COMETS OPEN UP FIVE-GAME HOMESTAND AGAINST PHANTOMS
Jan 10, 2020UTICA COMETS (21-12-2-2) vs. LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS (13-18-1-4)
Adirondack Bank Center, 7 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #LVvsUTI
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets return home to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Last Game: The Utica Comets fell behind 2-0 before taking control of the game and reeling off three unanswered goals on their way to a 3-2 win over the Belleville Senators on Wednesday night at CAA Arena. Nikolay Goldobin scored twice while Justin Bailey added the other goal. Zane McIntyre made 25 saves to earn the win.
Head-to-Head: This is the second contest between the Comets and Phantoms this season. Utica won the first matchup 4-2 back on December 28. The Comets are 6-7-0-0 in the last five years against Lehigh Valley.
Scouting the Phantoms: Lehigh Valley comes in with a record of 13-18-1-4 and sits in seventh place in the Atlantic Division. They most recently beat the Toronto Marlies 4-2 on Sunday. Greg Carey leads the offense with 18 points, followed by Cal O’Reilly with 15 points. Alex Lyon is the leading netminder with a record of 8-11-2, a 2.60 goals-against average, and a .914 save percentage.
Home Sweet Home: The Comets open up a five-game homestand with tonight’s game. Utica has picked up at least one point in three of their last four home games, scoring at least three goals in three of the four as well. The Comets are 9-7-2-1 at home this season.
Justin-Credible: Justin Bailey continues to pick up points. Bailey has collected seven points (4-3-7) in his last seven games and is two assists matching his assist total and four points from tying his point total from last season. The forward has 24 points (13-11-24) in 36 games this season.
Droppin’ Dimes: Brogan Rafferty has been racking up the assists this year. Rafferty earned two helpers Wednesday night to stretch his team lead to 27. He ranks fourth in the AHL in assists, second among rookies in points, and leads all defensemen with 32 points (5-27-32) in 37 games this year.
Finding His Stride: Lukas Jasek is quietly having a strong season. Jasek has five points (2-3-5) in his last six games and has already matched his goal total from last season. He is also 12 points and assists shy of matching his career best in both of those categories. Overall, Jasek has 17 points (9-8-17) in 36 games.
Next Game: The Comets are back at it tomorrow night at home against the Belleville Senators. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available at the Box Office, over the phone by calling (315) 790-9070, or online at www.empirestatetix.com. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHLTV.