2023-24 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

[Bad Goalie]

Wotherspoon a shot and Parent moves in and fires. Woth wide and Parent out of play. First efforts in a while. Shot off the draw held on.

This is when a supoosed top goal scored like Clarke should raise his head. It's been too long since we've seen it.These half ass flutters will never get out of the zone and it finally ate them up. Monsters score with a Monster all alone blowing it past Schmid..

Comets are backi in and finally something I asked for has happened.
C____L_______A____R____K________E gets free with space to shoot and he
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comets go back up 4-3.

 

[Bad Goalie]

TV TO
5:49 to go
Maybe I should say 3 hours to go. That's how long this is going to seem to take if they stay ahead.

Here we go back to noodle wrist stick work.

Big save from Schmid as the Comets go back into the shell and let the Monsters tee off.

Comets ice it.
4:29 to go.

Clarke backhand armed away.
Shot form the circle surroned by Schmid.
3:34 to go.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets get it up the ice.
Back in given up and the Monsters nearly scored.

2:57 to go and Hatakka goes to the box.

Keeper won't be in the game long.
Cleared.
Shot wide.
Now it's In
:47 seconds to score.

The Comets blew a late 1-goal lead Wednesday in less than a minute
as well.

! minute to go.
Clarke shoots wide.
Dowling Wide
Paent gets it and fires. It Hits Dowling and----------------------------------

F**k YEAH1111111111111 It's IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

28 seconds to go.

Win this draw and get it out of the zone.

They did, but the Monsters are right back in and a shot is taken.
Fight for the puck and the COMETS hold on to the win.

Man these guiys don't make it easy.

5-4 Comets win it.
I'll do the post game stas in a bit. I've gotta take a shower.

PHEW!

 

[Bad Goalie]

Utica Comets 5 Cleveland Monsters 4

SOG:
Cleve - 9 17 10 = 36
Utica - 11 9 7 = 27

PP:
Cleve - 1/2
Utica - 1/2

Scoring

Isley (1) from Wotherspoon (7) and Hatakka (5)
Halonen (3) from Gambardella (10) and Schmelzer (13) PP
Stillman (5) from Gambardella (11)
Clarke (12) from Russo (6) and MacKinnon (1)
Dowling (6) from Parent (16) and Russo (7)

Schmid 32/36

3 *s
1) Justin Dowling - 1G (GWG)
2) Jace Isley - 1G (1st AHL goal)
3) Graeme Clarke - 1G

Honorable mentions:
Joe Gambardella - 2 primary assists with 2 passes right on the tape for goals.
Robbie Russo - 2 big assists on the tie and winning goals.

Tomorrow they go at 5 p.m. vs the Springfield Thunderbirds.

I plan to make this one. I've missed the last 3 home games with a sickness that started New Year's Day, put my ass down the next 8 days where I thought I might suffocate or choke to death. Doctor said, "No, just follow my instructions and you'll get better. It has to run it's course."
I thought it would to kill me.
Hah! Not a chance.

Was out in the rain and wind in the middle of the night on Wednesday channeling a flood around my basement windows. Dumb thing as sick as I had been, but someone had to do it.

Slept all day Thursday and decided not to challenge the snow/rain/wind to get back up on my "mountain" tonight. Watched it from the comfort of my cozy dry home in my warm comfy flannel jammies, long polar fleece robe and was forced to sweat out the 2nd game in a row. After 8 losses it feels good, but we can rest assure they will not make anything easy this season.

Well, now that I ran off at the mouth with info only I was interested in, LOL, I'll say good night.

 

[Guttersniped]

Halonen goal (2-0):


Stillman goal (3-0):


Clarke goal (4-3):


Two looks at Dowling’s last minute dagger (5-4):

Spoiler: 2 of Cleveland’s goals on Schmeedo

That’s all Cleveland posted.
3-1

3-2 (yuck lol)

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

3 wins in a row for Utica = ???

 

[Bad Goalie]

3 wins in a row for Utica = ???

As Gomer Pyle used to say,
"Surprise! Surprise!"
You would be correct. 3 in the positive direction.

Does Gomer put me out of your age bracket? That was a stupid 60's ('64-'69) show that my grandfather loved.

Details to follow.

 

[Guttersniped]

GOALS, GOALS, GOALS!

