Utica, N.Y. – The Utica Comets topped the Toronto Marlies by a score of 5-2 Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. The win tied the series at two wins apiece.
Reid Boucher fired a wrist shot past Marlies goaltender Garret Sparks to put the Comets up 1-0 just a minute into the game. Cam Darcy and Nikolay Goldobin picked up the assists.
Tanner MacMaster extended the lead to 2-0 at the 2:55 mark of the second period. Patrick Wiercioch and Michael Chaput tallied the assists. Boucher made it 3-0 with 2:31 to go in the middle frame. Goldobin and Darcy registered the assists.
Dmytro Timashov got the Marlies on the board with a power play goal 47 seconds into the third period. Trevor Moore and Chris Mueller were credited with the assists. Michael Carcone tipped a Wiercioch shot past Sparks to make it 4-1 Comets with 17:34 to go in the third. MacMaster also assisted on the power play goal. Tyler Motte pushed the lead to 5-1 at the 12:12 mark of the third period. Cole Cassels had the lone assist. Pierre Engvall cut the lead to 5-2 two minutes later. Martin Marincin and Frederik Gauthier collected the assists.
Demko finished with 40 saves. Sparks stopped 15 shots. The Comets power play went 1-4, while the penalty kill allowed one goal in four attempts.
The Comets will return action for Game Five against the Marlies Sunday afternoon. Puck drop at the Ricoh Coliseum is at 4 p.m. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL Live.
