for him, and made clean passes. These 3 issues are the major problem with most of the rest of this team. He is 6'1" and 201 so size isn't the issue. He is not fleet footed and lacks physicality. He seems to know where to go and what to do, he's just tentative in putting it together. He looks like he's afraid of making a mistake. That worry should have been abandoned in the first 10 minutes of the Providence game on 1/28 when his team mates made more mistakes than this kid could have imagined he could make by himself in 10 games. The circus will continue every game he still finds himself here. This edition of the Comets commit a plethora of mistakes whether they play a good game or stink up the ice. You never know which of those 2 teams will show up every game. He has to just do what he knows how to do and let the cards fall where they may.

He has come all the way across the nation in a trade and found himself in a new city with no known fellow team mates. It has to be a bit difficult. If he stays for any length of time he should settle in and then we can make some assessments of his hockey talent. The kid spent 3 seasons at NCAA U. of New Hampshire. This year 11 games in Bakersfield, 23 in Fort Wayne, now he's in Utica, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he isn't soon on his way to Adirondack. The guy has to feel like a metal ball in a pinball machine bouncing all over the NA continent. It's not exactly how you get to establish yourself as a young hockey player in your 1st pro season after being drafted #169 in 2020. Utica is his 3rd stop this season which is just past the halfway mark. The Thunder will be team #4 if he gets reassigned.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[Bad Goalie]

Got at this one late.

2/3/2023
Utica Comets at Hartford Wolf*Pack

Forwards:
15 Gambardella/ 28 Pinho/ 92 Clarke
11 Johnsson/ 26 Schmelzer/ 12 Thompson
10 Dugan/ 77 Talvitie/ Halonen
55 Geertsen/ 16 Engaras/ 90 Senyshyn

D-Pairs:
2 Vukojevic/ 5 Russo
23 Wotherspoon/ 22 Walsh
75 Groleau/ 7 Nemec

Goal - Schmid

Scratches:
Daws (BU)
Rivera (H)
Blujus (H)
Stevens (H)
Okhotiuk (H)
Foote (I)
Laberge (I)
Hutchison (?)

1st is under way

:23 seconds in and the Wolfpack scores.
2 on 1
Shot from the right circle off Schmid's pads and Pajuniemi deposits the rebound in the net.

Schmid stops a shot from his doorstep off the rush.16;15 of the first and the shots are 6-1 Hartford.

Thompson stopped from the right dot.

Point shot stopped by Akira. 15:05 into the 1st and its 8-2 shots in favor of Hartford.

9:53 to go.
Nemec gets the puck at the point off the faceoff win by Thompson. He takes a writer from 10 feet inside the blueline right on the boards. It goes through traffic and ........
S-----------C---------O---------R---------E----------S

1-1

Late in the first and Hartford scores again.
A cross ice pass from the right side to the far point man who snuck down into the right circle. Gambardella was the lone Comet to thjat side and he got caught puck watching. ASll he needed to do was turn his head to check behind him and he would have seen that guy and the play never happens.

2-1 Hartford.

The Comets continue to give up goals late in every period. 1:07 to go.

2nd is underway.

Talvitie wins a draw and Dugan picks it up and sends it back to the point. Groleau shoots and Halonen tips it in.

COMETS TIE IT UP
1:06 into the 2nd.
2-2

Clarke is stopped on a shot from the right circle off the rush.

Comets to the PP.
Cleared down off the draw.
Comets get in. Halonen hits a post after a shot by Gambardella rebounded right to him.
Halonen gives a pass to Gambardella skating in to the right of the net. Joe hjts Halonen cutting to the the low slot and he shoots;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; and -------------------- SCORES!@

It's 3-2 Comets.


Comets dodge a bullet as a pass to a wide open Wolf in the low slot whiffs at the pass.

Comets go to the PP again. Nemec was slashed and went down. he stayed down and the trainer came on to check him out. Simone slow to get up, but he does and skates off on his own but limping.

Off the draw Russo shot held.
Halonen 1-timer - wide.
Russo shot - wide.
Cleared.
Clarke shot stopped.
Johnsson stopped.
Cleared.

PP over.

TV TO
5:31 to go.
2 good stops by Schmid.
Whoa! a Wolf whiffs on a 1-timer wide open in the slot. 2nd time tonight.
It's been all Hartford since the time out. 2:30 to go.

