[Video] Utica Comets Get First-Ever Win

It's Official!  The monkey is off their back.

The Utica Comets finally won their first-ever AHL regular season game on Friday night at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, with a 3-2 win over the Lake Erie Monsters.

The win snaps a 10-game losing streak for the newly created Comets and gives Utica, NY their first AHL victory in 5,718 days.  The last Utica win in the AHL was on April 9, 1993 as the Utica Devils defeated the Baltimore Skipjacks, 6-3.

The Monsters scored first as Comets goaltender Eriksson made the save on the
initial shot from Paul Carey, but the rebound was directed right to Mikael
Tam, who put the puck in the net. Brad Malone would pick up the
second assist. The Monsters goal marked the ninth time in eleven games that
the Comets have allowed the opening goal.

Utica would come right back to tie the game just a few minutes later,  at the 16:17 mark of the first. Brandon DeFazio would begin the scoring play, side stepping a Monsters
defender, and firing a shot on goal. Mallet would get two whacks at it, with
the second finding the back of the net to tie the game at one. The Mallet
goal was his first career AHL goal. Kellan Lain picked up the secondary
assist.

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Just a few minutes later, the Comets would strike again, this time a
power-play goal to take the lead. Grenier fired a puck on net that rattled
around Monsters defender's legs before it fell onto the stick of David
Booth. Booth slid the puck across the crease to Mullen who was camped-out at
the back door, and Mullen would not be denied The goal would give the Comets
their first road lead in franchise history.

The Monsters accounted for all the scoring in the second period, with a goal
at the 8:25 mark. An Agozzino shot from the point resulted in a mad scramble
in front of the net, and ended with Monsters captain Bryan Lerg knocking
home the tying goal.

In what turned out to be a thrilling third period filled with back and forth
action and plenty of Comets pressure, Stuart buried the historic Comets
goal. Deep in the Monster zone, Zach Hamill found Colin Stuart at the top of
the circle. From there, Stuart would not miss, as he rifled a shot that beat
Pickard high and to the glove side. Niklas Jensen picked up an assist on the
play, his first as a Comet.

The Comets play their first game outside the Country tomorrow afternoon with a 3 o'clock game in Hamilton.

Video courtesy of SendToNews and the Lake Erie Monsters