COMETS RETURN HOME TO HOST MARLIES
Dec 11, 2019UTICA COMETS (14-8-1-2) vs. TORONTO MARLIES (17-4-2-1)
Adirondack Bank Center, 7 p.m.
Watch Live: AHLTV | Listen Live: 94.9 K-ROCK
Follow and Interact Live: Twitter | Hashtag: #TORvsUTI
Tonight’s Game: The Utica Comets take on the Toronto Marlies. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Last Game: Brogan Rafferty had four points and the Utica Comets scored four unanswered goals in the third period on their way to a 6-3 come-from-behind win against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Monday night at Webster Bank Arena. Kole Lind scored twice, while Rafferty, Lukas Jasek and Justin Bailey chipped in with goals as well. Zane McIntyre made 28 saves to earn the win.
Head to Head: This is the third of four contests between the North Division rivals this season. The two teams have split the season series so far, with Toronto winning the most recent matchup 5-3 back on December 1. Brogan Rafferty and Adam Brooks are tied for the series lead with four points apiece.
Scouting the Marlies: Toronto comes in with a record of 17-4-2-1 and sits in first place in the North Division. They most recently topped the San Antonio Rampage 4-1 this past Sunday. Pontus Aberg leads the offense with 24 points, followed by Kenny Agostino with 22. Kasimir Kaskisuo is the top netminder with a record of 9-1-1, a 2.18 goals-against average, and a .925 save percentage.
Showing Out: Brogan Rafferty is in the midst of a fantastic first professional season. Rafferty has picked up nine points in his last six games, including a four-point night Monday night. He also ranks second in the league in points as a defenseman and is fifth among rookies in points this year. Overall, the rookie defenseman has 20 points (3-17-20) in 25 games this season.
Rack ‘Em Up: Reid Boucher just keeps racking up points. Boucher is riding a seven-game point streak, collecting 11 points (4-7-11). He has also racked up four multi-point games during his streak and is three goals away from breaking the Comets team record for career goals scored. The veteran forward ranks second in the AHL with 29 points (17-12-29) in 20 games this year
High Powered: The Comets power play keeps cruising along. Utica went 3-6 on the power play last night, bringing their streak to 12 consecutive games with a power play goal. They’ve gone 19-56 (33.9%) during that stretch. Additionally, the Comets have five games with more than one power play goals during that time span. Utica’s power play ranks fourth in the league at 24.5%.
Lighting It Up: Justin Bailey has been on a torrid scoring run lately. Bailey has scored a goal in five straight games, four of which have come on the power play. Overall, the forward has 16 points (9-7-16) in 25 games this year.
Next Game: The Comets return to the ice Friday night when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. 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.