Comets' Point Streak Reach Eight Games, Drop Overtime to Marlies 5-4
January 3, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release
Toronto, Ontario. - The Comets stepped onto the ice against the North Division leading Toronto Marlies on Tuesday night taking points in seven straight games. When the dust settled against the top team in the North Division, the Comets were unable to hold a third period lead and dropped the contest in overtime by a 5-4 decision.
In the first period, the Comets were firing the puck with enthusiasm, and it was their defenseman Mason Geertsen who used that to his advantage. He scored his first goal of the season as he ripped a shot through traffic that beat the Marlies netminder Joseph Woll at 7:01. It was Geertsen's first as a Comet and the tally was assisted by Nick Hutchison and Brian Halonen.
During the middle frame, the home team got onto the board, and it was a faceoff win that helped Toronto tie the contest. Bobby McMann took control off the draw, cut to the middle and wristed a shot that beat Comets goalie Akira Schmid at 3:01. It didn't take long for the Comets to get back to a lead when Andreas Johnsson sent the puck over to an open Graeme Clarke who struck for his 11th goal of the year and team leading 26th point at 9:19. As the game wore on, the Marlies tied the contest yet again after a shot from Alex Steeves snuck through traffic and beat a screened Schmid at 14:18 tying the game at 2-2. But the Comets continued their resilient play and it was the captain Ryan Schmelzer who found a streaking Johnsson down the left side. Schmelzer slid the puck over to him and Johnsson made it 3-2 for the Comets. It was Johnsson's fourth goal of the year and his second point of the night. The period ended with Utica up 3-2.
In the final period of regulation, the Comets kept pouring it on and it was Nolan Foote who sent the puck to Johnsson moving down the left side. As he entered the zone, he found Zach Senyshyn who fired the puck between the legs of Woll and gave Utica a 4-2 advantage at 6:14. It was Senyshyn's fifth of the season and the goal gave Johnsson three points on the evening. The Marlies pushed back with 14:44 after Filip Kral deflected the McMann shot into the Comets goal slicing the Comets lead to 4-3. With the goalie pulled, the Marlies used a Logan Shaw shot to tie the game with only 49.4 seconds left in regulation time tying things up at 4-4.
The Comets are back on the ice Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center at 7:00 PM.
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