Now or Never: Comets Know What's At Stake In Final Weeks Of Season

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - With 11 games left on their schedule and five points separating them from the playoff line, the Utica Comets know what's at stake, the Utica Comets know what's at stake in the final four weeks of the 2023-24 season.

"We know we need to pick up points in every game now," Comets forward Graeme Clarke told InsideAHLHockey.com over the weekend. "It's kind of the position we're in now."

Beginning with a pivotal matchup against Laval Wednesday night, who currently hold the final playoff spot in the North Division, the Comets have the perfect opportunity to climb back within reach of a spot in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.

"It's meaningful hockey right now until the end of the year," Clarke said after last Saturday's win against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. "Every single game up to the last one is probably going to add up for us, so I think it's playoff mode right now, and I think everyone realizes that."

Clarke has been leading by example for the Comets all season. An AHL All-Star this season, he's filling up the score sheet often - leading the team with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 59 games played entering Wednesday night's game against Laval.

"Those are the kind of goals he's been scoring. I think it's.. there's a skill set there," Comets head coach Kevin Dineen said of Clarke's ability to make high-end plays and be a dynamic player offensively. "We would still like him to shoot the puck more, but Graeme has certainly scored some real timely goals," he added.

He put that on display Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre, giving his team a huge lift early in the first period on the road - taking a pass with speed through the neutral zone before burying his 23rd of the season to get Utica off to a good start. The Comets were opportunistic on offense that night, and goaltender Akira Schmid was stellar in net - recording a 39-save shutout in what was a huge game for the goaltender that has bounced between leagues this season.

"It hasn't been an easy year for him, right?" Dineen said rhetorically. "It's really been a lot of emotional kind of decisions. You know, where he's been up in the lineup in Jersey quite a bit. So there's really been a lot of emotion for him, but we feel like over the past couple of weeks, he's just settled in and felt like, you know what, I'm just gonna take care of my business and showed that [Saturday]."

"[It makes a] huge difference," Dineen continued. "When you score that first one early, and that's all you need all night? You don't know that at the time, but you know."

At this time of the year, a hot goalie can make all the difference. And the Comets need to win by any means.