Despite losing their leading scorer Morgan Geekie to an NHL recall just before puck drop, the Checkers pushed their way to a two-goal lead midway through the game thanks to a pair of redirections out front.
The Comets caught a spark from there, however, as Reid Boucher struck twice on the power play to even the score and push things beyond regulation.
The two sides traded chances in the overtime until the final 90 seconds when Utica pulled off a slick move in tight and lit the lamp to complete their comeback and earn the two points.
QUOTES
Coach Ryan Warsofsky on losing the 2-0 lead
They score the power-play goal off the faceoff play and we’ve just got to be a little bit tighter. I’ve got to look at the calls. They were horrendous calls, and we’ve seen it all year.
Warsofsky on Utica forward Reid Boucher
He’s got a deadly shot, and we know when he’s on the ice. We talk about it a lot. He’s got a great shot and a knack for scoring goals. He’s a smart player that finds time and space. He obviously had a big weekend for them.
Warsofsky on the Checkers’ goals
Getting bodies in front. The one power-play goal Bourque gets a tip on it, and then the next one is just Coop going to the net. That’s what we talked about – getting bodies and traffic to the net.
Warsofsky on the three-on-three overtime period
We went two D there at one point because we have some really skilled defensemen and gave it a little different look, but I thought we pushed. The guys put a hell of an effort forward and unfortunately we couldn’t get that second point.
