COMETS HOST BRUINS FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON
Dec 12, 2018UTICA COMETS (12-13-1-1) vs. PROVIDENCE BRUINS (11-10-4-0)
Adirondack Bank Center, 7 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #PROvsUTI
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets take on the Providence Bruins. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Last Game: Seven goals from seven different players helped pace the Utica Comets to a 7-4 victory over the Binghamton Devils on Saturday night at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. Utica jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period and never looked back. Richard Bachman made 19 saves in the win.
Head-to-Head: This is the first meeting between Utica and Providence this season. The Bruins swept last year’s series, winning all four games. All four games were decided by two goals or less, with three of the four games needing overtime or a shootout. The Comets are 4-3-2-1 all-time against the Bruins.
Scouting the Bruins: Providence comes in with a record of 11-10-4-0 and sits in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. They most recently fell 3-2 to the Belleville Senators this past Saturday. Ryan Fitzgerald leads the active roster with 21 points, followed by Cameron Hughes with 16 points. Dan Vladar is the top goaltender with a record of 5-5-1, a 2.47 goals-against average, and .910 save percentage.
Eruption: The Comets offense has exploded over the last four games. Utica has scored five or more goals in three of their last four game and 12 goals in their last two games, bringing their season average up to 3.11 goals per game. Utica has outscored opponents 19-15 during that span.
Red Hot: Jonathan Dahlen is on fire and is showing no signs of slowing up. Dahlen is riding a three-game point streak and has four points (4-0-4) in those three games. The rookie forward has 17 points (7-10-17) in 26 games this year.
Mr. Consistent: Zack MacEwen has been churning out points over the last three weeks. MacEwen has eight points in his last eight games, including a two-point night in his last outing. The second year forward has already topped his career high in goals this season and is 12 points shy of tying his career best. MacEwen has 21 points (11-10-21) in 27 games this year.
Power Surge: The Comets power play is humming along. Utica has scored at least one power play goal in back-to-back games and has six power play goals over their last four games, including a 3-6 performance back on December 1. The Comets’ fourth ranked power play will have a tough challenge tonight as they battle Providence’s top ranked penalty kill.
Next Game: The Comets are back at it Friday night against the Binghamton Devils. Puck drop at the Adirondack Bank Center is at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to use the ticket exchange site, StubHub!. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL TV.