COMETS GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH AMERKS
Feb 26, 2020UTICA COMETS (29-20-3-2) vs. ROCHESTER AMERICANS (30-17-4-4)
Blue Cross Arena, 7:05 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #UTIvsROC
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets hit the road to take on the Rochester Americans. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m.
Last Game: Justin Bailey scored twice, Sven Baertschi had three points, and Michael DiPietro made 30 saves as the Utica Comets defeated the Belleville Senators by a 6-3 margin on Friday night at CAA Arena. Baertschi, Seamus Malone, Carter Camper, and Kole Lind were the other goal scorers for Utica.
Head-to-Head: This is the seventh meeting between Utica and Rochester this season. The two teams have split the season series with three wins apiece, with Rochester winning the most recent contest 3-2 last Sunday. The two teams have scored 19 goals each through six games.
Scouting the Americans: Rochester comes in with a record of 30-17-4-4 and sits in second place in the North Division. They most recently fell to the Cleveland Monsters 3-2 in overtime this past Saturday. J.S. Dea leads the offense with 36 points, followed by Zach Redmond with 30 points. Andrew Hammond is the top goaltender with a record of 14-11-2, a 2.57 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage.
Coming In Hot: Justin Bailey returned from his stint in Vancouver and made an immediate impact. Bailey netted two goals and an assist last Friday, bringing his point streak to eight games. He has picked up 16 points (10-6-16) during his streak. The forward has a career-high 43 points (26-17-43) in 46 games this season.
Riff Raff: Brogan Rafferty is on the verge of breaking a Comets record. Rafferty is tied for the Comets team record for points by a defenseman in a single season. He shares the record with Bobby Sanguinetti. The rookie blue liner has 40 points (6-34-40) in 50 games this year.
Stevie Wonder: John Stevens continues to make a big impact for the Comets. Stevens has points in back-to-back games and has four points (2-2-4) in his last six games. He also scored the last time out against Rochester. The forward has 12 points (6-6-12) in 33 games split between the Comets and Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season.
Breaking Out: Sven Baertschi has quietly been playing well lately. Baertschi has four points (1-3-4) in his last two games and seven points (2-5-7) in his last six games after going without a point in five games prior. He also has eight points (2-6-8) in four games against the Amerks this year. The veteran has 39 points (10-29-39) in 37 games.
Next Game: The Comets return home Friday night to square off against the Toronto Marlies. 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.