UTICA HEADS NORTH OF THE BORDER FOR FIRST ROAD GAME OF THE SEASON
Oct 13, 2018UTICA COMETS (1-2-0-0) vs. TORONTO MARLIES (1-2-0-0)
Coca Cola Coliseum, 4 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #UTIvsTOR
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets head north of the border for the first time this season to take on the Toronto Marlies. Puck drop is at 4 p.m.
Last Game: Reid Boucher struck twice and Adam Gaudette scored his first career goal but it wasn’t enough as the Comets were topped 4-3 by the Charlotte Checkers Friday night. Richard Bachman made 27 saves in the loss.
Head-to-Head: This is the second meeting between the North Division rivals this season. Toronto won the first matchup 7-3 last Friday. Utica is 16-18-3-2 all-time against the Marlies.
Scouting the Marlies: The Marlies come in to tonight with a 1-2-0-0 record and sit in sixth place in the North Division. Sam Gagner leads the offense with five points, followed by Chris Mueller and Calle Rosen with four points each. Kasimir Kaskisuo is the leading netminder with a 1-1-0 record, a 4.17 goals-against average, and a .886 save percentage.
Saddle Up: The Comets hit the road for the first time this season. Utica was a tough team to beat on the road last season, finishing with a record of 21-12-4-1, good for seventh in the league. Additionally, they outscored opponents 104-101 on the road last season.
Measuring Stick: This afternoon’s matchup will be an early measuring stick for the Comets. The Marlies have scored 15 goals through their first three games, but have also surrendered 15 goals. Expect a lot of offense in this one.
Road Warrior: If you think Reid Boucher has been dominant at home, he’s even better on the road. Boucher led the Comets in road points last season, collecting 28 (14-14-28) points away from home, including a hat trick and four-point night. The veteran forward is riding a three-game point streak heading into the night and leads the league in goals with five.
The First of Many: Rookie Adam Gaudette scored his first professional goal in last night’s loss. Gaudette made a beautiful toe-drag move around a defender and fired a shot past Charlotte netminder Alex Nedeljkovic. Last year’s Hobey Baker Award winner scored 30 goals and 30 assists in 38 games at Northeastern University.
Next Game: The Comets and Marlies wrap up their weekend set tomorrow afternoon at Coca Cola Coliseum. Puck drop is at 4 p.m. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on the NHL Network.