COMETS, MARLIES FACEOFF IN DECISIVE GAME FIVE
Apr 29, 2018UTICA COMETS (2-2) vs. TORONTO MARLIES (2-2)
Ricoh Coliseum, 4 p.m.
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Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets battle the Toronto Marlies in Game Five of the North Division Semifinals. Puck drop is at 4 p.m.
Last Game:The Utica Comets topped the Toronto Marlies by a score of 5-2 Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. Reid Boucher fired a wrist shot past Marlies goaltender Garret Sparks to put the Comets up 1-0 just a minute into the game. Cam Darcy and Nikolay Goldobin picked up the assists. Tanner MacMaster extended the lead to 2-0 at the 2:55 mark of the second period. Patrick Wiercioch and Michael Chaput tallied the assists. Boucher made it 3-0 with 2:31 to go in the middle frame. Goldobin and Darcy registered the assists. Dmytro Timashov got the Marlies on the board with a power play goal 47 seconds into the third period. Michael Carcone tipped a Wiercioch shot past Sparks to make it 4-1 Comets with 17:34 to go in the third. MacMaster also assisted on the power play goal. Tyler Motte pushed the lead to 5-1 at the 12:12 mark of the third period. Cole Cassels had the lone assist. Pierre Engvall cut the lead to 5-2 two minutes later. Thatcher Demko finished with 40 saves.
Head-to-Head: The series is tied at two apiece heading into this decisive Game Five. The Comets are outscoring the Marlies 14-12 through four games.
Scouting the Marlies: Martin Marincin, Trevor Moore and Dmytro Timashov, are tied for the team lead with four points through four games. Goaltender Garret Sparks has started all four games and owns a 2-2 record with a 3.41 goals-against average and .860 save percentage.
Back With A Vengeance: Reid Boucher has been absolutely on fire since rejoining the Comets. Boucher has netted three goals on seven shots in two games this postseason. The forward has 14 points (8-6-14) in 17 career Calder Cup Playoff games.
As Good As Gold: Nikolay Goldobin has been an assist machine in this series. Goldobin has notched at least one point in all four games and is tied for the AHL lead in assists this postseason. The fourth year winger has collected eight points (2-6-8) in 12 career AHL playoff games.
Red Hot: The Comets offense exploded in Games Three and Four. Utica combined for 10 goals from six different players. The Comets scored just four goals in the first two games.
Win Or Go Home: The series comes down to this. The winner will move on to face the Syracuse Crunch in the next round. The Comets are 5-2 all time in elimination games.
Next Game: The next game will be determined based on the result of today’s game.