Despite coming back from a two-goal deficit, the Rochester Americans (6-3-0-1) fell 3-2 in their second shootout effort of the season to the Utica Comets (6-2-0-1) Wednesday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.
Rochester has collected at least one point in 22 of the last 31 games against Utica dating back to the start of the 2017-18 campaign, going 16-9-2-4 over that span.
Forward Jack Quinn (1+0) scored his first professional goal late in the second period to ignite the comeback and defenseman Griffin Luce (0+1) recorded his first point as an Amerk – and first in the American Hockey League – with an assist on Rochester’s game-tying goal. Arttu Ruotsalainen (0+1) extended his point streak to four games with an assist and Brett Murray(0+1) found himself on the scoresheet for the sixth game this year with a helper as well.
Rookie goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (5-2-1), who made his fifth straight and seventh in the last eight games for Rochester, finished with 35 saves in the loss.
The Comets early tallies came from Jonah Gadjovich (1+0) and Hugh McCing (1+0) to put the hosts up 2-0 in the first. Josh Teves (0+1), Mitch Eliot (0+1) and Lukas Jasek (0+1) all added assists on the night to help push Utica past Rochester. Gadjovich now has eight goals in nine games this season, including six against the Amerks.
Jake Kielly (3-1-0) earned his first start of the season against Rochester, stopping 32 of 34 shots he faced.
