Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Viper Alumni Zalewski Scores Game Winner To Give Comets Series Lead:

Former Vernon Vipers forward Mike Zalewski scored the game winner
Monday early in the 3rd period giving his Utica Comets a 3-2 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons in Game 3 of the American Hockey League Western Conference Semifinals.  Former Viper Twins Connor & Kellen Jones (2006-2010) play for the Barons.  Game 4 goes tonight.

Zalewski is in his first season with the Comets attended the Vancouver Canucks Prospects development camp in early July, was also at the Canucks Training camp this year got into some exhibition games with the Canucks before being sent down to the American Hockey League. In 55 regular season games with Utica Zalewski picked up (3-goals-9-assists-12-points).

Zalewski left his third year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) last season signing with the Canucks on March 17th 2014. Zalewski skated in his first NHL practice with the Canucks on March 21, 2014 before making his NHL debut on Saturday April 12 2014 in a 5-2 loss in Edmonton. Zalewski picked up his first career NHL point (assist) in a 5-1 win over the visiting Calgary Flames the following night. Zalewski played two season's in Vernon (2010-2012) In 106 regular season games with the Vipers Zalewski collected (50-goals-54-assists-104-points).

Mike Zalewski's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=60363

This is posted on the AHL website:

Comets hang on to beat Barons in Game 3

May 11, 2015

Mike Zalewski’s goal early in the third period was the difference as Utica defeated host Oklahoma City, 3-2, in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series at the Cox Convention Center on Monday night.

The Comets have a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday.
Coming off a split of a pair of overtime games to open the series, Utica grabbed the early lead 1:20 into Game 3 as Sven Baertschi found Alex Friesen in close and Friesen knocked the puck home for his first goal of the playoffs.

Alexandre Grenier was left alone in front and tucked a shot past Richard Bachman for his second goal of the postseason at 12:35 of the first, giving the Comets the first two-goal lead by either team in the series.

Andrew Miller brought the Barons back to within 2-1, firing a shot top-shelf from between the hashmarks at 15:10, a shorthanded goal scored just moments after a Utica power play had begun.

The score remained unchanged until the 3:08 mark of the third period, when a wide-open Joshua Winquist put home his second goal of the playoffs from the top of the crease, pulling the Barons even at 2-2. The goal was Oklahoma City’s first power-play marker in 11 tries during the series.

Utica responded quickly, however, and regained the lead at 4:50 as Zalewski got a piece of Alex Biega’s shot and deflected it past Bachman for his first career playoff goal.

Markstrom (5-3) made 20 saves in the win; Bachman (3-2) stopped 25 shots in defeat.

Western Conference Semifinals – Series “K” (best-of-7)

1-Utica Comets vs. 6-Oklahoma City Barons

Game 1 – Thu., May 7 – Oklahoma City 2, UTICA 1 (4OT)
Game 2 – Fri., May 8 – UTICA 2, Oklahoma City 1 (OT)
Game 3 – Mon., May 11 – Utica 3, OKLAHOMA CITY 2
Game 4 – Wed., May 13 – Utica at Oklahoma City, 8:00
Game 5 – Thu., May 14 – Utica at Oklahoma City, 8:00
*Game 6 – Mon., May 18 – Oklahoma City at Utica, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., May 20 – Oklahoma City at Utica, 7:00

*if necessary... All times Eastern

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