Utica, N.Y. – Zane McIntyre stopped 45 of 46 shots and the Comets penalty kill went 8-8 as Utica dominated the Rochester Americans 7-1 Saturday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. Reid Boucher scored twice while Sven Baertschi, Wacey Hamilton, Zack MacEwen Nikolay Goldobin, and Lukas Jasek chipped in with a goal apiece.
Baertschi struck first for Utica, taking advantage of a turnover by Amerks goaltender Andrew Hammond and putting the puck into the empty net. Boucher quickly doubled the lead 20 seconds later, converting on a tic-tac-toe play with Dylan Blujus and Kole Lind. Hamilton made it 3-0 at the 15:31 mark with a shorthanded goal, beating Hammond on a two-on-one rush off a Boucher set up. Tage Thompson got one back for Rochester late in the period to bring the score to 3-1 heading into the first intermission.
MacEwen snatched the momentum back by scoring a highlight-reel, toe-drag goal 1:08 into the middle frame to put Utica back up by three. The Amerks continued to press, but McIntyre and the Comets defense held strong, killing off four penalties, including a five-on-three kill, to maintain their comfortable edge at the second break.
Utica continued to pour it in as Boucher made it 5-1 halfway through the third period following a Baertschi spin-o-rama around a defender. Goldobin and Jasek scored 10 seconds apart to bring the score to 7-1 Comets with seven minutes to go in regulation.
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