COMETS OUTLAST AMERKS IN SHOOTOUT
Jan 17, 2018Utica, N.Y. – The Utica Comets topped the Rochester Americans 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.
Rochester struck nine minutes into the game with a power play goal off the stick of Kevin Porter who tipped a shot past Thatcher Demko. Seth Griffith and Zach Redmond were credited with the assists. Darren Archibald tied the game at one seven minutes later. Cole Cassels and Michael Carcone picked up the helpers. In addition to his goal, Archibald skated in his 274th career game with the Comets, breaking the team record of 273 set by Alexandre Grenier.
Cassels gave the Comets a 2-1 lead three minutes into the middle frame. Carcone tallied the assist.
C.J. Smith tied the game at two at the 7:11 mark of the third period. Stuart Percy was credited with the assist. Demko and Amerks goaltender Linus Ullmark remained perfect down the stretch to send the game to overtime for the sixth time in the season series.
Overtime did not yield a winner and for the second straight game, the Comets and Amerks would need a shootout.
Kevin Porter and Reid Boucher traded goals in the first three rounds of the shootout and Nikolay Goldobin netted the game-winning goal in the fourth round to earn the win.
Demko finished with 33 saves to improve his record to 15-7-5. Ullmark stopped 35 shots. His record falls to 17-6-5. The Comets power play went 0-4, while the penalty kill allowed one goal in three attempts
The Comets are back in action Friday night as they hit the road to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack. Puck drops at 7:15 p.m. at the XL Center. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL Live.
The 2018 AHL All-Star Classic will be hosted at the newly renovated Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The two-day event includes the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 28, followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 29 and the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge later that evening. The Skills Competition and the All-Star Challenge will take place in downtown Utica; all other events during the All-Star Classic will take place at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. For tickets to the two-day event, visit empirestatetix.com.