Senyshyn off the rush goes all the way to the net front and is stopped.

Clarke all alone standing just out of the paint and shoots it wide across the net.

:45 to go and Hartford's Blais is called for hooking.

Comets win the draw to the point. and the whistle stops play. Unfair faceoff.

Clarke noodle wrists a shit pass towards the half boards. It's interecepted and sent down. That's it for the period.

3rd is under way.

Comets still on the PP. Perimeter passing with 3 limp wristed shots from the point all turned aside.

Halonen a 1-timer held on to.

PP comes up empty. Hartford breaks out and brings it in. They get 3 potential setups from in front with one big whiff. they slide a pass through the slot from left to right and Blais, literally standing all alone off the post with one one foot in the crease taps it in. There is absolutely no excuse for the horrific defensive coverage the Comets have failed to provide on all 3 Hartford goals thus far.

:90 second into the 3rd and the score is once again tied.

3-3

This is not good. 3 goals is the most that the Comets come up with during regulation during most of their games this season. It's been enough for wins in a bunch of them, but they have played a much tighter game making life difficult on their opponent while getting great goaltending. That has not been the case tonight.

Comets to the PK.
Engaras for holding.

Schmid stops a high slot one-timer and it's cleared down.
Hartford in and the puck is sent back down.
A lot of sloppy play and the PK is successful.

10:23 left
A Wolf rushes the puck and steps around the D and takes it right to Schmid's doorstep. He makes a stop sliding on his knees and it's under his pads.

9:26 to go and the Wolfpack has jump. winning every race. Winning the puck battles.
Comets are skating in mud. Making poor decisions. Can't keep the puck on their sticks. Battling just to get the puck out and in the other end just batting at the puck to keep it in the zone. Not maintaining any kind of puck control to generate any offense. Look to be playing for the point and then whatever happens.

Schmid another stop.

7:12 to go and little threat from the Comets.

TV TO
5:25 to go in regulation

Comets stumbling all over their zone flailing at the puck trying to keep Hartford from getting chances. Can't even make a pass to clear the zone.

Pinho gains possession in the neutral zone and does what he has been doing a lot over the past 15 games or more. He doesn't carry the puck or make any moves he just dumps it from center into the offensive zone.

2:30 left.
Groleau skates the puck out of the zone, up the boards into the neutral zone, meets traffic, tries to shoot it through the traffic and instead turns it over. Hartford charges back in.
Schmid makes a stop. Puck slides into the the high slot where Blais is all alone, not a Comet anywhere near him and he wires it home.

4-3 Hartford with 2:31 to go.

Comets struggle to get into the hartford end. There goes Schmid with 1:25 to go. They don't manage to make any big time threats and the game ends.

COMETS LOSE 4-3.

SOG:
Comets - 8 - 14 - 7 = 29
Hartford - 14 - 11- 11 = 36

PP:
Comets 1/4
Hartford 0/2

Scoring:
Nemec (6) from Schmelzer (18) and Thompson (11)
Halonen (7) from Groleau (7) and Dugan (12)
Halonen (8) from Gambardella (15) and Russo (16) PP

Schmid - 32/36

3 Stars:
#1 - Sammy Blais (Hartford Wolfpack) 2 G
#2 - Tim Gettinger (Hartford Wolfpack) 2 A
#3 - Brian Halonen (Utica Comets) 2 G

 

[Louskoolaid89]

At Reading watching Adirondack taking a beating. Still fun watching the ECHL. I miss Trenton.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

Yeah only player on this roster I heard of was the Latvian goalies Mittens. Make a ridiculous stick save and then proceed with an ultra softie. Got pulled after allowing 4 mid second period. Broke his stick and got into a heated argument with Weller who I think is the alternate captain. This roster is older than the NHL club. No prospects here lol.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Yeah only player on this roster I heard of was the Latvian goalies Mittens. Make a ridiculous stick save and then proceed with an ultra softie. Got pulled after allowing 4 mid second period. Broke his stick and got into a heated argument with Weller who I think is the alternate captain. This roster is older than the NHL club. No prospects here lol.

Was that his first game back? He's been injured most of the year.

Is Barratt from Penn State still playing for Reading or is he back with the Phantoms?