2022-23 Utica Comets and ECHL thread
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youryeah
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- Jun 21, 2019
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one page ago
(saturday)
Omar Little
Omar comin yo
- Dec 20, 2018
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Yes, he’s been out since 3/25, with no real info available as far as I know.
Not injured. Out indefinitely with a non-hockey medical issue. I won't reveal what since it hasn't officially been announced. He is not likely to be seen again this season.
Last edited:
Utica has needed 1 point to clinch a playoff spot (5th) since Saturday. They lost to Rochester last Saturday and again last night to Syracuse. In that span of time they have fallen to 4th place a mere 2 points ahead of 5th place Laval.
They will play Cleveland, 3 points back with 3 games left to play, also in the running for the #5 spot along with Laval on Friday. If Laval and Cleveland continue winning as they both have been doing and the Comets can't beat Syracuse in the season finale, the recently 2nd and now 4th place Comets will finish out of the Playoffs period.
A loss by Laval or one by Cleveland (not to the Comets) would allow Utica to back into the playoffs. Without any help coming down from NJ and Holtz and Halonen out for the duration, it might be the better solution.
They will play Cleveland, 3 points back with 3 games left to play, also in the running for the #5 spot along with Laval on Friday. If Laval and Cleveland continue winning as they both have been doing and the Comets can't beat Syracuse in the season finale, the recently 2nd and now 4th place Comets will finish out of the Playoffs period.
A loss by Laval or one by Cleveland (not to the Comets) would allow Utica to back into the playoffs. Without any help coming down from NJ and Holtz and Halonen out for the duration, it might be the better solution.
Last edited:
Omar Little
Omar comin yo
Jersey Fan 12
Positive Vibes
- Nov 20, 2006
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AHLcontract but with no pro experience saves the veteran spots next season.
They've sat Filmon a few times since his debut... wish he'd play more. They aren't winning without him.
Mgd31
Registered User
For some reason I remember about someone (maybe him) getting an appendectomy.
Should be fine without any long term concerns.
That's what it would mean if the facts are correct. It's something he will recover from.
That's Halonen.
He and Halonen would miss the playoffs if the Comets even make it. The team as it stands is not a playoff contender. Would love for them to surprise me, but they haven't been able to string 2 strong efforts together for the past several weeks. Doing such every other day is huge stretch.
The first series, if they make it, will be the best of 3 play-in between the 4th and 5th seeds.
Exactly what I came here to ask.
That makes sense. Been out for a bit. Hopefully he makes a full recovery.
OmNomNom
Taco is Love, Taco is Life
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4/14/23
Cleveland Monsters @ Utica Comets
Forwards:
25 Foote/ 21 Stevens/ 92 Clarke
67 Parent/ 26 Schmelzer/ 8 Hawryluk
38 Filmon/ 77 Talvitie/ 12 Thompson
15 Gambaedella/ 19 Friedman/ 16 Engaras
D-pairs:
23 Wotherspoon/ 7 Nemec
55 Geertsen/ 22 Walsh
65 Hayes/ 5 Russo
Goal - 50 Daws
Scratches:
Poulter (BU)
Pinho (H)
Laberge (H)
Ibragimov (H)
Groleau (H)
Gourley (H)
Vukojevic (Inj)
Hutchison (Inj)
Hatakka (Inj)
Holtz (Med)
Halonen (Med)
Final Score:
Utica Comets 2 Cleveland Monsters 1
Game recap -
Scoring 1 2 3 T
Cleveland 0 1 0 1
Comets 0 1 1 2
SOG:
CLE 15 6 4 = 25
UTC 11 7 7 = 25
PP
CLE - 0/1
UTC - 0/1
Scoring:
Hawryluk (2) from Walsh (32) and Geertsen (4)
Nemec (11) from Foote (17) and Thompson (17)
Daws - 24/25
3***
#1 Nico Daws (Utica Comets) SA:25/SV 24
#2 Simon Nemec (Utica Comets) 1 G
#3 Jayce Hawryluk (Utica Comets) 1 G
Tyler Wotherspoon was key on Nemec's game winning goal.
He slid across in front of a monster shooter on one knee just inside the attacking left circle and blocked the shot off the inside of his right leg. He went down in a heap. Thompson scooped up the loose puck the puck and passed it from his blueline to Foote at the attacking blueline on the right wing boards. Foote carried it down the boards and cut into the circle, stopped, and hit Nemec skating hard down the middle. He wasted little one timing it from between the top of both circles and scored glove side.
