Marlies Skate Past Comets 5-2

The North Division leading Toronto Marlies stayed hot, earning a fifth straight win in knocking off the Utica Comets 5-2 at the Adirondack Bank Center on Wednesday night.

For Utica, it marked their fifth loss in six games - and the fourth time during that span in which they've allowed five goals in defeat.

Toronto's Miro Aaltonen beat the Comets' defense with his skates, and then goalie Thatcher Demko with his stick as he opened the scoring with under a minute remaining in the first.

Utica tied it with a shorthanded goal 6:14 into the second, when the Comets used a turnover to create a 3-1 on break - cashed in by Patrick Wiercioch. But the Marlies would score the next four goals on the night, including a pair from Justin Holl.

Reid Boucher lit the lamp for the Comets with five seconds remaining in regulation for the last score in a 5-2 final. Garret Sparks stopped 28 of 30 in net for the Marlies. Thatcher Demko stopped 35 of 40.

The Comets (6-9-0-1) play two at the Laval Rockets this weekend - 7:30 on Friday night and 3:00 on Saturday afternoon.