Vukojevic scores, is also tall. (2-1)



Stillman Penalty Shot (!). (4-1)



Two looks at Graeme “Fancy Hands” Clarke getting his lucky 13th. (5-3)

 

[Guttersniped]

While it’s nice Utica is on a 3 game win streak, and the Devils got a key win vs a top EC team, the Thunder also played.

Did they win? Of course, because they don’t know how to lose baby.



Tyler Brennan played in his first game since Nov 29th and won 5-4 in OT.

Brennan skates out!


Makes saves!

 

[Bad Goalie]

1/13/2024
Springfield Thunderbirds vs Utica Comets

A short rest and the Comets were back on the ice at 5 p.m. after defeating the North Division leaders, Cleveland, in nail biter 5-4. Dowling scored the game winner with 28 seconds to go after Cleveland had tied it up at 17:50.

This afternoon the Springfield Thunderbirds were in the Aud fresh off a 4-2 victory over the Syracuse Crunch the night before. They won a game they had no business winning, but rode the strength of a 53 save performance by Malcolm Subban and a hat trick from ex-Utica Comet Adam Gaudette.

Forwards:
21 Durandeau/26 Schmelzer/24 Halonen
67 Parent/10 Dowling/92 Clarke
15 Gambardella/51 Criscuolo/61 Stillman
18 Isley/16 Engaras/79 Laberge

D-Pairs:
83 Vilen/5 Russo
8 Hatakka/23 Wotherspoon
3 MacKinnon/2 Vukojevic

Goal - 1 Poulter

Utica stepped into a hole coming out of the gate and were down 1- 0 before many of the crowd had even settled into their seats. The Thunderbirds scored 49 seconds into the contest on the game's 1st shot. The Comets were caught in an awkward change that saw them with 3 D-men;
Vilen, Hatakka, and MacKinnon. That's strange enough as it is, but none of the 3 were paired together for the game. Dowling and Clarke made the change with the starting forwards, but only MacKinnon remained from the starting 5 and his partner, Vukojevic, had come off. Hatakka was Wotherspoon's partner and Vilen was Russo's and the wing was supposed to be Parent. You figure it out. They sure didn't!

The Comets ironed out their lineup and got down to business. They became the dominant team quickly. The lines are staring to change and Schmelzer gets off and Engaras comes on behind the rush with Durandeau and Halonen still out there . Durandeau spots and hits the fresh Engaras speeding down the right side and he hits him with a cross ice pass from the left boards. Filip shoots on the fly from the inside hash mark of the right circle and scores. All tied up at 9:50.

They continued to apply the pressure with all 4 lines making themselves noticed.
In the final 2 minutes of the period the Comets struck for 2 more goals.

Vukojevic pulled a neat move. He feinted a slapper in the high slot that got Zherenko to drop and jerk and before he had resettled, Vuke swept a shot back against where the keeper had just adjusted away from. 2-1 Comets at 17:51.

Then in the final minute, a minute that has plagued the Comets in several prior contests, things happen on the Comets' side for once. Durandeau goes behind the net to collect the puck and falls down. While lying on his back he shovels the puck through/past a T-bird to Laberge on the end boards who immediately sends a pass out above the top of the circle to a flying Schmelzer. On the fly he lets a shot go from the inside the top of the right circle. It goes into Zherenko's pads. Durandeau is right there and he bangs at what is maybe the puck or just the pads, but the puck slides into the net with a little speed. They credited the goal to Schmelzer, but this one might be changed by tomorrow. In my mind there was too much time between when the puck was in the pads or just up against them and when the the puck all of a sudden is quickly sliding into the net. Whatever! It's 3-1 Comets at 19:29.

SOG were 9-9

Period 2 gets started pretty quick for the Comets. Gambardella is fighting for the puckalong the boards at the top of his D-zone. He pries it loose and he and Stillman break out together with speed and only 1 T-bird with a chance. Gamby slides the puck to Stillman who iskating past him and Stillman goes into the zone towards the net with that T-bbird trying to catch up. Just as he is amking his move to shoot the T-Bird slashes hisa hands and he doen't get the sho off. Perfect example of the definiton of a play deserving of a penalty shot.

STILLMAN GETS THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He goes in to the left, draws the keeper farther to the left and then goes back across to the right and beats him on the ice just inside the post before he can get his leg back over.

