COMETS LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST AMERKS
Nov 2, 2019UTICA COMETS (8-1-0-0) vs. ROCHESTER AMERICANS (6-3-1-1)
Adirondack Bank Center, 7 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #ROCvsUTI
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets host divisional rival Rochester Americans. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Last Game: Despite putting 34 shots on goal, the Utica Comets suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Providence Bruins Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. Michael DiPietro made 23 saves in the loss.
Head-to-Head: This is the second matchup between the Comets and Amerks this season. Utica won the first contest 7-1 last Saturday. The Comets are 20-12-3-2 in the last five seasons against Rochester.
Scouting the Americans: Rochester comes in with a record 6-3-1-1 and sits in third place in the North Division. They most recently topped the Binghamton Devils 4-2 last night. Tage Thompson leads the offense with nine points, followed by J.S. Dea with eight points. Andrew Hammond is the leading goaltender with a record of 4-1-1, a 3.34 goals-against average, and .875 save percentage.
Domination: The Comets have fared well at home against the Amerks in recent years. Utica is 12-4-2-1 in the last five seasons at the Adirondack Bank Center against Rochester. Additionally, they have picked up points in four of their last five games against the Amerks.
Just Killin’ It: The Comets penalty kill continues to be a bright spot. Utica has killed off 22 penalties in a row at home and 25 straight overall. The PK unit is tied for best in the league on home ice and second overall in the league at 94%.
Head Above Water: A pair of Comets rookies are among league leaders. Defensemen Josh Teves and Brogan Rafferty are tied for the league lead in plus/minus with a +11 each. The pair also lead all rookies in that category as well. Teves has an assist through nine games while Rafferty has five points (1-4-5) in nine games.
Spreading the Wealth: Part of the Comets’ early success can be contributed to their ability to get offense from anywhere in the lineup. All but five skaters who have played a game this season have recorded at least one point this year, with seven players having five or more points through nine games. Additionally, three players (Reid Boucher, Sven Baertschi, Nikolay Goldobin) have notched 10 or more points, led by Boucher with 13.
Next Game: The Comets return to the ice Wednesday night when they hit the road to take on the Binghamton Devils. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. Fans are encouraged to utilize the ticket exchange website, StubHub!. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHLTV.