2024-25 Utica Comets and ECHL thread
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2/7/25
Utica Comets at Syracuse Crunch
Forwards:
(39) Hardman (26) Schmelzer (20) Willman
(24) Halonen (13) Malone (25) Foote
(67) Parent (16) Engaras (11) Legare
(34) Beckman (15) Bowers (61) Stillman
D-Pairs:
(83) Vilen (7) Strand
(93) Misyul (44) Osipov
(6) White (22) Casey
Goal - (1) Poulter
Period 1
Comets kept the puck in the Crunch end for the better part of the 1st 5 minutes, but continually turned it over, made c rap passes, passed the puck directly to Crunch players and only managed 2 shots.
The Crunch got their 1st shot at 5:53 by Pouliot right in the low slot. Pouliot the save, but Finley went to the rebound uncontested and scored at 5:54. Horrible team defensive play led to that goal.
5:54
Jack Finley
1-0 Crunch
Scrum after the goal resulted in matching penalties.
Pouliot
Legare
2 each for Roughing
5:54
4 on 4 very uneventful.
Crunch get another great chance with a shot in close and the rebound put on Isaac as well.
The Crunch get another penalty .
10:21
Conor Geekie
Roughing
Stillman a shot in close stopped by Tomkins, but he is laid out in the crease. Penalty coming out of this.
Looks like Stillman might have lost a chicklet.
11:06
Tobie Bisson
Double minor - High Sticking
Comet get a 5 on 3 for 1:15.
he best scoring chance on the 5 on 3 was for Syracuse. The Comets turned the puck over time after time and the Crunch just kept shooting it down the ice. The 5 on 3 was frittered away by very poor IQ play
Still have 1 the remainder of the double minor to go.
The 1st penalty of the double minor is killed.
As the 2nd minor is about to end Beckman passes the puck to Strand at the right point and then sets up for a return pass that he calls for. Strand answers and Beckman blasts a 1-timer and beats Tomkins clean high glove side.
15:02
ADAM BECKMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PP
1-1
Period ends with the score
1-1
SOG;
9-8 Utica
Period 2
Parent splits the D and shoots. Tomkins the save and X falls
and slides into Tomkins. No call.
Legare a shot stopped.
Bowers shoots and is stopped.
the Malone line is on
Foote a backhander stopped.
Willman hits the post.
At the end of their shift Halonen gets a chance and it's Tomkins again.
Parent gets on and Parent shoots high and wide.
Halonen shot stopped.
Parent shoots, save and Parent fires the rebound on.
Halonen sends Parent in clean and his attempt is fluffed and slide s into Tomkins.
Shots at this point with 14:01 to go 8-0 Utica.
Too many godd chances and nothing to show for it. Would have to guess that the Crunch will get their chances.
Poulter a stop.
Poulter again with a big stop. This one on the doorstep!
Those are the 1st 2 shots of the period for the Crunch.
Casey defends vs a 2 on 1. Breaks it up.
All good things for the Comets in the period and they get called on the dumbest of possible penalties!
12:44
Parent to serve it
Too many men
The Crunch turn on the pressure.
2 saves by Poulter on Crozier
Now the refs even the calls by giving the Crunch a 2 -man advantage.
14:18
Ryan Schmelzer
Closing hand on the puck. He grabbed the puck and threw it up the ice. LOL
5 on 3 for :25.
1st penalty killed.
With :33 seconds left on the kill the Crunch score.
The Comets dominated the period and then the PP bug cost them
15:43
Conor Sheary
2-1 Crunch. PPG
TV TO
3:34 to go
Period winding down and the Crunch defender turns it over on an attempted pass through the middle from the right faceoff circle.. Right to Halonen who walks in and SCORES!!!!!!
19:24
Brian Halonen
2-2
End of Period 2
2-2
SOG 15-10 Utica
Period 3
3 on 1 and Poulter makes a brilliant stop!
Comets can't keep themselves in the hunt without doing sdomethinmg that blowas a great effort.
7:03
Nolan Foote
Cross-checking
A dumb penalty to take in the O-zone.
Crunch with 2 shots at the end, but the Comets have killed it.
The Comets have fallen off as the Crunch have picked up their game and are taking it to the Comets.
Osipov lucky as his stick is tripped over by a Crunch going to the net. No call. WHEW!
Big glove stop by Isaac on a shot form the left dot.
Isaac a glove stop on a shot by Crozier from the right dot.
TV TO
9:35 to go.
Osipov shot gloved and held on.
Crozier shoots and Poulter is hurt. There was crowd in front and 2 or4 3 guys fell over and Poulter is down and veing tended to.
He's up and testing hte left leg.
He puts the mask on and says he'll stay with it.
Bowers shot and Tomkins is there.
Crunch the other way and the puck trickles in to Poulter and Seamus is protecting Isaac from the high slot! This kid has a high IQ!
Another shot and save.
Parent and Schmelzer out 2 on 1. Parent carrying it and from the inside the right dot near the hash mark he shoots .............................and .................... S___C____O____R_____E_____S!!!!!!!
14:09
Xavier Parent
3-2 Utica
Engaras beats a Crunch and carries it into the low slot and Tomkins stops him.
TV TO
3:51 to go
Austin Strand shoots and Tomkins
Tomkins will be headed off at some point. Comets playing all D. Not the way to do this guys!
He's gone 2:20 to go.
Comets sinking too deep and allowing the Crunch to maneuver.
Comets getting a penalty with 1:21 to go. No, not a penalty, They call it off.
1:00 to go
Poulter blockers a shot from the top of the circle out of play.
:46 to go and TO Syracuse.
9 seconds later and the Comets get the puck off a battled for draw. Osipov gets it on the boards dot high. He backhands it up the boards. Foote outbattles crozier at the blueline and takes off withnb the puck up the left side, Just before the blueline he hits SDchmelzer streaking (Really? LOL) down the middle and he buries it from the right hash mark.
19:23
Ryan Schmelzer EN
4-2 Utica
Period 3 Ends/Game Ends
3rd Period SOG:
12-8 Crunch
Final Score:
Utica Comets 4 Syracuse Crunch 2
SOG:
UTC - 9 15 8 = 32
SYR - 8 10 12 = 30
PPs:
UTC - 1/3
SYR - 1/3
Scoring:
Adam Beckman (10) from Strand (9) and Vilen (12) PP
Brian Halonen (16) Unassisted
Xavier Parent (10) from Schmelzer (12) and Willman (14)
Ryan Schmelzer (11) from Nolan Foote (EN)
Poulter 28/30
3 *s
#3 - Ryan Schmelzer (Utica Comets) 1G/1A
#2 - Jack Finley (Syracuse Crunch) 1G
#1 - Xavier Parent (Utica Comets) GWG
This was a close fought game from the drop of the puck with the teams trading several minute span of dominance.
Both goalies were on top of their games. The goals they surrendered were all good goals.
The hitting was hard and often with some bone jarring hits laid on by bothe teams.
After a bit of poor play early on the Comets went back to the style that has made them successful, of late, hard forecheck, attacking the puck carrier in all 3 zones, and working to get the puck out of their D-zone and deep into the attacking zone.
They still fail to prevent some point blank shots, but Poulter has been good at defending his net and tonight was no different.
They are not a skillful puck management team and that hurts their offensive efforts, but as long as they don't stop working they still get their chances and I guess by the law of averages, they get some past the keeper.
It's been a team effort for aquite a psell now and as long a s they continue to play that way positive outcomes will keep mounting up.
This new style of play that Parent has them buying into has resulted in 9 wins in their last 14 games in which they have scored 4 or more goals in 7 of them. They have also won games 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 3-1.
3 of the 5 losses were by 1 goal and 1 of those was in OT.
For a team playing as badly as they did in losing 13 straight to begin the season, they have crawled back winnining 16 and losing 8 since then.
That's still 5 games below .500, but that's the first number they have to be shooting to reeach. The 2 teams ahead of them in the standings have only won 18 games. 2 more than Utica, butSyracuse has earned 10 loser points. Belleville and Utica have 5 loser points each.
Utica trails 5th place Syracuse by 9 points with 2 games in hand.
Belleville is in 6th place and the Comets trail them by just 4 points, but Belleville has 3 games in hand on Utica and 5 on Syracuse. The Comets task to reach 5th place is a huge uphill battle, but at least they are finally in an actual battle.
They have 30 games left in their 72 game schedule. Syracuse is definitely in reach, but here is little room for error. We'll have to see wat the status vs Bellevillle is when they catch up in their GP.
Comets next game is tomorrow evening in Utica vs the Belleville Senators at 7 pm. It doesn't matter waht the games in hand are if the Comets keep beating both the Crunch and Senators head to head. The Comets got 3 out of 4 Pts vs Belleville last weekend, but the OT game gave the Sens 2 as well. If they were an out of Division team those 3 points would have been much bigger.
The Comets will have 3 more games left with Beelville this season and 7 with Syracuse including the final 2 games of the season.
It's been frustrating as Hell as a fan. I can't imagine what it's been like for the Comets who really can't stomch losing.
Utica Comets at Syracuse Crunch
Forwards:
(39) Hardman (26) Schmelzer (20) Willman
(24) Halonen (13) Malone (25) Foote
(67) Parent (16) Engaras (11) Legare
(34) Beckman (15) Bowers (61) Stillman
D-Pairs:
(83) Vilen (7) Strand
(93) Misyul (44) Osipov
(6) White (22) Casey
Goal - (1) Poulter
Period 1
Comets kept the puck in the Crunch end for the better part of the 1st 5 minutes, but continually turned it over, made c rap passes, passed the puck directly to Crunch players and only managed 2 shots.
The Crunch got their 1st shot at 5:53 by Pouliot right in the low slot. Pouliot the save, but Finley went to the rebound uncontested and scored at 5:54. Horrible team defensive play led to that goal.
5:54
Jack Finley
1-0 Crunch
Scrum after the goal resulted in matching penalties.
Pouliot
Legare
2 each for Roughing
5:54
4 on 4 very uneventful.
Crunch get another great chance with a shot in close and the rebound put on Isaac as well.
The Crunch get another penalty .
10:21
Conor Geekie
Roughing
Stillman a shot in close stopped by Tomkins, but he is laid out in the crease. Penalty coming out of this.
Looks like Stillman might have lost a chicklet.
11:06
Tobie Bisson
Double minor - High Sticking
Comet get a 5 on 3 for 1:15.
he best scoring chance on the 5 on 3 was for Syracuse. The Comets turned the puck over time after time and the Crunch just kept shooting it down the ice. The 5 on 3 was frittered away by very poor IQ play
Still have 1 the remainder of the double minor to go.
The 1st penalty of the double minor is killed.
As the 2nd minor is about to end Beckman passes the puck to Strand at the right point and then sets up for a return pass that he calls for. Strand answers and Beckman blasts a 1-timer and beats Tomkins clean high glove side.
15:02
ADAM BECKMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PP
1-1
Period ends with the score
1-1
SOG;
9-8 Utica
Period 2
Parent splits the D and shoots. Tomkins the save and X falls
and slides into Tomkins. No call.
Legare a shot stopped.
Bowers shoots and is stopped.
the Malone line is on
Foote a backhander stopped.
Willman hits the post.
At the end of their shift Halonen gets a chance and it's Tomkins again.
Parent gets on and Parent shoots high and wide.
Halonen shot stopped.
Parent shoots, save and Parent fires the rebound on.
Halonen sends Parent in clean and his attempt is fluffed and slide s into Tomkins.
Shots at this point with 14:01 to go 8-0 Utica.
Too many godd chances and nothing to show for it. Would have to guess that the Crunch will get their chances.
Poulter a stop.
Poulter again with a big stop. This one on the doorstep!
Those are the 1st 2 shots of the period for the Crunch.
Casey defends vs a 2 on 1. Breaks it up.
All good things for the Comets in the period and they get called on the dumbest of possible penalties!
12:44
Parent to serve it
Too many men
The Crunch turn on the pressure.
2 saves by Poulter on Crozier
Now the refs even the calls by giving the Crunch a 2 -man advantage.
14:18
Ryan Schmelzer
Closing hand on the puck. He grabbed the puck and threw it up the ice. LOL
5 on 3 for :25.
1st penalty killed.
With :33 seconds left on the kill the Crunch score.
The Comets dominated the period and then the PP bug cost them
15:43
Conor Sheary
2-1 Crunch. PPG
TV TO
3:34 to go
Period winding down and the Crunch defender turns it over on an attempted pass through the middle from the right faceoff circle.. Right to Halonen who walks in and SCORES!!!!!!
19:24
Brian Halonen
2-2
End of Period 2
2-2
SOG 15-10 Utica
Period 3
3 on 1 and Poulter makes a brilliant stop!
Comets can't keep themselves in the hunt without doing sdomethinmg that blowas a great effort.
7:03
Nolan Foote
Cross-checking
A dumb penalty to take in the O-zone.
Crunch with 2 shots at the end, but the Comets have killed it.
The Comets have fallen off as the Crunch have picked up their game and are taking it to the Comets.
Osipov lucky as his stick is tripped over by a Crunch going to the net. No call. WHEW!
Big glove stop by Isaac on a shot form the left dot.
Isaac a glove stop on a shot by Crozier from the right dot.
TV TO
9:35 to go.
Osipov shot gloved and held on.
Crozier shoots and Poulter is hurt. There was crowd in front and 2 or4 3 guys fell over and Poulter is down and veing tended to.
