10/22/2016 – Page 2 – CanucksBanter

Oct 22, 2016

Despite climbing out of a 2-0 hole, the Utica Comets lost by the score of 3-2 to the Albany Devils at the Times Union Center on Saturday night.

The Comets record falls to 1-3-0-0, while the Devils improved to a perfect 4-0-0-0.

Off-season free agent signings Michael Chaput (1-0-1) and Derek Hulak (1-0-1) each netted their first goals as a member of the Comets, while David Shields (0-1-1), Marco Roy (0-1-1), Michael Zalewski (0-1-1), and Carter Bancks (0-1-1) all recorded an assist.

Goaltender Thatcher Demko, in his second professional start, made 24 saves in the loss.

The lone goal of the first period came with 2:54 left to play in the period and gave the home team a 1-0 lead. With Andrey Pedan in the penalty box for the Comets, Reece Scarlett snaked a shot through heavy slot traffic for his first tally of the season.

The Devils doubled down on their lead in the second period’s opening minutes when John Quenneville’s power-play goal slipped between Demko’s glove and the crossbar.

Midway through the second period Comets forward Joseph LaBate received a match penalty for checking to the head. A match penalty carries a mandatory suspension pending completion of a review by the American Hockey League.

During the Comets penalty-kill of the LaBate match penalty, Carter Bancks and Michael Chaput broke into the Devils zone on a two-on-one break. Bancks drew the defender to him, and sprung Chaput on a breakaway after he chipped the puck through the defender. Chaput quickly deked the goaltender and back-handed the puck up-and-over Wedgeweood’s outstretched leg pad for his first goal as a member of the Comets.

The short-handed goal was the Comets first such goal of the season, after they led the league with 17 short-handed goals during the 2015-16 season.

A Devils miscue in their defensive zone early in the third period afforded the Comets the opportunity they needed to knot the game at 2-2.

Michael Zalewski scooped up the fumbled puck, passed it to Marco Roy, who quickly found Derek Hulak alone on the doorstep. Hulak’s shot found its way through Wedgewood and into the net for his first goal with the Comets.

The Devils claimed their second lead of the night when Jan Mandat found his first career AHL goal with 10:23 to play in the third.

The Comets successfully killed off five of the Devils seven power-play opportunities, while the power play unit was 0-for-5 on the night.

The Comets wrapped up the season-opening four-game road trip with a 1-3-0-0 record.

The club’s home opener is Wednesday night against the Binghamton Senators. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Source: Comets Struggles Against the Devils Continue | Utica Comets Official Website

A little bit of hockey history will be happening tonight in Ontario.

As goalie Jonah Imoo is making his first pro start it will be his father Dusty, the Reign’s goalie coach, who will serve as his backup.

“This could set some kind of hockey history,” Reign coach Mike Stothers said following morning skate ahead of tonight’s 6 p.m. game against visiting San Jose. “The son will be backed up by his dad. We’ll have two Imoos on the roster, both on PTOs. … I guess it’s good to have your goalie coach that close, right? He’s on the bench.”

The reason the Reign are in this predicament is their starting Jack Campbell will be going to Los Angeles to serve as the Kings’ backup after a morning skate injury sustained by Jeff Zatkoff ahead of their game against Vancouver.

The Reign’s expected No. 1 going into the season before Campbell was Peter Budaj, and he’s with the Kings due to an injury to Jonathan Quick.

Just last weekend the Reign had to bring on Jonah Imoo to back up in San Diego after Budaj was recalled. And so the cycle goes and here we are in the rarest of circumstances.

“It is amazing a goalie situation has come up again this early in the season,” Stothers said.

“Jonah is going to get his first American Hockey League start. He’s worked hard for the opportunity. It certainly hasn’t come easy to him. It’s not because his dad’s the goalie coach of our team. He’s legitimately put in the time and deserves an opportunity. He’ll go in. It’s a little bit unexpected. We weren’t counting on this happening but maybe it’s better for him. He doesn’t have that much time to think about it. Just go in and play. We’ll see how it goes.”

As most goalies aren’t, Jonah Imoo was not available after morning skate to provide comments.

Jonah Imoo, 22, was with the Reign through development camp and training camp and played in just three games last season split between the Southern Professional Hockey League and the Federal Hockey League.

Most of his experience comes from time spent in the British Columbia Hockey League, where he played consistently from 2012-15.

His father of course has a bit more of a decorated resume, including playing for Japan in the 1998 Winter Olympics. Dusty Imoo, 46, has been a goalie coach in some capacity since 2008 and is in his second season with the Kings organization. He’ll occasionally put the pads on if the Reign need him to in practice.

“Jonah’s by far the better of the two,” Stothers said with a laugh.

“But you know what, it’s unique and it just proves to you what life is like, what we deal with every day in the American Hockey League. You never know, right? I just hope it works out well for both of them and obviously for us as a team. Probably the most nervous person is going to be the mom back in Vancouver area. Unless she’s hopping on a plane to get here in time to witness this hockey history.”

Source: Jonah Imoo to be backed up by father Dusty — LA Kings Insider