Submitted. The Abbotsford Heat won 5-4 in overtime against the Utica Comets on Wednesday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Heat are now 5-4-0-1 at the ten game mark and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference.
Photo By Lindsay A. Mogle/Utica Comets
The game was high scoring as both teams scored three unanswered goals apiece at some point during regulation play. The Heat matched their highest output in goals scored in a single game this season with five and won their second overtime game of the year as Corban Knight was the hero. Knight has now scored goals in three straight games for the Heat.
Roman Horak opened the scoring 1:16 into the game with the assists to Byron and Arsene. The Comets tied it on a power play goal from Frank Corrado at 3:45 and then received back to back goals from Ben Ferriero and Brandon DeFazio and took a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Joni Ortio came in relief of Berra to start the second period and the move sparked the Heat as Mark Cundari scored his first goal of the season assisted by Knight and Byron. The Heat fired 15 shots on Eriksson in the period, while Ortio stopped all 13 he faced.
In the third period, the Heat tied the game at the 6:58 mark on a power play goal from Chad Billins with the assists to Hanowski and Reinhart. The Heat took the lead with 3:46 left on Markus Granlund’s first career AHL goal assisted by Olson and Hanowski. However, the lead did not last long as Patrick Mullen scored the game tying goal at the 17:48 mark to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Corban Knight would score the winner at the 3:30 mark assisted by Jones and Ramage to seal the victory in favour of the Heat.
In the power play department, the Heat were one out of three, while killing off two of three penalties.
Joni Ortio was the winning goaltender as he turned away 17 of 18 shots, while Joacim Eriksson was charged the loss as he stopped 35 of 40.
The Heat and Comets will play again on Friday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium at 4:00 PM PST. The Heat’s next home game will be against the San Antonio Rampage (AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers) on November 5th and 6th and the Toronto Marlies (AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) on November 9th and 10th. Saturday November 9th will feature an appearance by NHL Hall of Famer Mike Bossy, who will be available for autographs before the game on the AESC concourse at 5:30 PM. For tickets please call 1-877-452 HEAT (4328) or visit us online at www.abbotsfordheat.com.