2018-19 Utica Comets, Pt. III

[Bad Goalie]

Comets to PP #5. Time to cash in because the zebras are going to make sure the Birds get just as many.

2 trips up the ice, 2 shots back down the ice.

Kero lossss the puck in his own end and the Birds get a great point blank shot and Bachman stands tall once again.

 

[Bad Goalie]

You have to wonder how much the Comets work on this since the Comets now can't even get out of their own zone!!

Whew! that's over.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Boucher cannot work with the puck nor can he pass the puck. His attempt at both results in the Thunderbirds breaking back up the ice and the Comets are going back to the PK. Like I said the zebras will make it even as soon as they can.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Bancks shoots it out.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets send it out.
Darcy and Archi killing time in the Spr end.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Spr pass along the glass hits a stantion and goes out of play.

Comets clear it out after the faceoff.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets back to full strength. Bachman was scummed and he can't get up. Tries , but falls to the ice once again.

Demko is gearing up.

Bachie helped off the ice without any pressure on his left leg.

27 saves and no goals with 10:20 to go. It's up to Thatcher to hold on to this one with no warmup. No penalty on the run into Bachie.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Springfield throwing the sink at Thatcher from every direction right after winning the draw. Comets up the ice and their offensive thrust stalls out. Whistle to end play and it's ---

TV TO 9:48

 

[Bad Goalie]

MacEwen 2 weak tries and a faceoff.

Get the call to the ZOO. Kulbakov will need to be in Utica by tomorrow night. With airflight and the X-mas rush, a drive might make it faster. Maybe an emergency PTO to a much closer ECHL city.

 

[NoShowWilly]

MacEwen 2 weak tries and a faceoff.

Get the call to the ZOO. Kulbakov will need to be in Utica by tomorrow night. With airflight and the X-mas rush, a drive might make it faster. Maybe an emergency PTO to a much closer ECHL city.

You're already there, bg. You can do play by play for us from the bench.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Demko a brilliant stop in front on the post. Guy was all alone.

Comets killing a penalty on Graham.

Killers are dead. Birds kill their own with a wild shot into the seats.

Comets get a fresh 5. 7:16 to go and all even.

Comets cannot even touch the puck. Finally they get up ice and change again.

Point shot scores and it's 2-1.

Knocked the water bottle off the net. Can't hold a lead by puck watching. That's not defensive hockey. The only way this team can play defense is to be offensive. They can't score if you maintain pressure and possession.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Another faceoff in the Comets end and a Bird walks right in and Demko a big stop.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Comets get up ice and the Birds are flying back. The Comets are in slow motion and the T-birds are rocket propelled.

 

[Bad Goalie]

3:50 to go.

MacEwen smashed in open ice.

Boucher and Kero fail 2 on 1.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Thompson tries to sucker Blujus in after the puck goes out. Linesman breaks it up before anyone can act further.

Last TV TO 2:36. Net will be open soon.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Faceoff in the Comets end.

Lose the draw but Dirk shoots it out.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Spr's Hunt throws the puck off the scoreboard at center ice. 2:14.

Comet shoot it in twice.

Birds offside and neutral zone faceoff coming 1:42.

Bancks gets it in.

Comets shoot it back in again and Birds come out. There goes Hutchinson. Comets float it out to open ice.

Comets clear it out again and now Birds offsides again :45.

SPR TO

 

[Bad Goalie]

It wasn't offsides it was a penalty on McEneny.

6 on 4 with an open net.

Big stop by Demmer and Comets shoot it out. Birds back in and a shot off Demko's glove and then out of play.

 

[Bad Goalie]

:23

2 shots fail

Big bomb and Demko lays out and the Comets keep the mob away and time runs out.

COMETS WIN !!!!!!!!!!

Wow that was a tough one. Handily outplayed in the third period. Bent badly, but didn't fold up.

HUGE goaltending effort by both keepers in this one. My first star goes to Utica Comets Goaltending tandem - Bachman/Demko.

 

[Bad Goalie]

You're already there, bg. You can do play by play for us from the bench.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but the decades have benched this guy for good. I could sit there to makle it legal, but with my/Canucks/Comets luck, Demko would get hurt and they'd have to prop my arthritic senior citizen's body up in the net for a debacle that would be an internet flood.

 

[NoShowWilly]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but the decades have benched this guy for good. I could sit there to makle it legal, but with my/Canucks/Comets luck, Demko would get hurt and they'd have to prop my arthritic senior citizen's body up in the net for a debacle that would be an internet flood.

 

[Bad Goalie]

This is just about right, but I am a lot bigger than that.

