Comets' Win Streak Halted, Fall 7-3 to Senators
AHL Utica Comets

Comets' Win Streak Halted, Fall 7-3 to Senators

Published on March 7, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release


Belleville, ON - The Comets headed to Belleville to wrap up their second straight home-and-home with the Senators and fell by a final score of 7-3.

After allowing the first goal for 10 straight games, the Senators would jump on the board first tonight with defenseman Carter Yakemchuk scoring just 46 seconds into the contest on a heavy drive from the right point that hit off the far post and in past Nico Daws for his ninth of the year. The Comets responded minutes later when Brian Halonen raced into the offensive zone and slid a pass across the low slot to Xavier Parent who netted a goal for the fifth straight game, his 16th of the year at 3:34 to tie the game at one. Calen Addison picked up the secondary assist. The Senators regained the lead later in the period when Tyler Boucher yanked the puck out of a net-front scrum and shoveled it home for his eighth of the year to make it 2-1 at 15:15. A fight ensued right after the goal between Dmitry Osipov and Belleville defenseman Djibril Toure, and Jorian Donovan was assessed an additional two minutes for roughing, putting the Comets on the power play, but the Senators killed it off. The Comets headed to the penalty kill at the end of the period when Matyas Melovsky was called for hooking, and on the ensuing man advantage, Arthur Kaliyev snapped a shot from the right circle through the pads of Nico Daws to make it 3-1 at 19:06 on Kaliyev's league-leading 31st of the year.

The Senators continued to press in the second and extended the lead to make it 4-1 when Olle Lycksell fired a shot from the right circle that beat Daws at 3:10 on his 11th of the year. Just 14 seconds later, Carter Yakemchuk threw one towards the net that was tipped home by Graeme Clarke for his first as a Senator, making it 5-1 at 3:24, ending the night for Nico Daws with Jakub Malek making a relief appearance. The tides quickly turned as the Comets found a second wind. They headed to the power play when Carter Yakemchuk was called for hooking and capitalized on the ensuing power play when Jonathan Gruden deflected a Brian Halonen shot past Belleville netminder Mads Sogaard to make it 5-2 at 9:17 on Gruden's eighth of the year. A few minutes later, Cam Squires jumped on a loose puck in the low slot and roofed one high glove side past Sogaard to make it 5-3 at 11:41 for his fourth of the year. The Comets continued to push and nearly made it 5-4 when Dmitry Osipov's shot bounced off the end boards and found the stick of Shane Lachance who nearly jammed it home along the near post. After a goal review, the officials upheld the initial call of no goal on the ice, and the score remained 5-3. It was an impressive push from the Comets, outshooting the Senators 15-7 in the second.

The fast pace continued in the third period with both teams bringing forth a stingy effort defensively. The Comets nearly cut the deficit to one, but Brian Halonen was robbed by Mads Sogaard on a shot from the left circle about five minutes into the frame. Just past the halfway point of the period, the Senators would find an insurance tally when Hayden Hodgson jammed home a loose puck at the side of the net past Jakub Malek to make it 6-3 at 10:19 on Hodgson's fifth of the year. The Senators struck again less than two minutes later when Graeme Clarke got a pass in the high slot, walked to the right circle, had his initial shot stopped but poked the rebound past Malek to make it 7-3 at 11:52 on his second of the game and 17th of the year. Later in the period, Jonathan Gruden dropped the gloves with Senators' forward Tyler Boucher for the second fight of the contest in a game that saw 60 combined penalty minutes. The Senators prevailed to a 7-3 win, unfortunately bringing the Comets' winning streak to an end at four games.

The Comets outshot the Senators 26-22 and went 1-for-4 on the power play while going 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.

The Comets are back home tomorrow at 3 pm against the Syracuse Crunch. 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 7, 2026


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