Comets Pick up 2nd Straight Road Win, Top Monsters, 5-3
AHL Utica Comets

Comets Pick up 2nd Straight Road Win, Top Monsters, 5-3

Published on March 28, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release


Cleveland, OH - The Comets opened their weekend series at Rocket Arena with a 5-3 win over the Monsters.

The Monsters came out with a hot start, scoring just 36 seconds in when Jack Williams curled behind the net and fed Tate Singleton in the left circle, who snapped one past Jakub Malek to make it 1-0 on Singleton's sixth of the year. The Comets headed to the power play a few minutes later and came inches away from tying the game after Angus Crookshank batted a rebound out of mid-air which broke past Cleveland netminder Zach Sawchenko and dribbled towards the goal line, but Cleveland defenseman Dysin Mayo reached back to keep it from crossing the line. The score didn't remain 1-0 for too long, however, as the Comets would tie the game at the 13:13 mark when Topias Vilen sent a shot from the left point that was deflected by Nathan Legare through the pads of Sawchenko to make it 1-1 on his ninth of the year. Ryan Schmelzer picked up the secondary assist.

It was the Comets who came out firing to start the second frame when Matyas Melovsky swatted home a bouncing puck in the low slot, beating Zach Sawchenko top corner over the glove to make it 2-1 just 1:34 into the second. It was Melovsky's sixth of the year from Topias Vilen and Calen Addison. The Comets kept the pressure up as the period went along and at the 10-minute mark, a scramble ensued at the top of Zach Sawchenko's crease when Cam Squires batted a puck that was blocked and then was put into the Cleveland net inadvertently by Monsters' forward Hunter McKown. Squires was credited with the goal having gotten the last touch on the puck, his fifth of the year which came from Matyas Melovsky and Xavier Parent. Just over a minute later, the Comets would extend the lead by three when Topias Vilen's shot from the point was blocked, but Ryan Schmelzer corralled a loose puck in front of the net and jammed it past Sawchenko to make it 4-1 at 11:17 on his third of the year from Topias Vilen and Nathan Legare. The Monsters headed to their third power play later in the period when Topias Vilen was called for slashing, and Monsters' forward Luca Pinelli would score on the ensuing power play when he snapped one home from the left circle past the glove of Jakub Malek to make it a 4-2 game at the 14:42 mark. Luca Del Bel Belluz and Luca Marrelli picked up the assists.

The Comets got a power play opportunity early in the third period when Cleveland forward Tate Singleton was called for clipping, but things went awry as Monsters' forward Mikael Pyyhtia stole a puck at the Cleveland blue line, skated in on a breakaway and beat Jakub Malek blocker side to make it a 4-3 game. His 14th of the year came shorthanded and unassisted at 1:38 of the third. The two teams played a very defensive third period, allowing just four shots apiece. The Monsters pulled Sawchenko late in the third in an attempt to tie the game, but the Comets would add an insurance tally when Marc McLaughlin scored into the empty net at 18:55 for his fifth of the year from Ryan Schmelzer and Jonathan Gruden in route to a 5-3 victory.

The Comets were outshot by the Monsters 28-25, while going 0-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.

The Comets are back home this Wednesday, April 1st at 7 pm against the Providence Bruins for Pucks & Paws Night. For tickets or more information, fans can visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2026


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