Rochester, NY – The Comets visited Rochester for the first time this season and edged the Amerks 4-3 in overtime.
It was the second meeting in a 12-day span between the two North Division rivals, and it certainly felt like it with several post-whistle scrums in the first period. Both teams had quality chances in the opening 20 minutes. Utica’s best chance came from Brian Halonen who hit the post on the Comets’ second power play of the period, while Rochester’s best chance came from Carson Meyer who broke up ice on a 2-on-1 right after the Amerks killed off their first penalty. Nico Daws and Devon Levi were solid in the opening frame, each making eight saves and keeping the opposing team off the board.
The Comets came out a determined group in the second when just 28 seconds into the period, Brian Halonen ripped home a one-timer from Seamus Casey to give the Comets the 1-0 lead. It was Halonen’s fourth of the year with Kyle Criscuolo picking up the secondary assist. A couple minutes later, Nathan Legare hunted down a rebound in front of the Rochester net and scored his third of the year to make it 2-0 at the 2:57 mark. Seamus Casey and Shane Lachance picked up the assists. The Comets weren’t done. At 5:44, Ryan Schmelzer was set up in the slot and snapped one home past Levi to make it 3-0 with Jonathan Gruden and Xavier Parent getting the assists.
The tide started to turn in the Amerks’ favor, however, when they went on the power play and Isak Rosen fired one past Nico Daws blocker side for his seventh of the year which made it 3-1 at the 7:25 mark of the second. Rosen struck again from virtually the same spot when he was fed a cross-ice pass from Victor Neuchev at the 12:24 mark to make it 3-2. Rochester would go back on the power play, and it was Konsta Helenius who wired a shot low blocker past Daws to make it 3-3 at the 14:56 mark of the middle stanza.
After a six-goal second period, the teams entered the third period in a 3-3 tie. It was a stingy third period with just 11 shots combined and no goals in the final stanza. The Comets penalty kill came up big late in the third period after they were assessed a minor for delay of game.
The Comets dominated time of possession in the overtime while Nico Daws faced just one shot at the other end. At the 3:21 mark, Xavier Parent walked off the goal line and slipped a backhander through the pads of Devon Levi to win the game for the Comets on his sixth goal of the year. Brian Halonen and Seamus Casey picked up the assists.
It was a huge win for the Comets who picked up their first road win of the season and snapped an eight-game skid. The Comets outshot the Amerks 30-27, while going 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.
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