Ben Birnell

UTICA The Utica Comets earned two valuable points Friday.

A gritty performance against the Toronto Marlies helped the Comets remain in the mix in a tight North Division playoff race.

The Comets held off a late Marlies charge for a 3-1 victory to open an important three-game weekend before an announced capacity crowd of 3,870 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

"It was one of those games we won it in the stretches," said Comets coach Travis Green, whose team also stopped six-of-seven Toronto power plays. "Our penalty killers had to come up big. At this time of the year when you beat a good team like that it goes a long way."

The fourth-place Comets have 77 points with five regular-season games remaining. With help from an Albany (79 points) win over St. Johns on Friday, the Comets moved a point ahead of the IceCaps. Utica and St. Johns play Sunday. The top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

"(The win) is huge," said Cody Kunyk, who scored the eventual game-winner in the second period on the power play to continue a career season. "It took every line doing their job. A team like them, we had to give them our best effort."

The result gave the Comets (34-28-7-2) a franchise-best nine consecutive home wins and pushed the team to 14-6-1 in their last 21 games.

Rookie Thatcher Demko earned first star honors with 25 stops including big saves in the third for his 22nd victory of the season. Joseph LaBate also scored a power-play goal for the Comets, who finished 2-for-6 on the power play. Wacey Hamilton added an empty-netter.

"The margin for victory is so tight. With our team especially, we dont score goals easily and we know that," Green said. "To get a goal or two on the power-play goes a long way."

Toronto (40-27-4-1), which had a seven-game win streak snapped, clinched a playoff spot for the sixth consecutive season with St. Johns loss. Garret Sparks had 19 saves and allowed two or fewer goals for the ninth consecutive game.

First period

The Marlies controlled early, but the Comets answered with the lone goal.

Utica took the lead on the teams second power play. Off a faceoff win, Colby Robak sent a Chad Billins pass from the left point through traffic to the net where LaBate redirected in his sixth of the season with 7:51 remaining.

The goal was the fourth time in the last five games the Comets scored on the power play.

"I thought we got some of the momentum once we got the goal," said Green, whose team had two big penalty kills one soon after the goal to limit the Marlies fourth-ranked power-play unit.

Second period

Utica extended its lead with another power-play goal in a back-and-forth frame.

With the Comets on a 5-on-3 advantage, Darren Archibald sent a short pass from the bottom of the right circle to Kunyk, who chipped in his 15th of the season from in front past a sprawling Sparks about seven minutes in. Alex Grenier had a nice cross-ice feed to help set up the goal.

"We were kind of in the wrong position," Kunyk said with a smile. "Arch made a heck of a pass to me. I was fortunate for it to go in."

Third period

The Marlies didnt go quietly, though. Toronto broke up the shutout with about seven minutes to play and the Comets killing a 5-on-3 advantage. Mike Sislos one-timer from the top of the left circle made it 2-1.

"They got some momentum and we hung tough," Green said.

Toronto continued to pressure the Comets had to kill another penalty after the goal -- and pulled Sparks with 1:49 remaining, but the Comets shut the door. Hamilton added his ninth of the season with 55 seconds left to seal the win.

Up next

The Comets play their penultimate road game of the season at 7 p.m. Saturday when they take on the Rochester Americans for the third time in nine days. The teams split a home-and-home series last weekend.

Notes: Fridays game was the Comets 90th consecutive sellout, though there were some unfilled seats throughout the Aud. The team has sold out 75 consecutive regular-season games. Brett McKenzie was released from his amateur try out contract Friday. McKenzie, who joined the Comets on March 22 after a strong juniors season, didnt appear in any games. Veteran forward Pascal Pelletier was a scratch Friday.

Comets 3, Marlies 1

Toronto 0 0 1 1

Utica 1 1 1 3

1st Period-1, Utica, LaBate 6 (Robak, Billins), 12:09 (PP). Penalties-Campbell Tor (holding), 8:37; Rychel Tor (tripping), 11:05; Sautner Uti (interference), 12:31; Archibald Uti (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:47.

2nd Period-2, Utica, Kunyk 15 (Archibald, Grenier), 7:02 (PP). Penalties-Pedan Uti (cross-checking), 4:37; Nielsen Tor (holding), 5:02; Griffith Tor (tripping), 6:16; Hamilton Uti (hooking), 13:44; Johnsson Tor (hooking), 14:40; Oleksy Tor (closing hand on puck), 19:40.

3rd Period-3, Toronto, Sislo 13 (Leipsic, Griffith), 6:52 (PP). 4, Utica, Hamilton 9 (Rendulic), 19:04 (EN). Penalties-Sautner Uti (hooking), 5:12; Cassels Uti (tripping), 6:00; Archibald Uti (tripping), 8:03.

Shots on Goal-Toronto 6-8-12-26. Utica 6-14-2-22.

Power Play Opportunities-Toronto 1 / 7; Utica 2 / 6.

Goalies-Toronto, Sparks 20-8-0 (21 shots-19 saves).

Utica, Demko 22-14-4 (26 shots-25 saves).

A-3,870

Referees-Cameron Voss (41), Chris Ciamaga (13). Linesmen-Tory Carissimo (54), Brian Oliver (74).

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Comets edge Marlies for big home win - Utica Observer Dispatch