COMETS HOST LAVAL FOR FIRST OF TWO WEDNESDAY
Feb 2, 2022AHL Rookie of the Month: The American Hockey League announced today that Utica Comets forward, Alexander Holtz, is the league’s Rookie of the Month for January.
Holtz notched five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 10 games for the league-leading Comets during January.
After beginning the month in the NHL with the parent New Jersey Devils, Holtz returned to the Utica lineup on Jan. 7 and recorded a goal and two assists in a 6-5 shootout victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He scored a goal on Jan. 19 at Laval and again on Jan. 21 at Syracuse before his two-goal game helped the Comets to a 6-3 win over Syracuse on Jan. 22. Holtz assisted on the winning goal in a 4-0 victory over Providence on Jan. 25, and extended his scoring streak to eight games with another assist on Jan. 28 vs. Charlotte.
A first-round choice (seventh overall) by New Jersey in the 2020 NHL Draft, Holtz has tallied 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 21 games for Utica this season. He made his NHL debut with the Devils on Nov. 5, 2021, and has notched two assists in seven NHL contests. The 20-year-old native of Stockholm, Sweden, played for Djurgardens IF in the Swedish Hockey League before signing an entry-level contract with New Jersey on Apr. 19, 2021.
Previously on Comets Hockey: The Utica Comets ended a three-game in three-day weekend with a victory over the Cleveland Monsters by a 3-2 score on the strength of Joe Gambardella’s three-point night as well as 37 saves from Mareks Mitens.
The Comets power-play went to work in the first period and after a faceoff win and a one-timer by Robbie Russo resulted in a rebound in front of Monsters netminder Cam Johnson, AJ Greer took the puck and sent it past the sprawling goalie for a 1-0 lead. The goal at 12:45 was Greer’s fifth of the season. The Comets left the first period with the advantage.
During the middle frame, the Comets extended their lead after defenseman Kevin Bahl’s point shot sailed through the traffic and into the net at 1:24. It was Bahl’s first of the season and put the Comets up 2-0. But it was the Monsters that roared right back with a goal just 43 seconds later after a slapshot by Billy Sweezey beat Mitens. Later in the period, Mitens made a glorious diving glove save before the puck could go into a wide-open net. Yet, the Monsters power-play tied the game at 11:06 after Kevin Stenlund deflected the Liam Foudy shot into the Comets goal. The game was suddenly tied at 2-2 and that’s how it would end after forty minutes of hockey.
In the final period of regulation, Joe Gambardella scored a shorthanded breakaway goal at 4:15 as he lifted a backhander over the netminder and the Comets led the game once again, 3-2. With brilliant saves by Mitens to end the game, the Comets skated away with the victory.
Comets Leading Scorers: The team’s leading scorer heading into the week is Chase DeLeo who has registered 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 26 games played. Following him is Fabian Zetterlund with a team leading 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 31 games played. Reilly Walsh leads all d-men in scoring with five goals and 21 assists for 26 points in 34 games. Tyler Wotherspoon leads the team in plus/minus with a +21 rating but is off the represent Team Canada at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.
The Standings: The Comets remain atop the North Division with 34 games played and 24 victories. Holding a record of 25-5-5 gives Utica 55 points which is 10 points ahead of the next team, the Rochester Americans. The Americans have played two more games that Utica as of today. The Comets winning percentage of .786 ranks them at the very top of the entire league. In their last 10 games played, the Comets are 6-2-2.