Comets Suffer First Loss of Season, Blanked by Rocket
Oct 17, 2026Utica, NY – The Utica Comets hosted the Laval Rocket at NBT Bank Arena on Saturday night and were shutout by a score of 4-0.
For the first time this season, the Comets allowed the first goal of the game which came on a power play for the Rocket after Shane Lachance was called for slashing. It was the former Comet, Laval defenseman Reilly Walsh, who wired a one-timer past Jakub Malek from the left circle to give the Rocket a 1-0 lead for his third of the year at the 9:17 mark. The Comets had two power plays in the first period and some good looks, but Laval netminder Kevin Mandolese stopped all seven shots that he faced in the first period in his Laval debut.
The Rocket would extend the lead in the second period when Laval forward Dillan Bentley intercepted a pass in the high slot and fed Josh Nadeau at the top of the crease who backhanded one past Malek to make it 2-0 at 5:37 for his second of the year. The Comets generated some decent pressure as the period went on but were unable to solve Kevin Mandolese. The Rocket found themselves on a 5-on-3 man advantage towards the end of the frame and with just 0.3 seconds left in the second, Luke Mittelstadt jammed home a rebound to make it 3-0 Laval for his fourth goal of the year.
The Comets entered the third period still down 5-on-4 but regained even strength without yielding another goal to a dangerous Laval power play. The Comets doubled up the Rocket in shots in the third period but were unable to find the back of the net. The Rocket added an empty-net goal towards the end of the third off the stick of Xavier Simoneau at 19:27 to make it 4-0 which was the final as Kevin Mandolese picked up the shutout in his Laval debut.
The Comets outshot the Rocket 25-18, while going 0-for-8 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.
The Comets are back home on Friday, October 30th against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7 PM. For tickets, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.