It's 9:16 and I'm just tuning in on delay. Today was our tradition of traipsing out and cutting the Christmas tree. Then trimming it up, getting it established in the stand. Then dinner. Finally getting the lights on the tree and lighting it up.
Shower, the warm cozy jams, and robe. Time to tune in to the Comets.
11/30/24 Utica Comets @ Providence Bruins
Forwards:
(79) Laberge (16) Engaras (11) Legare
(25) Foote (26) Schmelzer (24) Halonen
(39) Hardman (67) Parent (34) Beckman
(5) Gambardella (13) Malone (20) Willman
D-Pairs:
(6) White (17) Nemec
(83) Vilen (22) Casey
(93) Misyul (3) MacKinnon
Goal - (50) Daws
Period 1
Comets were being outshot 6-2 when Legare opened the scoring with a shot from the left dot off DiPietro's glove and in.
Comets get the game's 1st PP as Riley Tufte gets 2 for Interference at 14:54.
Comets got 3 shots, but no dice on the PP.
Nemec gets 2 for Cross-checking at 17:08. If that's cross-checking the game should be played down men all night long. It was shove with his stick in both hands.
52 seconds into the PP Fabian Lysell is called for Hooking at 18:00.
4 on 4.
Comets will get a short PP in the last minute with :40 seconds to go in the period. Comets couldn't even muster a shot.
End of the 1st
1-0 Utica
SOG:
11-8 Utica
Period 2
Period barely opened before Michael Callahan gets 2 for Holding at :40.
Terrible PP. Comets don't even get a shot.
Misyul hits the post.
Max Jones goes off for Tripping at 9:06. Comets 4th PP and so far are 0 for their last 3.
Foote gets the only shot of the PP, a 1-timer at 12:34.
Laberge hands out a nice check and is called for Interference, but doesn't look it.
Buins get 3 good chances and the PK is successful. As the penalty ends, Laberge is out of the box. Receives the puck at the redline and goes into the O-zone alone, crosses in front of the net as a defender catches up coming down the middle and ends up in the net front. Labrege let loose a backhander while by passing the defender and DiPietro loses sight as the shot beats him.
G--------O--------A------L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COMETS up 2-0!
Laberge at 16:04.
Daws makes a great save on Trevor Kuntar.
Parent and Jeffrey Viel get 2 minute penalties. X guilty of holding and Viel for Roughing as he didn't like Parnet's effort.
16:48
The Bruins get 3 good chances right off the ensuing face off, but Daws was up to the challenge.
He made 2 more stops inside the 18th minute stopping a shot and the rebound.
Period 2 comes to an end.
Comets escape the period still up 2-0.
SOG:
12-6 Providence
2-period total:
20-17 Bruins
Comets were outplayed, but scored the only goal while Daws was a wall making the 2 goals, thus far, stand up.
Period 3
The Bruins came out loaded for bear. Vilen got the 1st shot of the period at 1:00. From that point the Bruins launched 6 shots over the next 7 minutes.
Parent got a shot on net at 8:28, but the Bruins got the next 5 in less than 3 minutes.
Daws was keeping them in the game as they tried to lock down the game. They did a good job of it the 1st half of the period. Getting the puck out of their end and getting it deep in the other end.
Daws stood tall when the Comets faltered in their defensive effort.
(An aside:
Nemec does not play with a sense of urgency. It's always the same pace. That becomes a problem when the opposition picks up their game and pressures the Hell out of him.)
10:19 to go.
Beckman 2 challenging shots and Mikey accepted them.
Comets still making a solid effort of keeping the Bruins in check.
TV TO
6:15 to go
Comets playing the perimeter in the Bruins end. Killing the clock.
Georgi Merkulov bats the puck over the glass. 2 for Delay of game.
16:02.
DiPietro goes to the bench at 16:18. Bruins playing 5 on 5 with no keeper.
Comets into the Bruins' end. Battle onthe end boards.
Puck squirts out to Beckman all aolne inthe slot and he shoots it off the post and in......................................GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beckman at 17:09
3-0 Comets
Daws has lost shutouts and also given up a goal in the last minute 3 times recently.
Comets trying to pevent that once again. Save by dAws just before the horn.
He got the SHUTOUT this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Final score -
Utica 3 Providence 0
SOG:
UTC - 11 6 6 = 23
PRO - 8 12 13 = 33
PP:
UTC - 1/5
PRO - 0/2
Scoring:
Nathan Legare (3) from Ryan Schmelzer (5)
Samuel Laberge (2) from Will MacKinnon (1)
Adam Beckman (4) from Simon Nemec (3) PP/EN
Daws - SA/33 SVS/33 GA/0
3***s
#3 - Samuel Laberge (Utica Comets) 1 G
#2 - Nathan Legare (Utica Comets) 1 G
#1 - Nico Daws SA/33 SVS/33
Comets win their 5th in a row. Record now stands at 5-10-1-2 for 13 Pts.
Crazy that they are trailing 6th place Belleville 16 GPand 5th place Syracuse 19 GP both at 20 Pts) by 7 points. The Comets have played 18 games.
The Comets have climbed out of the AHL sewer to #28 of 32 AHL teams. Bridgeport and Iowa also have 13 points, but Bridgeport has lost 1 more game putting them at #29 and Iowa has won 1 more game putting them at #27.
Next up for the Comets is Rochester on Wednesday (12/4) again in Rochester.