Comets Oust Senators, Win 4-3
January 17, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release
Utica, NY. - Garnering points in seven straight games, the Utica Comets battled a divisional opponent, the Belleville Senators on Wednesday night, with their sights set on moving further up the North Division standings. With only seven points separating the Comets from the Senators, there was a chance for the team to continue creating momentum during the point streak. During the game, the Comets used a wave of goals in the second period to ride into the win column as they defeated the Senators 4-3. This victory gave the Comets points in their eighth straight game going 4-0-1-3 in that time.
Joe Gambardella got the scoring started in the first period after he blasted a shot blocker side and in on Kevin Mandolese at 14:49. It was his fifth goal of the season and it was assisted by Topias Vilen and Robbie Russo. The only goal of the first period resulted in the Comets skating away with a 1-0 lead through twenty minutes.
The Comets racked up the goals in the second period and it started with Timur Ibragimov's one-timer by way of Ryan Schmelzer at 5:28. Ibragimov's fifth of the year put Utica up 2-0. The Comets kept adding to their goal collection and the next one came from Kyle Criscuolo who found a loose puck in the slot and immediately went off the iron and into the Belleville net at 7:42 for his eighth goal of the year and it was assisted by Chase Stillman and Santeri Hatakka. Graeme Clarke added another goal on a wrist shot at 8:39 that spelled the night for Mandolese. The goal extended the Clarke point streak to six games and it was assisted by Xaiver Parent and Vilen. The Senators finally got on the board after a deflected by Kyle Betts snuck passed Akira Schmid at 17:55. As the period ended, the Comets were up 4-1.
In the final period of regulation, Belleville got an early tally at 1:33 after a faceoff win in the Utica zone resulted in a point shot for Dillon Heatherington who proceeded to score through traffic cutting the Comets lead to 4-2. The Senators got a little closer after a powerplay goal was scored at 14:37 after Egor Sokolov deflected a point shot for a goal that sliced the Comets advantage to 4-3. That was all the goal scoring in the game and the Comets held on to win the contest, 4-3.
The Comets are back in action at home on Friday night against the Rochester Americans at 7:00 PM at the Adirondack Bank Center before heading to the road to take on the Syracuse Crunch at Upstate Medical University Arena.
Single game tickets are now available for the 2023-24 season. Visit uticacomets.com/tickets for more information. Season Ticket Memberships are also available for the 2023-24 Season. Tickets are still available. Visit www.uticacomets.com/tickets for more information.
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