TORONTO TAKES A 2-1 SERIES LEAD WITH A WIN IN UTICA WEDNESDAY
May 3, 2023Utica, NY - The Comets stood at home in front of a roaring crowd at the Adirondack Bank Center on Wednesday night as they entered the playoff matchup with the Toronto Marlies with one win each in the best of five series. With a victory tonight, one team will put the other on the brink of elimination on Friday night. Despite being down by two goals in the contest, the Comets clawed back and tied the game as the teams were tied heading into the final period of regulation. Unfortunately for Utica, it was the Marlies that pulled away in the third period and the Comets fell in the series 2-1 and must win on Friday night at home to extend the series to a fifth game.
In the first period, the only goal was scored by Toronto in the first period after Semyon Der-Arguchintsev sent the puck to Ryan Chyzowski who put a shot over the right shoulder of Comets goalie Nico Daws at 4:57. It was the only goal of the period as the Comets left the first down, 1-0.
The Marlies scored on a penalty shot in the second period after Kyle Clifford struck at 5:01 to extend his team’s lead to 2-0. But it didn’t take long for the Comets to punch right back after Robbie Russo rifled a shot toward the goal and it was deflected by Aarne Talvitie passed Erik Kallgren at 5:32. Talvitie tallied his third of the playoffs and it sent the crowd to their feet as they Comets cut the deficit in half, 2-1. As the period progressed, the Comets tied the contest to the delight of Comets fans. A play at the neutral zone made by Graeme Clarke gave Nolan Stevens an opportunity to center to the streaking Simon Nemec. With a clear lane at the net, Nemec didn’t hesitate to send a wrist-shot into the Marlies cage at 17:52. The goal was Nemec’s first of the playoffs with assists to Stevens and Clarke. The period ended with the teams locked at 2-2.
In the final period of regulation, the Marlies added a goal, and it was the second of the game by Chyzowski as he just slipped the puck off the post and in behind Daws at 4:34. This gave Toronto a 3-2 lead. They added another goal when Pontus Holmberg redirected a centering pass by Kyle Clifford at 16:12. The goal put the Marlies up 4-2 in the game. The Marlies added an empty net goal from Holmberg for his second of the game and the Comet skated away down in the series 2-1 with a 5-2 loss at home.
The Comets are in a must-win scenario on Friday night at home inside the Adirondack Bank Center on Friday night at 7:00 PM when they face off against the Marlies. Get your tickets now by visiting www.uticacomets.com/tickets.