COMETS, DEVILS SQUARE OFF IN NORTH DIVISION TILT
Dec 14, 2018Adirondack Bank Center, 7 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #BNGvsUTI
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets do battle with the Binghamton Devils. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Last Game: Social media sensation Colton Saucerman energized the Utica Comets as they defeated the Providence Bruins 5-2 Wednesday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. Reid Boucher scored twice and Thatcher Demko stopped 31 shots in the win. It was the Comets’ fourth straight win on home ice.
Head-to-Head: This is the fourth meeting between the North Division rivals this season. Binghamton leads the season series 2-1-0-0, but Utica won the most recent contest 7-4 last Saturday. The Comets have been outscored 13-10through three games this years.
Scouting the Devils: Binghamton comes in with a record of 11-14-3-0 and sits in seventh place in the North Division. They most recently beat the Rochester Americans 5-1 Wednesday night. John Quenneville and Marian Studenic lead the way offensively with 19 points apiece. Mackenzie Blackwood is the top netminder with a 6-6-1 record, a 2.59 goals-against average, and .917 save percentage.
Heating Up: The Comets have been firing on all cylinders. Utica is riding a three-game winning streak and has won seven of their last 10 games. Additionally, the Comets have won four straight games on home ice. They have also scored five or more goals in four of the last five games.
Get Sauced: Colton Saucerman became a social media sensation overnight after signing a PTO on Monday. He followed up Wednesday night in his first game as a Comet by scoring his first AHL goal on his first shot of the game, sending the Utica crowd into a frenzy. Saucerman has six points (1-5-6) in 18 career AHL games.
Rolling: Reid Boucher has been humming along offensively. Boucher is currently on a seven-game point streak. The forward has collected 11 points (5-6-11) during his streak with three multi-point games. Boucher has also tallied at least one point in all but one game he’s played in this year. He leads the Comets with 24 points (14-10-24) in 17 games this season.
Big Impact: Speaking of point streaks, Darren Archibald has been on fire since returning from his stint in his Vancouver. Archibald is riding a five-game point streak heading into tonight’s game and has points in five of his seven games since his return. The veteran forward has 11 points (7-4-11) in 15 games with the Comets this year.
Next Game: The Comets hit the road to face the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday afternoon. Puck drop at the Bojangles Coliseum is at 1 p.m. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL TV.