40 SAVES HELP CARRY FLAMES PAST COMETS 3-2

Utica, NY – The Adirondack Flames kept their playoff hopes alive as they defeated the rival Utica Comets by a 3-2 final at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Adirondack netminder Doug Carr stole the show for the Flames with 40 saves from 42 shots, a career high for the UMass-Lowell product in the AHL. Pat Sieloff, Mathieu Tousignant and Turner Elson each found the back of the net for the Flames, who won for the second time in three games to remain in the hunt for a playoff berth in the Western Conference.

The Comets were the team to strike first this evening, as Alexandre Grenier capitalized on a Flames turnover in their own slot and beat Doug Carr with a wrist shot to make it 1-0. A Utica forecheck with the man advantage jarred the puck into the middle, where Grenier capitalized for his 16th of the season. The goal, which was unassisted, came at the 5:25 mark of the opening period.

Adirondack would knot the score at one just 3:11 into the second period, as Pat Sieloff buried his second goal of the season with a wrist shot from the left point. With Utica netminder Joe Cannata screened by a gluttony of players, Sieloff’s seeing eye shot from the point snuck through to tie the score. The goal was assisted by Sena Acolatse, his 13th helper of the 2014-15 campaign.

The Flames picked up their first lead of the evening nearly halfway through the third period as Mathieu Tousignant beat Cannata with a short side wrist shot to make it 2-1 for Adirondack. The gritty Flames center, who wore an “A” on his chest for the first time this season, took a feed from teammate Taylor Vause and put a shot past Cannata for his fifth goal of the season.

The Flames added an insurance tally as Turner Elson put the puck into the empty net with less than a minute to play in the third. Brant Harris used his speed to elude the defense down the right wing, slid the puck to Elson, who tapped it into the empty net for his 15th goal of the season.

The Comets, however, would not go away as Cory Conacher beat Carr from the right hand circle with 25.3 seconds left in the third. Conacher collected a loose puck in the right hand circle and beat Carr high to the blocker side to cut the Adirondack lead to 3-2. The tally was Conacher’s tenth goal of the season.

Adirondack returns home tomorrow evening, for a matchup against the Lake Erie Monsters on United Way Night at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Visit the Flames box office, call 518-480-3355, or order online at glensfallscc.com to be a part of Saturday Night is Hockey Night in Glens Falls.

Adirondack Flames Hockey • Fired Up ​