He's up and testing hte left leg.
He puts the mask on and says he'll stay with it.
Bowers shot and Tomkins is there.
Crunch the other way and the puck trickles in to Poulter and Seamus is protecting Isaac from the high slot! This kid has a high IQ!
Another shot and save.
Parent and Schmelzer out 2 on 1. Parent carrying it and from the inside the right dot near the hash mark he shoots .............................and .................... S___C____O____R_____E_____S!!!!!!!
14:09
Xavier Parent
3-2 Utica
Engaras beats a Crunch and carries it into the low slot and Tomkins stops him.
TV TO
3:51 to go
Austin Strand shoots and Tomkins
Tomkins will be headed off at some point. Comets playing all D. Not the way to do this guys!
He's gone 2:20 to go.
Comets sinking too deep and allowing the Crunch to maneuver.
Comets getting a penalty with 1:21 to go. No, not a penalty, They call it off.
1:00 to go
Poulter blockers a shot from the top of the circle out of play.
:46 to go and TO Syracuse.
9 seconds later and the Comets get the puck off a battled for draw. Osipov gets it on the boards dot high. He backhands it up the boards. Foote outbattles crozier at the blueline and takes off withnb the puck up the left side, Just before the blueline he hits SDchmelzer streaking (Really? LOL) down the middle and he buries it from the right hash mark.
19:23
Ryan Schmelzer EN
4-2 Utica
Period 3 Ends/Game Ends
3rd Period SOG:
12-8 Crunch
Final Score:
Utica Comets 4 Syracuse Crunch 2
SOG:
UTC - 9 15 8 = 32
SYR - 8 10 12 = 30
PPs:
UTC - 1/3
SYR - 1/3
Scoring:
Adam Beckman (10) from Strand (9) and Vilen (12) PP
Brian Halonen (16) Unassisted
Xavier Parent (10) from Schmelzer (12) and Willman (14)
Ryan Schmelzer (11) from Nolan Foote (EN)
Poulter 28/30
3 *s
#3 - Ryan Schmelzer (Utica Comets) 1G/1A
#2 - Jack Finley (Syracuse Crunch) 1G
#1 - Xavier Parent (Utica Comets) GWG
This was a close fought game from the drop of the puck with the teams trading several minute span of dominance.
Both goalies were on top of their games. The goals they surrendered were all good goals.
The hitting was hard and often with some bone jarring hits laid on by bothe teams.
After a bit of poor play early on the Comets went back to the style that has made them successful, of late, hard forecheck, attacking the puck carrier in all 3 zones, and working to get the puck out of their D-zone and deep into the attacking zone.
They still fail to prevent some point blank shots, but Poulter has been good at defending his net and tonight was no different.
They are not a skillful puck management team and that hurts their offensive efforts, but as long as they don't stop working they still get their chances and I guess by the law of averages, they get some past the keeper.
It's been a team effort for aquite a psell now and as long a s they continue to play that way positive outcomes will keep mounting up.
This new style of play that Parent has them buying into has resulted in 9 wins in their last 14 games in which they have scored 4 or more goals in 7 of them. They have also won games 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 3-1.
3 of the 5 losses were by 1 goal and 1 of those was in OT.
For a team playing as badly as they did in losing 13 straight to begin the season, they have crawled back winnining 16 and losing 8 since then.
That's still 5 games below .500, but that's the first number they have to be shooting to reeach. The 2 teams ahead of them in the standings have only won 18 games. 2 more than Utica, butSyracuse has earned 10 loser points. Belleville and Utica have 5 loser points each.
Utica trails 5th place Syracuse by 9 points with 2 games in hand.
Belleville is in 6th place and the Comets trail them by just 4 points, but Belleville has 3 games in hand on Utica and 5 on Syracuse. The Comets task to reach 5th place is a huge uphill battle, but at least they are finally in an actual battle.
They have 30 games left in their 72 game schedule. Syracuse is definitely in reach, but here is little room for error. We'll have to see wat the status vs Bellevillle is when they catch up in their GP.
Comets next game is tomorrow evening in Utica vs the Belleville Senators at 7 pm. It doesn't matter waht the games in hand are if the Comets keep beating both the Crunch and Senators head to head. The Comets got 3 out of 4 Pts vs Belleville last weekend, but the OT game gave the Sens 2 as well. If they were an out of Division team those 3 points would have been much bigger.
The Comets will have 3 more games left with Beelville this season and 7 with Syracuse including the final 2 games of the season.
It's been frustrating as Hell as a fan. I can't imagine what it's been like for the Comets who really can't stomch losing.
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