2024-25 Utica Comets and ECHL thread

Bad Goalie

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Jan 2, 2014
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So the young defenders are fairly talented. They should be well above the average. the only dud in the group is MacKinnon. But they don't seem to be doing much to lift the play of the team other than Casey. To me this is almost as disappointing as the team not adding real centers.
Due to the lack of good D-coverage from the forwards lots of the time, just stopping the opponent in their own end is their #1 priority.

If you check out the Comets scores in their games you will discover their other problem you can hang on the forwrds, they DON"T SCORE GOALS!
 
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Hisch13r

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May 16, 2012
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NJ
The Comets recalled Jackson van de Leest from Adirondack yesterday. Hope that doesn't mean someone is down. Maybe just because they are in Cleveland tonight and tomorrow they wanted a couple extra D.

Casey
Nemec
DeSimone
Misyul
Vilen
MacKinnon

Osipov
van de Leest

Can't see a need for either of them on the roster, but taking both of them to Cleveland doesn't make sense.

Any idea why Casey's out tonight?

 
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Bad Goalie

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Jan 2, 2014
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12/18/24
Utica Comets at Cleveland Monsters

Forwards:
(34) Beckman (26) Schmelzer (25) Foote
(79) Laberge (15) Bowers (11) Legare
(10) Dowling (39) Hardman (24) Halonen
(5) Gambardella (67) Parent (61) Stillman

(93) Misyul (57) DeSimone
(83) Vilen (17) Nemec
(3) MacKinnon (44) Osipov

Goal - (1) Poulter

Cleveland scored 1st on a wraparound into the net around Poulter's right post.
Hunter McKown
13:49

1-0 Cleveland

End of Period 1
1-0 Cleveland
SOG:
12-11 Utica

Cleveland with the only PP of the period killed by the Comets.
Legare had a SH breakaway but he was stopped.
 
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Bad Goalie

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Jan 2, 2014
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Period 2

Beckman S_______C_______O_______R__________E____________S

He has his stick knocked out of his hands inside the attacking blue line. He chased the puck into the neutral zone and kicked it to a mate.
He then chased the play back up ice into the Utica zone to defend without a stick. He set up at the middle of the left circle and the puck came out to him off the right side of the net and he moved with it soccer style and Bowers took it from him at the blueline.
Bowers moved up the ice with Foote on his right. Beckman skated with them on Bowers left. As he sprinted past the bench he grabbed a stick being offered off the bench as he raced by. He joined the rush moving at full speed. Bowers dished the puck to Foote as they crossed the blueline and Foote pulled up and sent a pass cross ice to Beckman on the rush and Beckmam scored from the dot on the move.

G-----O-------A------L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and what a goal it was.

Wait a minute. The refs have gathered. Never a good sign.
They went into the scorer's area to look at the replay.

The puck slipped between the keeper's left arm and body and fell to the ice across the line. It hit the ice and bounced back out.

The goal is good and the game is tied at 1.

Beckman from Foote and Bowers at
1:07

1-1

Legare goes with Butler and he lost it decisively. They almost went in the first and postponed it until later. The play was up the ice when the whistle went and they were facing off at center ice. So they found a spot to take up their appointment.
5 each for fighting.

G___________________O_______________A_________________L!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beckman again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A breakaway from the offensive blueline.

Foote hit him in stride with a pass from inside the Comets blueline along the boards. He went straight down the middle and shot in stride from between the hashmarks beating him cleanly on the blocker side.

Beckman from Foote at
6:17

2-1 Utica

The Monster tie it up.
Rocco Grimaldi at 10:14.

2-2

2nd Period ends
2-2
SOG:
14-11 Utica
2 period total:
26-22 Utica
 
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Bad Goalie

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Jan 2, 2014
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Period 3

Bowers hits the post after a turnover at 2:20.

At 7:40 the Comets have had the edge with a 6-2 SOG advantage, but Sawchenko has stood tall. He was beat by Bowers but the puck hit the post.

Osipov is a physical D-man. He hands out checks whenever the opportunity is there. He is not a good skater (better than van de Leest). He has one thought in mind when he gets the puck, PASS IT! He seems to have no desire to comit an error while carrying the puck.

Dowling put on an exhibtion the shift before the TO. He carried the puck around the zone from the leftside all around the rink up to the rightr side blueline. Out maneuvered a challenge and went avback down again and around the net and came back up to the blueline and passed it to Nemec who ended the threat.

Monsters get a shot and Poulter holds on at 8:01.
SOG are 8-3 Utica.

TV TO
9:36 to go

8:56 to go and the shots are 33-25 Comets.

Monsters miss on a 2on1. Grimaldi shot it wide.

Mateychuk shoots and Poulter makes another stop and holds on at 13:01.

Hardman____________________________________SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cross ice pass from Bowers to Hardman all alone just off the left goal post and he gets an open side for a short shot into the net.
Comets take the lead.

Hardman from Bowers and Nemec
13:14
3-2 Utica

Don't try to play a shutdown game here. This is the #1 team in the Division. Keep putting on the pressure but be wise.

Get it out and get it deep.

TV TO
5:59 to go

Misyul lays big hit on Joe Butler. LaBate objects and they go. Misyul handles himself well. They are broken up and led to the sin bin. They will be sent to the locker room.

Meanwhile back at the ranch..........
Halonen and McCue start yapping. The gloves are dropped and away they go toe to toe.

All 4 get 5 for fighting.

Halonen and McCue get a 10 minute game misconduct for a secondary altercation.
LaBate gets 2 for roughing which should have been 2 for starting it.

Comets go to the PP at 16:51.

1:26 to go.

Back to 5 on 5 .

1 minute to go. 6 on 5 a keeper goes to the bench.

Puck out of play with :30 to go.
TO Cleveland.

Here we go. This one is not over yet!

Comets get it out twice and it's over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comets win it 3-2!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Bad Goalie

Registered User
Jan 2, 2014
20,595
9,883
12/18/24
Utica Comets at Cleveland Monsters

Final score -
Utica 3 Cleveland 2

SOG:
UTC - 12 14 9 = 35
CLE - 11 11 8 = 30

PP:
Both teams 0/1

Scoring:
Beckman (5) from Foote (8) and DeSimone (3)
Beckman (6) from Foote (9)
Hardman (8) from Bowers (4) and Nemec (4)

Poulter - SA 30/ GA 2/ SVS 28

3 ***s
#3 - Mike Hardman (Utica Comets) 1 G-GWG
#2 - Nolan Foote (Utica Comets) 2 A
#1 - Adam Beckman (Utica Comets) 2 G

Comets end their 3-game losing streak.
6- 13-1-2

The Comets were the better team tonight against the North Division's #1 team.
The Monsters held their own and forced the Comets to play their best game of the season, which they did.

Utica appeared to have worked hard after having played only one game since 12/6 and that was a 3-2 loss in Syracuse on the 14th. That's 11 open days. They came out working their asses off and didn't stop until it was over.
They actually executed face off plays.
Their breakout was quick and if nothing was there it was quickly out of the zone and attck whomever got to it first.
There were very few instances of Cleveland dominating puck possession in the Comets end.
There weren't shots coming from guys standing alone to receive passes and fire at the net unmolested from short distances like we have seen all season.

They attacked the puck in all 3 zones causing lots of turnovers and bad passes.

They shot the puck from everywhere. Wish the AHL recorded scoring chances because they had a s**tload. They got lucky on several Monster chances that missed the net, but also had their own fair share of the same.

They were physical from start to finish.

They were quick to get the puck out of their zone.

They forechecked and backchecked with a ferocity that I haven't seen this season.

They were rewarded for all of their efforts.

Would dearly love to see that kind of effort on home ice.

Next up. Right back in Cleveland tomorrow at 7 p.m.
 

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