4-1 Comets at 1:21.

Looks like smooth sailing from her. Not so fas tmy friend. You are talking about the Utica Comets, who have had a habit of snatching losses from the grip of victory if you give them enough time.
Half way through the period Poulter who is an adventure out of the net came out of his crease to corral a puck behind his net. He makes a sweep at it to move it around the boards into the corner, but he whiffs at the puck and the T_Bird right behind him picks it up and comes out front and hits amate to Poulter's right and as Poulter moves to face him, he slides it across the goal front to another mate who deposits it in the net. A goal that never should have happened<> there are keepers who shou;ld do no more out of their net than stop pucks rimming around the boards and then only if the coast is clear and they can leave it for one of their guys. The latter is what Poulter should be.

Anyways, 4-2 Comets at 9:25
The period would end that way.
SOG:
13-8 Utica


Period 3
The period would be a little back and forth until it became obvious the Comets were once agin trying to just blled out a period holding onto there lead. Dump it out and dump it in., This never works, but Dineen is oine bull headed son of a gun. He will make them get this if it kills them. At 7:13 the i nevitable happens . The Comets get overzealous and comit a foul and Springfield gets their goalie to the bench and scores on a delayed penalty call.
Now it's 4-3. See how this happens?

Tonight Clarke didn't wait until near the end to get his team some help. Just about 3 minutes later
Kriscuolo set him up in open space which is where he is dangerous and he popped home his 13th on a shot right between 2 T-birds closing off his space.
5-3 Comets. Some breathing room.

The Comets would remain in control until Stillman took a penalty at 13:22. A dumb retaliatory roughing call. The Comets would kill it leaving just about 4 and 1/2 minutsd to go.

It's going to have to become pulled keeper time pretty soon. They need 2 goals. They pull him with 3:22 to go.
Poulter makes 1 save. A shot is deflected wide. Another and another. A blocked shot. Comets work it out. Criscuolo gets away a deflected shot that's rolling to the goal and Dowling catches up and deposits it before it can roll wide.
6-3 Comets

They burn off the rest of the clock and it's 3 in a row for the good guys.

SOG
T-Birds - 9 8 11 = 28
Comets- 9 13 4 = 26

PP:
T-Birds 0/4
Comets 0/2

Scoring:
Engaras (3) from Durandeau (10) and Hatakka (6)
Vukojevic (2) from Dowling (11) and Gambardella (12)
Schmelzer (8) from Laberge (5) and Durandeau (11)
Stillman (6) None PS
Clarke (13) from Criscuolo (13)
Dowling (7) from Criscuolo (14) and Gambardella (13) EN

Poulter 25/28

3 *s
1 Chase Stillman (Utica Comets) 1G - GWG
2 Justin Dowling (Utica Comets) 1G/1A
3 Graeme Clarke (Utica Comets) 1G

The Comets have really perked up with the arrival of Durandeau and Halonen. The Comets don't miss Thompson at all as his trade partner is the superior piece in that trade. He is teamed up with Halonen and they have become a very dangerous pairing and Schmelzer has fit right in between them.

Parent and Clarke have meshed with each other and Dowling is a pefect centerman for them.

This has allowed Gambardella to move down a line with Criscuolo in the middle with Stillman on the other wing. All 3 have been on the scoring charts at the end of each game. Criscuolo is more like a center playing the wing and Gambardella fits the exact same mold and Stillmand just has to get his ass in gear and he will find he's getting the puck and if he digs for loose ones and feeds one of the other 2 points are going to start to mount up.

If the Devils can get some bodies back and Bowers and Willman return, the Comets could have the recipe to turn this thing around. They have both been key pieces in the line up and their return could put Bowers and Willman on Engaras's wings or Bowers between Willman and Laberge.

As bad as they have been, 36 points is cuurently holding down the final playoff spot aad the Comets have 32. 6 points separate Belleville in third from the Comets in 7th. The race in the North is a slow slog with every team on the verge. They haven't even finished the 1st half of the season.

There is still hope and if they can keep up their currnet style of play who knows. This could just be another of their teasers, but Dowling told the crowd after Friday night's win "Don't give up on us yet. We are coming on." I'll hold out for now!

 

[Guttersniped]

Ho Hum. Another day, another win.



