Zack MacEwen ended the weekend set with one goal and three assists to lead the Comets in scoring. He continues to display soft hands when he has the puck but still willing to dish out the bone rattling hits when he doesn't. His combination of speed, physicality, and underrated offensive abilities continue to stand out.
He continues to be the net-front presence on the powerplay, causing havoc in front, and forcing opponents to dedicate resources to moving his body out of there. This allows his teammates the time and space to create chances. MacEwen's lone tally of the season came on the man advantage.
Olli Juolevi and Jalen Chatfield were paired together for both of the games this past weekend and were particularly strong from the get go. Both players displayed their knack for puck control and making that good first pass out of the zone.
Both of the defenders have been reading off each other quite well. One will jump up, with the other covering and then the next foray up the zone, the roles are switched. It's only a couple of games but the early returns are encouraging on this pairing.
Through two games, Juolevi leads all Comets defencemen with six shots on goal and was regularly setting up his teammates for shots. Juolevi picked up his first AHL point with an assist on Zack MacEwen's goal against the Senators.
Reid Boucher continues to show that he isn't afraid to hammer the puck and has been rewarded early in the season. With three goals on nine shots, Boucher leads the Comets in both categories.
Despite being held off the score sheet this weekend, Adam Gaudette was noticeable in all three zones. He is using his speed and tenacious work ethic to create chances in the offensive zone and break-up other team's attacks in the defensive zone. He had a couple of good chances over the weekend and if he continues to play the way he did, he should start to get some points soon enough. Gaudette has seven shots on goal through two games, which is an encouraging sign.
Jonathan Dahlen picked up two assists over the weekend, which included a fantastic pass from behind the net to setup Brendan Gaunce for his first goal of the season. The Swedish winger was noticeable throughout both games, exploiting gaps in coverage for himself and finding his open teammates for passes. Dahlen also continues to be relentless on the puck on the forecheck, forcing opponents to make quick decisions, and if it's the wrong one, Dahlen is there to take it away and create opportunities.
Kole Lind was dressed for the season opener against the Marlies, registering one shot on goal. Petrus Palmu was inserted into the lineup for the game against the Senators and finished the contest with two shots on goal.
Thatcher Demko did not dress for either game over the weekend as he continues to recover from an injury suffered in training camp with the Canucks. Same goes for Guillaume Brisebois, as he did not appear in either game and is currently day-to-day with an injury.
You can't take too much away from two games, but it is encouraging to see that the aforementioned players are playing quite a bit for the Comets and making an impact. As the season goes along, the roles will change and players should be given an opportunity to seize the chance in front of them.
The Comets have a three games in three nights this weekend with a Friday night contest at home against the Charlotte Checkers and then head to Toronto for games on Saturday and Sunday against the Marlies.
