Comets' Three Power-Play Goals Lift Utica to 3-1 Win Over Laval

Utica converted three power-play goals and rode a strong performance from goalie Nico Daws to a 3-1 victory over the Laval Rocket in Utica on Sunday. Angus Crookshank opened the scoring with a tipped point shot at 39:30, Kyle Criscuolo added a power-play strike at 4:07 of the third, and Mike Hardman finished the scoring on a 12:51 third-period power play; Alex Belzile spoiled the shutout bid with a goal at 57:44.

The game turned late in the second after a physical sequence that began with an illegal check by Laval and escalated into a four-minute power play for Utica with just over two minutes remaining in the period. On that extended man advantage Topias Vilen blasted a point shot that Crookshank redirected at 39:30 for his 14th goal of the season. Utica’s bench was helped by strong goaltending as Nico Daws stopped all nine shots he faced in the second period.

Utica carried momentum into the third despite starting the period with 1:31 left on the carry-over power play, which Laval killed off. Shortly thereafter Alex Belzile drew a tripping penalty and the Comets struck again when Angus Crookshank fed Kyle Criscuolo backdoor; Criscuolo beat Kaapo Kähkönen five-hole at 4:07 for his seventh goal of the year. Sources differ on exact assist credits for that play, with Utica.com listing Matyas Melovsky as a secondary assist and Rome Sentinel describing a Melovsky-to-Crookshank-to-Criscuolo sequence that credited Melovsky with his eighth assist and Crookshank with a seventh in another statistical column.

Mike Hardman provided the insurance at 12:51 of the third on a right-circle wrist shot during another power play. Ryan Schmelzer was credited with the primary assist on Hardman’s goal, a helper that Rome Sentinel reports made Schmelzer the franchise’s all-time regular-season points leader with 176 regular-season points. Utica finished the night converting three of eight power plays.

Laval’s Kaapo Kähkönen started in goal for the Rocket and surrendered all three power-play goals. The Sick Podcast noted Kähkönen was started for a third straight night because Jacob Fowler was sick and the organization expressed little trust in Hunter Jones to play, suggesting fatigue may have been a factor in the result. Habs Eyes on the Prize observed that Laval dominated the shot counter for nearly 40 minutes and that Utica was outshot 19-7 before Crookshank’s late second-period tip finally broke the deadlock.

The win closed out a three-games-in-three-days stretch for Utica; the Comets went 2-0-0-1 across that run and picked up points in all three games. Both teams are scheduled to return to action on Feb. 25, with sources listing Utica facing Hershey and Laval slated to play Toronto or the Marlies that night; times and opponents vary by source. Utica leaves the weekend with a reinforced special-teams identity and Schmelzer’s franchise milestone setting a new internal benchmark as the compressed schedule continues.