NJ Devils Prospect Update: Comets Tie Up Marlies; Gritsyuk Not Returning to

Note: This is all written before Game 7 yesterday. Also, I am obviously filling in for James with this post.

Utica Continues to Battle: 1-1 with Toronto

The AHL Calder Cup Playoffs is a beast with increasing series length and rounds starting before previous ones are fully done. The AHL lives on the second half the week and the weekend and so it is with the playoffs. After the Comets downed Laval in two games out of three, they went right to Toronto to play the Marlies last Thursday. They were able to play two games and, as indicated by the sub-heading, split them both. If you love goals in the playoffs, then this series alone has what you need.

The first game was a total barnburner where defense was somewhat optional. The Comets opened the game with a strong first period. Reilly Walsh continued a hot point streak with a PPG to get it started. Then, in a 4-on-4 situation, Graeme Clarke led a 2-on-1 and finished it himself for a 2-0 lead. Early in the second period, Xavier Parent made it a 3-0 game and it looked like a beating was on. Then the Marlies awoke. The three goal lead lasted just under 12 minutes. Pontus Holmberg, Topi Niemela, and Logan Shaw all erased as the Marlies out-shot the Comets 17-7. Not what you want to see under any circumstances.

The third period continued the drama. Walsh broke the tie with another blast from the center point with just under nine minutes left. This was answered back on the next shift by Shaw finishing a feed from ex-Devil Joseph Blandisi. About a minute later, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev made it a 4-5 game. A loss seemed certain until Alexander Holtz fired a hard shot from the right circle. Brian Pinho got a touch on it and the game was tied in the final minute. Alas, overtime would go to the home team. Shaw stripped Aarne Talvitie, made a pass to Blandisi, and Blandisi wired a shot past Tyler Wotherspoon and Nico Daws for the winner. The Comets lost 5-6 in OT. A game where the teams combined for 94 shots and, curiously, 2-for-6 on power plays (1-for-3 each). The Marlies’ Youtube account as a full video of the game’s highlights featuring all 11 goals.

Needless to say, the Comets could not have been happy with how the game went. Blowing a 3-0 lead and then, later, a 4-3 lead has to hurt. Especially since the Marlies won the division and this was a best of five series. The margin for failure was not as narrow as in the Laval series, but it was still not much. Utica would need to respond in Game 2.

On Saturday afternoon, the Comets got the start they wanted. Holtz hooked up Brian Halonen, who was crashing the net, for his playoff goal of 2023 to open the scoring just over 100 seconds in. The fourth line featuring Talvitie and Tyce Thompson provided a second goal. Talvitie flung a backhander towards the crease and it appeared to hit off either defenseman Marshall Rifai or goalie Keith Petruzzelli for a 2-0 lead….