This past weekend, the Utica Comets earn a shutout, then get shutout in what has become a frustrating season of non-scoring.
Everything’s Coming Up Nico
Nico Daws made 19 saves to earn the shutout Friday night in a 3-0 victory over
the Belleville Senators. Center Matyas Melovsky scored his second goal of the season in the first period, which would end up becoming the game-winner. Defensemen prospects Seamus Casey and Ethan Edwards both earned assists. Shane LaChance finally ended up on the scoresheet with a primary assist on Angus Crookshank’s fourth of the season in the 2nd period to close out the scoring. Edwards would also earn a fighting major in defense of his goaltender.
Daws has been outstanding to start the season with a 2-2-0 record, 1.51 GAA and .942 SV%. If only the Comets could score more goals, they might slip out of the basement. Unfortunately, that’s something they failed to do on Saturday getting shutout by the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins 4-0. Goaltender Jakub Malek earned the loss, his fourth, after stopping 23 of 26 shots. That is the fourth time in the first ten games the Comets have failed to score a goal, a pace of about 28 throughout the season. According to an AI search, the record for a AHL team getting shutout over the course of a season is 15 by the 1998-99 Atlantic Knights, so if the Comets do not start finding the twine with more regularity, they may make some dubious history.
Around the Pool:
- I somehow missed this rocket wrister by Center Mason Moe, who is off to a respectable start in his collegiate career with 2 goals and 2 assists in his first 10 games for the University of Minnesota.
- Only two Devils of prospect age remain pointless so far this season: Josh Filmon and Lenni Hameenaho. The latter is particularly a head-scratcher. Hameenaho missed one game this season, but has failed to register a point in his first nine. Filmon has only suited up for four contests.
- Forward Ben Kevan found himself wide open for this power play goal, his 3rd tally of the season.
- Lastly, Goaltender Mikhail Yegorov was almost ejected for the lamest headbutt ever.
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