The boys celebrated while Wotherspoon was still crawling, falling, sliding, and trying to get to the bench. He was in agony. He was helped onto the bench and almost every Comet found a way to get to him and offer him big congrats each in their own way. Every guy was well aware that his physical sacrifice led to the play that got the go ahead goal. No one knew that it would be the play that got the Comets the win and a berth in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Looking at the lineup above you can see that the Comets were playing at forward, in what was a must win game, 2 guys up from the ECHL in Parent and Engaras, an ATO Jr in Filmon, a newcomer on a PTO out of NCAA Quinipiac in TJ Friedman, 2 guys who are in a black hole as far as scoring is concerned in Talvitie and Thompson, and newcomer Jayce Hawrylluk who had scored 3 goals on the season in 19 games with AHL Beelville before finally arriving in Utica to now be playing in his 6th game. Only 3 Comets forwards tonight could be considered as NJ prospects in Foote, Clarke, and hard pessed to say so Thompson (7 goals and the last 1 was scored on January 13th. Believe in superstitions? That was game 35. Tonite was game 71. That's 36 games since he last dented the twines).
The team finally played as if their lives were on the line and as far as the playoffs were concerned, they were. It was a hard played game between t2 hard pressed teams. The checking was tight to the letter. There wasn't a lot of open ice and plays were being broken up in all three zones. All this and the skating was almost full bore every second of every shift. The shifts were short and the hitting was continuous also in all 3 zones. Every guy tried to finish every check from the 1st puck drop to the final horn. The refs stayed out of this one. They let the teams decide the outcome and both put forth top defensive performances. The offenses were nearly shut down.
After all that the positions for the playoff seeds are still not settled.
Laval is done with 76 points.
Utica has 78 points with 1 game to go and Syracuse, Utica's foe tomorrow night, also has 1 to go They have 80 points.
Rochester, who were bested tonite 7-4 by Belleville, have 2 more to go with Cleveland home and away tomorrow and Sunday. They have 79 points.
If Utica finishes in 4th, the lowest they can go, they would get home ice in a best of 3 with Laval.
Should they mange to defeat Syracuse tomorrow and Rochester drops both to Cleveland (unlikely IMO but), the Comets would finish 3rd and be idle before facing the Crunch in the best of 5 2nd round. The Crunch would have home ice.
It looks like the most likely scenario was the first one - Lavla/Utica with Utica holding home ice in a best of 3 play-in with the winner taking on Division Champ Toronto in a best of 5 with TO owning home ice.
Cleveland Monsters @ Utica Comets
Forwards:
25 Foote/ 21 Stevens/ 92 Clarke
67 Parent/ 26 Schmelzer/ 8 Hawryluk
38 Filmon/ 77 Talvitie/ 12 Thompson
15 Gambaedella/ 19 Friedman/ 16 Engaras
D-pairs:
23 Wotherspoon/ 7 Nemec
55 Geertsen/ 22 Walsh
65 Hayes/ 5 Russo
Goal - 50 Daws
Scratches:
Poulter (BU)
Pinho (H)
Laberge (H)
Ibragimov (H)
Groleau (H)
Gourley (H)
Vukojevic (Inj)
Hutchison (Inj)
Hatakka (Inj)
Holtz (Med)
Halonen (Med)
Final Score:
Utica Comets 2 Cleveland Monsters 1
Game recap -
Scoring 1 2 3 T
Cleveland 0 1 0 1
Comets 0 1 1 2
SOG:
CLE 15 6 4 = 25
UTC 11 7 7 = 25
PP
CLE - 0/1
UTC - 0/1
Scoring:
Hawryluk (2) from Walsh (32) and Geertsen (4)
Nemec (11) from Foote (17) and Thompson (17)
Daws - 24/25
3***
#1 Nico Daws (Utica Comets) SA:25/SV 24
#2 Simon Nemec (Utica Comets) 1 G
#3 Jayce Hawryluk (Utica Comets) 1 G
Tyler Wotherspoon was key on Nemec's game winning goal.
He slid across in front of a monster shooter on one knee just inside the attacking left circle and blocked the shot off the inside of his right leg. He went down in a heap. Thompson scooped up the loose puck the puck and passed it from his blueline to Foote at the attacking blueline on the right wing boards. Foote carried it down the boards and cut into the circle, stopped, and hit Nemec skating hard down the middle. He wasted little one timing it from between the top of both circles and scored glove side.