I'd go post to post in a butterfly, head would be above the crossbar, and with an illlegal oversized chest and arm protector I could puff out to leaving top corners, above the pads, and holes between the wingspan up and down on the posts. However, I could move my catching glove and blocker up and down from above the pads to the crossbar. It would become a case of how sniper like the shooters were and how far away my team mates could keep them from the net front.

I feel in the end it would be quite far from pretty. LOL

 

[DaBadGuy316]

@Bad Goalie thanks for the PBP, much appreciated.

 

[Catamarca Livin]

Both Canucks and Comets have really turned it around. A few important injuried players back in lineups makes a huge difference.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Utica Comets 2 Springfield Thunderbirds 1

Archibald (9) from Gaunce (7) and MacEwen (12)
Gaunce (8) Unassisted

Bachman 27/27
Demko 10/11
Total - 37/38

SOG:
Comets - 15 9 5 = 29
T - Birds - 12 9 17 = 38

PP:
Comets - 0/5
T - Birds - 0/7

3 Stars:
1 - Brendan Gaunce (UticaComets) 1G/1A
2 - Richard Bachman (Utica Comets) SA 27/ SV 27
3 - Josh Brown (Springfield Thunderbirds) 1G

The Comets are now 6-0-1-0 in their last 7 games.

Comets record now stands at 16-13-2-1 for 35 points and 2nd place in the North Division. This is an overly rosy picture for the Comets as they have played 32 games to reach this point total and place in the standings. Those around them have played fewer games.

- Rochester leads the Division with 38 pts in only 29 GP
- Syracuse trails the Comets by 1 point with 34 in 26 GP
- Cleveland also trails by 1 with 34 in 29 GP
- the Marlies trail by 4 with 29 GP
- Belleville and Binghamton trail by 7 and 8 respectively, but both have 31 GP so their position is more realistic.

If the teams in that mix around the Comets play those games in hand at the rates they have been accumulating their points, the Comets fall back and the dogfight I predicted they would be in for a playoff spot becomes a harsh reality and they play Rochester (6) and Syracuse (10) 16 more times.

The scary thing for Vancouver right now is that the Comets are playing much better without 3 of their supposed best D-men. The Comets are 10-3-1-0 since losing Juolevi and Chatfield on the same night and the number since Sautner joined them is 4-0-1-0. They have only won 16 games total.

The replacements for these guys have been Blujus, Graham, Dirk, and Saucerman. That's 3 players on AHL contracts, 1 of who has spent most of the season in ECHL Kalamazoo, and 1 PTO from the ECHL.

I'm not sure how long they can keep this up, but so far so good. However, it's still 6 games until the halfway point of 38 games. The offense has been carried by Boucher (27/21GP), MacEwen (25/31GP), and Kero (25/32GP) and now add to them Archibald (13/19GP) and Gaunce (15/16GP). Jasek (16/26GP) is the only rookie making a current contribution.

Dahlen, out with a concussion that I am thinking Cull doesn't bring him back from until at least after Christmas if he is in fact ready, had been on the move upwards (17/28GP).

Sautner and Juolevi are gone.

Chatfield (1/13GP) is months away according to Ghost Johnson.

MacMaster (11/24GP) and Darcy (10/26GP) are the only other guys in double figures which would project to maybe somewhere around 20-30 points.

Bancks (5),Gadjovich (4), Cameranesi (4), Woods (3) Lind (2), and Arseneau (0) are forwards that can't be counted on for any offense at the moment. Any points from these guys are precious bonus points right now.

There are a total of 10 goals from the 7 defenders currently on the roster and McEneny is #1 with 3. Graham is starting to stack up some assists with 8 in 19/GP. Obviously the Comets don't have a puck moving ,PP threat, #1 D-man and won't unless one of these guys is touched by God or they manage to find one somewhere in the world, highly unlikely at this point in the year.

Lots more hockey to play, many more things can happen both positively and negatively, but the key to their success will be between the pipes. Unless their goaltending yields 2 goals or less a night they will have problems winning. 3 goals makes that game a real challenge. That's a big burden to put on those guys, but it's what must be. The offense strings a couple-three games with 4 or 5 goals but that's not the norm and often that's in a game they have a lead and the other team opens up and they get a couple gifts.

Tomorrow it's the big, bad Devils and Tangradi again, then Christmas break, and right back to action with Binghamton again. The Devils beat Providence at home tonight 6-3. It's a short ride for them to Utica tomorrow while the Comets are coming off 2 games in Charlotte, North Carolina before traveling from Charlotte to Springfield, Massachusetts for tonight's game and then a 3 hour ride home before some home rest and then a game at the Aud. I won't be surprised to see some fatigue and some looking ahead to a few days rest and some family get togethers for most of the boys. Tomorrow could be a rough one. Hope and pray they all get to head out for the break without any more injuries.