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What started as a promising homestand against top-flight opponents ended Monday in mediocrity for the Albany Devils.
The book closed on a four-game, six-day stretch at Times Union Center at 2-2 after the Devils lost 3-2 to the Utica Comets, who entered the game in next-to-last place in the North Division.
"I just said to them, there are no easy games left," Devils coach Rick Kowalsky said. "You can't look at the standings. I don't necessarily think this group did, but we've played a lot of hockey lately and we've had a lot of hard-fought games, but we've got to find a way to identify in-game when we need to change things, or realize that maybe not our best effort, let's find a way to maybe grind it out."
The Devils began their homestand Wednesday with a 6-1 romp over North Division-leading Syracuse, then followed two nights later with a 4-0 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the No. 1 overall team in the American Hockey League.
They finished with a 3-2 loss Saturday afternoon against Bridgeport, which has won 15 of its past 16, but then followed with a poor matinee performance against the Comets, who had never beaten the Devils in regulation before this season. Utica has now done it four times.
"I could smell that coming," Kowalsky said. "I didn't like our game. It wasn't tight enough. Our habits weren't sharp enough. The details of our game weren't there. We got away with it for two periods."
COMETS 3, DEVILS 2
Utica 0 1 2 — 3
Albany 1 1 0 — 2
First period — 1, Albany, Camper 5 (Straka, Jacobs), 16:53. Penalties—Stollery, Alb (high-sticking), 7:53; Pedan, Uti, minor-major (checking to the head, fighting), 10:13; Quenneville, Alb, major (fighting), 10:13; Gibbons, Alb (cross-checking), 14:43; Thomson, Alb (tripping), 18:27.
Second period — 2, Utica, Rendulic 8 (Roy, Pelletier), 8:04. 3, Albany, Kujawinski 4 (Rooney), 8:25. Penalties—Robak, Uti (high-sticking), 5:34; Lappin, Alb (slashing), 13:36; Pelletier, Uti (slashing), 15:50.
Third period — 4, Utica, Archibald 16 (Cassels), 4:24 (sh). 5, Utica, Subban 12 (McEneny), 13:23 (pp). Penalties—Sexton, Alb (slashing), 1:14; Bancks, Uti (slashing), 3:34; Cassels, Uti (high-sticking), 9:42; MacWilliam, Alb (boarding), 12:01; Shields Uti (tripping), 13:52.
Shots on goal — Utica 14-12-9—35. Albany 8-16-11—35.
Power-play opportunities — Utica 1 of 6; Albany 0 of 6.
Goalies — Utica, Bachman 12-11-2 (35 shots-33 saves). Albany, Blackwood 11-8-2 (35-32). T—2:20. A—2,469.
Jordan Subban, a younger brother of Nashville Predators all-star P.K. Subban, snapped a tie with 6:37 left, firing a slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle to beat Albany rookie goalie Mackenzie Blackwood.
The Devils entered the third period with a 2-1 lead and were 20-2-1 previously when ahead going into the final 20 minutes.
Darren Archibald began the comeback 4:24 into the third, the ninth short-handed goal Albany has allowed this season, tied for most in the AHL, after surrendering a league-low one last season.
"That generally happens when they (Albany's power-play unit) extend their shift and they're out there too long," Kowalsky said. "The penalty-killers are fresh, and they end up winning races and get to pucks first."
Before Subban's goal, which came on a power play, the Devils never trailed. Carter Camper took a pass from Petr Straka and scored in the first period.
Borna Rendulic tied the game in the second period, but Ryan Kujawinski regained Albany's lead 21 seconds later, converting Kevin Rooney's pass from the top of the slot.
The Devils now don't return home until March 17, covering six games. The road excursion begins Friday night with the first of two games at St. John's.
"It puts more pressure on us to be good on the road," Kowalsky said. "Our game has been better on the road as of late, and overall for the most part has been (13-13-1 on the season). There's no question we left points on the table because we did have an opportunity to correct ourselves with a lead and basically just win a period, and we didn't.
"We have a tough stretch ahead, but there are going to be no easy games. We're going against an opponent that's right below us in the standings and working their way up the ladder. It's going to continue to get tougher. We have to make sure mentally and physically we're in the right place and ready to play."
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