The six goals included this filthy play where a PK-ing Grasso anticipated a Newfie’s back pass to their teammate and intercepted it.



Edit: This is his name lol.



Jeremy B. makes a save on Cole Caulfield’s brother. (Who signed with the enemy lol.)



Needing bodies due to injuries/illlness, the Newfies just signed 47 year old Terry Ryan.



The Adirondack version:

 

[My3Sons]

Ho Hum. Another day, another win.



The six goals included this filthy play where a PK-ing Grasso anticipated a Newfie’s back pass to teammate and intercepted it.



Edit: This is his name lol.
View attachment 803198


Jeremy B.



Needing bodies due to injuries/illlness, the Newfies just signed 47 year old Terry Ryan.



The Adirondack version:

He must be a young 47.

 

[Guttersniped]

The All-Star festivities are fast approaching, and from here we can assess the major movers and shakers in the ECHL this season.

Four clubs - the Toledo Walleye, Kansas City Mavericks, Allen Americans and Adirondack Thunder - are making a strong and steady mid-season push toward the playoffs.

<cut>
Finally, the Adirondack Thunder, fresh off a 5-2 two win over the Newfoundland Growlers last night in St. John's, also find themselves on a seven-game win streak. With a 23-8-2-1 record through 34 games, the Thunder are 8-2 in their last ten with a strong +27 goals for/against differential on the season.

Nothing too exciting reported but well-earned praise for the Thunder.

Article Link

 

[Guttersniped]

The Adirondack Thunder are approaching the middle point of their schedule as they hold onto first place in the ECHL’s North Division.
Here is the midseason report card for the Thunder, who are 22-8-3 heading into this weekend’s three-game series at Newfoundland:

Scoring: B+​

The Adirondack Thunder are currently fifth in the league with 115 goals this season. They lead the North Division in scoring by seven goals over Newfoundland.

They are averaging 3.48 goals per game this season, currently a higher clip than the 3.29 goals per game they averaged last year.

“I think we just have more speed than last year. I think we are a quicker team from front to back,” head coach Pete MacArthur said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Five players have more than 20 points already this season. The Thunder have been a goal-scoring-by-committee team this season — it has never just been one guy who can do it all. They have been playing as a cohesive unit.

“The guys are sticking to the game plan, and understand what works for us — it doesn’t matter who gets the cookies,” MacArthur said. “We want to win games and that is when everyone gets rewarded.”

Team captain Patrick Grasso leads the team with 15 goals, Erik Middendorf has 14 and alternate captain Ryan Smith has 13. Matt Stief and Grant Jozefek are tied with 17 assists for the team lead.

The Thunder are now at 3.64 GF/PG, which is 1st in the East and 5th in the ECHL.

Special Teams: B​

The Thunder special teams had been a huge strength for the team in the last two months of the season, but has seemed to slow down. They currently sit 19th in the league on the power play with an 18.6% effectiveness.

“Hopefully we can get a couple more pucks to go in the net on the power play to even things out, but we have been happy with both sides of it,” MacArthur said.

On the penalty kill, the Thunder are currently fourth in the entire league and have been operating at an 83.5% clip. The team had an impressive string of games in November where they did not allow a power play goal for four straight games and scored a power play goal in all four of those games.

“We show a lot of video on it and, of course, our goalies have been excellent all year long. Special teams are huge for us,” MacArthur said.
The golden rule of hockey has always been if a team’s penalty kill and power play percentages add up to more than 100%, they are doing something right. The Thunder have been doing it right this season.

“That 100% is the thing that I have always gone by, as well. I’d like to get us closer to 105% if we could, but there’s still plenty of time to go,” MacArthur said. “We just have to focus on the right things.”

Purpura is a “Goofy Goalie” who catches with his right glove.

Goaltending: A​

The Thunder have been lucky with their netminders this season. They have gotten fantastic play out of Jeremy Brodeur, Vinnie Purpura and Tyler Brennan this season.

Purpura was just named ECHL Rookie of the Month for December. He went 6-0-1 with a 2.18 goals-against average and a save percentage of .932 in seven appearances. Purpura is third in the ECHL in save percentage at .922 and fourth in goals-against at 2.37.

“He plays really well, he plays hard and is making a lot of good saves for us. He continues to keep us in games,” defenseman Colin Felix said about Purpura.

