The Utica Comets earned a crucial win against the team at the bottom of the North Division standings Wednesday on the road. The 4-1 victory over the Belleville Senators was Utica's third win in a row.

The Comets have won all four games against Belleville this season. The victory allowed the team to keep pace with the Syracuse Crunch, who also won on Wednesday. The Comets moved three points ahead of the fourth-place Rochester Americans, as the Amerks lost Wednesday.

The Senators took the first lead of the game but it wouldn't last. Cole Reinhardt drove the net and got a shot off. The initial save took Utica goalie Nico Daws away from the net and Roby Jarventie came in to grab the rebound and fire it into goal for a 1-0 lead for the hosts just under two minutes into the game.

With just over eight minutes left in the first, Brian Halonen tied the game. He took a centering pass from Nolan Foote and whipped a shot off the post and past goalie Dylan Ferguson to make it 1-1. It was his 12th goal of the season. With the call-up of Graeme Clarke to the New Jersey Devils a few days ago, the goal put Halonen in a tie for second in goals for active Comets.

Jack Dugan gave the Comets their first lead of the game 1:22 into the second frame. His initial breakaway attempt was denied but when the puck came back to him near the side boards he sent another shot at Ferguson that found its mark for his 10th tally of the season. Sam Laberge and Tyler Wotherspoon each earned an assist.

Less than four minutes later, Halonen scored his second of the game, this time on the power play. He rifled a one-timer from the left faceoff circle to make it 3-1. Dugan and Robbie Russo collected assists.

With just over five minutes left in regulation, Aarne Talvitie scored to pad the lead. After going the first 38 games of the season without a goal, he scored his second in consecutive games. Recent call-up Xavier Parent earned his first assist of the season in the AHL, as did Timur Ibragimov, making his Comets' debut after being involved in a trade between the Devils and San Jose Sharks.

Daws earned the win with a 25-save performance, silencing the Senators' offense after yielding the game's opening goal.

When the Comets come home to host the Charlotte Checkers at 7 p.m. Friday, it will be after two weeks without a home game.

The Comets improve to 26-20-5-2 on the season.