For the first time since January of last year, the Utica Comets have lost four games in a row after Saturday night’s 3-0 loss to the Rockford IceHogs at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The Comets have now forfeited their second place Western Conference standing to the Chicago Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate.
Rockford’s goaltender Scott Darling shutout the Comets by stopping all of the 31 shots they took on him Saturday evening. 
After being outworked and outshot for the majority of the first stanza, the Comets gave up the first goal of the game as the period winded down. Following a slashing call on Brendan Gaunce, the IceHogs took advantage of their first power play of the night. After Ryan Hartman and Phillip Danault set up in the offensive zone, Klas Dahlbeck ended up with the puck at the left point. Dahlbeck took the shot blind but due to a screen in front of the net from both Bobby Sanguinetti and Pierre-Cédric Labrie, the puck snuck past Comets goaltender Jacob Markstrom to give the IceHogs the 1-0 lead at 17:44.
It took a little time, but the IceHogs found another halfway through the second period, which extended their lead to two. Following a 2-on-1 advantage for Rockford, Garret Ross received a pass from Adam Clendening as he snuck past the lone defenseman. Once he was on his own with Markstrom, Ross lifted the puck from the center slot and buried it past the glove hand to make it 2-0. Dennis Rasmussen was credited with the secondary assist.
The IceHogs found their third and final goal of the night just as the third had begun at 3:52. Labrie was left in control of the puck as he streaked down the left wing. With a clear pass to the slot, Labrie opted out and took a wrister to the right of Markstrom. The puck ended up cruising right past the blocker side to finalize the game 3-0. Clendening and Viktor Svedberg both tallied assist on the play.
Tonight’s loss marks the fifth time the Comets have been shutout this season.
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