The Utica Comets surrendered four power-play goals in the game’s first 40 minutes en route to suffering a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Marlies on Saturday afternoon at the Ricoh Coliseum. Brendan Leipsic’s four-point (1-3-4) night paced the defending North Division champions as the Marlies seemed to have picked up right where they left off last season.
Jordan Subban (0-2-2) and Alexandre Grenier (1-1-2) posted multi-point nights, and Curtis Valk (1-0-1) and Michael Chaput (0-1-1) chipped in a point a piece for the Comets. Richard Bachman made 29 saves on 34 Marlies shots, in the loss.
After Joseph LaBate and John Negrin took back-to-back penalties to set-up the Marlies on a lengthy 5-on-3 power play, the Marlies struck twice in a span of 48 seconds. Defenseman Andrew Nielsen kicked the scoring off when he wristed a shot over Bachman’s glove, then Nikita Soshnikov quickly followed suit and jammed a rebound into the net with 4:11 to play in the opening period.
Three more Marlies goals in the second period, two of which came on the power play, stretched the Marlies lead to 5-0. The line of Andrew Nielsen, Andreas Johnsson, and Brendan Leipsic accounted for all three Marlies goals in the second, with Johnsson scoring twice.
With two minutes left in the middle frame, the Comets solved Sparks with their 14th shot of the game. Jordan Subban, from behind his own goal line, connected with Alexandre Grenier on a stretch pass to the neutral zone to spring Grenier and Valk on a two-on-one rush. Valk one-timed Grenier’s cross-slot pass past Sparks’ sprawling save attempt for the Comets first goal of the season.
Before the end of the period, Andreas Johnsson picked up an interference penalty that the Comets converted on 1:02 into the third period. Grenier’s one-time blast from the top of the circle screamed past Sparks before he could get across the crease. Subban and Michael Chaput picked up assists on the tally.
The Comets penalty kill allowed four goals in their first five killing situations, which included a full two minute 5-on-3 power play for the Marlies. The unit successfully killed their last two penalties to finish the night at 3-for-7. Grenier’s tally on the power play was the Comets only successful power-play attempt on six chances.
The Comets play their second game in as many days against the Toronto Marlies tomorrow with a 5 p.m. puck drop at the Ricoh Coliseum.
