TORONTO, O.N. – Special teams ruled the Ricoh Coliseum Saturday afternoon as both the Utica Comets and Toronto Marlies recorded multiple power-play goals in the Marlies 4-2 win. The Comets snapped an 0-for-10 skid on the power play and converted on their last two power plays of the evening.
Hunter Shinkaruk (1-0-1), and Jordan Subban (1-0-1) handled the scoring for the Comets, while Joe Cannata recorded the loss. Chris Higgins, in his first game as a Comet, recorded an assist on Subban’s third period goal.
In just his second game as a member of the Marlies, Rylan Schwartz jammed home a rebound from a Viktor Loov slapshot from the point to open the game’s scoring just 2:38 into the game.
Just a minute into the second period Mark Arcobello skated along the goal line and slipped a shot over the short-side shoulder of Joe Cannata to extend the Marlies lead to 2-0.
The Comets cut the lead to one when Hunter Shinkaruk buried his team-leading 16th goal of the season. From the point, Alex Friesen drove a slap shot on net that Garret Sparks was there for. The rebound kicked right back out to the slot to a waiting Brendan Gaunce who quickly one-touched a pass over to Shinkaruk who then immediately, and easily buried the puck into the yawning cage. The power-play goal was Shinkaruk’s ninth power-play goal, which leads the team.
The Marlies regained their two-goal lead in the second period when Kasperi Kapanen forced a rebound past Cannata as he scrambled in the crease.
Late in the third period the Comets clawed back to within one when Jordan Subban walked into the high slot and ripped a wrist shot past the glove of Sparks. Chris Higgins recorded the secondary assist on the play, his first point as a member of the Comets.
With the loss the Comets record drops to 18-16-3-3.
The Comets finish the weekend with another 4 p.m. afternoon game against the Toronto Marlies tomorrow at the Ricoh Coliseum.
