UTICA — Andreas Johnsson and Graeme Clarke both put up three-point nights with a goal each in the Utica Comets' 3-2 win over the Cleveland Monsters Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.

The game was the first home game the Comets finished this season — four days after the actual home opener was suspended with less than three minutes left in the second period after a power outage at the Aud.

Utica evened its record at 1-1-0-0 to open the season. Cleveland had won both of its first two games.

"It felt good," said Johnsson after the win in which he scored his first goal with Utica while playing in the American Hockey League for the first time since 2018. He said that though the team didn't get to finish the game Monday that it was leading 2-1, it was helpful to get the experience playing together. It did lead to "better timing, better speed, better passes," he said. And even against a good opponent Friday, the Comets were able to create chances close to the Cleveland net, he added.

"We're a four-line team working hard," Johnsson said. "We're going to score a lot of goals."

Johnsson got his goal with 9:48 left in the opening frame on the power play. He one-touched the puck past Monsters' goalie Jet Greaves on the doorstep off an initial entry by Clarke from the far side. Clarke and Reilly Walsh earned assists on the goal.

Cleveland knotted up the score 1:36 later when Kirill Marchenko took a long lead pass from David Jiricek and got loose for a semi-breakaway. He sent a backhanded shot over Akira Schmid to make it 1-1.

A familiar face to Comets fans gave the visitors their first lead. Almost right off the face-off after a Utica penalty, former Comet Brendan Gaunce took a cross-ice feed and snapped off a shot that found the back of the net. Emil Bemstrom and Jiricek earned helpers on the power-play tally.

The Comets scored both second period goals and led 3-2 after 40 minutes. First, it was Clarke who took a cross-ice pass from Tyce Thompson and made a quick move right in front of Graves to score. Johnsson also earned an assist on the goal that came 1:37 into the period.

Thompson got his own goal with 11:14 left in the period. He skated in on the Cleveland net at the right side and sent a wrist shot between Greaves and the post at a sharp angle. Johnsson and Clarke both collected their third point of the game with an assist each.

Schmid made 21 saves to earn the win in net.

The Comets were without several key contributors. Alternate captain Joe Gambardella and fellow forward Nolan Stevens were out of the lineup, as was defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk, who was injured in Saturday’s game. Captain Ryan Schmelzer has not made his season debut as he gets close to game shape following off-season shoulder surgery.

The team departed Utica right after the game. The Comets play at 7 p.m. Saturday on the road against the Providence Bruins. It is the first of six scheduled meetings between the teams.