The boys celebrated while Wotherspoon was still crawling, falling, sliding, and trying to get to the bench. He was in agony. He was helped onto the bench and almost every Comet found a way to get to him and offer him big congrats each in their own way. Every guy was well aware that his physical sacrifice led to the play that got the go ahead goal. No one knew that it would be the play that got the Comets the win and a berth in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Looking at the lineup above you can see that the Comets were playing at forward, in what was a must win game, 2 guys up from the ECHL in Parent and Engaras, an ATO Jr in Filmon, a newcomer on a PTO out of NCAA Quinipiac in TJ Friedman, 2 guys who are in a black hole as far as scoring is concerned in Talvitie and Thompson, and newcomer Jayce Hawrylluk who had scored 3 goals on the season in 19 games with AHL Beelville before finally arriving in Utica to now be playing in his 6th game. Only 3 Comets forwards tonight could be considered as NJ prospects in Foote, Clarke, and hard pessed to say so Thompson (7 goals and the last 1 was scored on January 13th. Believe in superstitions? That was game 35. Tonite was game 71. That's 36 games since he last dented the twines).
The team finally played as if their lives were on the line and as far as the playoffs were concerned, they were. It was a hard played game between t2 hard pressed teams. The checking was tight to the letter. There wasn't a lot of open ice and plays were being broken up in all three zones. All this and the skating was almost full bore every second of every shift. The shifts were short and the hitting was continuous also in all 3 zones. Every guy tried to finish every check from the 1st puck drop to the final horn. The refs stayed out of this one. They let the teams decide the outcome and both put forth top defensive performances. The offenses were nearly shut down.
After all that the positions for the playoff seeds are still not settled.
Laval is done with 76 points.
Utica has 78 points with 1 game to go and Syracuse, Utica's foe tomorrow night, also has 1 to go They have 80 points.
Rochester, who were bested tonite 7-4 by Belleville, have 2 more to go with Cleveland home and away tomorrow and Sunday. They have 79 points.
If Utica finishes in 4th, the lowest they can go, they would get home ice in a best of 3 with Laval.
Should they mange to defeat Syracuse tomorrow and Rochester drops both to Cleveland (unlikely IMO but), the Comets would finish 3rd and be idle before facing the Crunch in the best of 5 2nd round. The Crunch would have home ice.
It looks like the most likely scenario was the first one - Lavla/Utica with Utica holding home ice in a best of 3 play-in with the winner taking on Division Champ Toronto in a best of 5 with TO owning home ice.
UticaHockey
Registered User
When I looked at the standings last night I was surprised to see that if the Comets beat Syracuse in regulation tonight they would finish no lower than 3rd. Then if Rochester get no more than one point in their final two games the Comets would finish in 2nd. If the Comets can beat Syracuse in regulation tonight the Crunch most likely would finish in 4th place after entering the night in 2nd.
That's because the Comets hold the tie breaker advantage over both the Crunch and Amerks even though we lost the season series to both of them. Head to head results are well down the tie breaker list. The first time breaker is regulation wins and the second is ROW where OT wins are included but shootout wins are not.
NJDevils17
Going Up?
Nemec nearly a PPG over his last 16 games? Seems like he’s really come into his own the back stretch of the season.
UticaHockey
Registered User
Really feel for Holtz, regardless of what the issue is. Would’ve been nice to end the season on a productive note. I probably think more than most that spending a good chunk of the season getting NHL practices was beneficial. He’s clearly got the will and determination to get better, so that daily reminder of what level’s expected of him probably did a lot of good.
But if he struggles next year, it’s gonna be real easy to look back at this season and say he was mishandled, especially considering how much Utica could have used him.
But if he struggles next year, it’s gonna be real easy to look back at this season and say he was mishandled, especially considering how much Utica could have used him.
Incredible isn't it?!?!
That's a lot of ifs though, so I'm not counting any chickens. The Comets don't fare well in Syracuse and Rochester losing 3 points to a deflated Cleveland team is also unlikely.
My bet is Utica with home ice vs the Laval Rocket in the play-in.
Couldn't have said it any better and I have said he was being mismanaged since January.
Utica is 2 hours away. He could have been riding the NYS Thruway elevator all season long. Many teams do that with a valuable prospect when the 2 teams are that close. Nothing develops a player better than PLAYING GAMES. No player ever got better in the press box eating popcorn.
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