UTICA Thanks to a solid performance between the pipes by Utica goaltender Joacim Eriksson, the Comets rolled over the Abbotsford Heat for the second time in three nights as they earned a 3-0 victory at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Friday. <\/p>\n
Eriksson earned the second shutout of his American Hockey League career after the Swede turned aside all 21 shots he faced and his two shutouts on the season moved him into a tie for second in the league. <\/p>\n
He is now 4-0-0-0 in his last four starts, with a 1.48 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage. <\/p>\n
Kellan Lain, Alexandre Grenier and Benn Ferriero each found the scoresheet for the Comets, who gave their head coach Travis Green a victory on his 43rd birthday. <\/p>\n
For the second straight game, the Comets struck first as Lain used a nifty move to get past a Heat defender, and in all alone on netminder Joni Ortio. From there, Lain beat Ortio with a slick back hand deke, to give the Comets a 1-0 lead. Lain, who now has goals in three straight games, also picked up his fourth in six games against the Heat this season. Linemate Brandon DeFazio had the primary helper, while defenseman Peter Andersson picked up an assist for the third game in a row. <\/p>\n
The Comets doubled their advantage with just 3:11 left in the period as Alexandre Grenier scored a highlight reel goal on the power play. <\/p>\n
Ortio finished with 20 saves on 22 shots. <\/p>\n
With the win, Utica remained undefeated on their current homestand as they moved to 3-0 in front of an announced crowd of 3,225. <\/p>\n
The Comets, who have their next four on home ice as well, have also won their last four overall at The Aud. <\/p>\n
Utica was also able to score a power-play goal for the fifth straight game on home ice, which ties their longest streak of the season. <\/p>\n
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Comets beat AHL rival Abbotsford again with shutout<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UTICA Thanks to a solid performance between the pipes by Utica goaltender Joacim Eriksson, the Comets rolled over the Abbotsford Heat for the second time in three nights as they earned a 3-0 victory at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Friday. Eriksson earned the second shutout of his American Hockey League career after the Swede turned aside all 21 shots he faced and his two shutouts on the season moved him into a tie for second in the league. Continue reading