“Vinnie has got to be one of the best ECHL-contracted goalies in the league,” MacArthur said.

Jeremy Brodeur is not far behind — he is sixth in the league with a 2.49 goals- against average and fourth with a .921 save percentage.

“I think this is the best opportunity and the best that Brods has played for a stretch in his career,” MacArthur said.

The Thunder have two top-10 goalies on their roster this season who have been playing at an impressive rate.

Rookie Tyler Brennan has been nursing an injury this season and has only played in four games this year. His save percentage is just under 90% at .898 and has a 3.64 GAA. Adirondack is looking to get him back and healthy down the stretch.

“It is great knowing that we have three amazing goalies, and whenever they each get their chance, they are not letting it up and playing really well,” Stief said.

Overall: A-​

The Thunder have yet to lose a game in the new year and they currently ride a six-game winning streak. They hold a 10-point lead in the North Division over the Newfoundland Growlers, whom they play Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in St. John’s.

Two seasons removed from a league-worst record, Adirondack is tied for third in the ECHL with 47 points, trailing the league-leading Greenville Swamp Rabbits by just two points.

“They just enjoy playing for each other, the guys are just generally happy for each other,” MacArthur said. “It is easier to be that way when you are winning but they go hand and hand. We just need to keep our foot on the gas pedal.”

The question is, can the Thunder hold onto the pace they are playing at to roll it into a long postseason run? As the saying goes “time will tell,” but it is hard to not be optimistic from what they have done the first half of the season.

Article Link

 

[Clam Jensen]

Welcome to the thunderdome.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Welcome to the thunderdome.

We don’t need another hero.

 

[Devils731]

Syracuse pulls its goalie in the first period to make a 6 on 3 PP when they already led 2-1. Makes no sense.

Utica promptly scores short handed.

https://twitter.com/BB_URSentinel/status/1746962907882012925

 

[Forge]

They had a 5 on 3 and pulled the goalie to make it 6-3 and Utica scored a shorty lol

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

the AHL is so stupid sometimes lmao

 

[Bad Goalie]

1/15/24
Utica Comets at Syracuse Crunch

Forwards:
67 Parent/10 Dowling/92 Clarke
Durandeau/26 Schmelzer/24 Halonen
15 Gambardella/51 Criscuolo/61 Stillman
18 Isley/16 Engaras/79 Laberge

D-Pairs:
3 MacKinnon/2 Vukojevic
8 Hatakka/23/Wotherspoon
83 Vilen/5 Russo

Goal - 40 Schmid

Scratches:
Poulter (BU)
Kallgren (Inj)
Misyul (Inj)
Fitzgerald (H)
Fox (H)

 

[Bad Goalie]

!0 seconds in and the Crunch score. A shot goin wide changes direction and goes in. Weak by Schmid who didn't follow the puck and got beat on the long side.

Comets get a PP at 2:45.
Parebtn takes a shot it rebounds off the end boards and Dowling on the far side slides it in. He may have even banked it off a Crunch in the crease.

1-1 at 3:05.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Stillman in a fight. Lands 2 punches and is then tackled to the ice.

Stillmamn and Element get 2 each for roughing at 4:40

Crunch score again. Outsided shot off the left side goes over Schmid's shoulder. I am not impressed with Schmid thus far.
Comets need to wake up defensively, especially Schmid.

2-1 Crunch at 4:52

 

[Billdo]

3 goals on 4 shots through half the game for the Comets.. maybe, just MAYBE, they should put more pucks on net.

 

[Bad Goalie]

TV TO
12:29 to go

Dowling 2 for hooking. 10:41

Comets to the PK.

Now, Wotherspoon 2 for cross-checking at 9:19

1:33 5 on3

Schmid made a big save.

Goalie is pulled.
Goalie back in.
There he goes agfain. 6 on 3.

Schmezer lifts a weak backhander out and it goes the length of the ice and goes in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A shortie into an open net and we are tied.

 

[Bad Goalie]

5 seconds left on the 5 on 3 and Vukojevic gets 2 for High Sticking.
Still 5 on 3.

Crunch win the draw, move it around and score on a 1-timer from the right circle.

3-2 Crunch 11:43.

Comets still on the PK.
They kill it.

Penalty over. t Comets turnovers as the Comets try to break out and Schmid makes a stop.

TV TO 5:42