Game Preview: Monsters at Comets 12/10
Dec 10, 2021In the first of eight meetings between the two teams this season, the Cleveland Monsters, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, drop the puck vs. the Utica Comets, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, on Friday with full coverage, live from Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY, underway at 7:00 pm on FOX Sports 1350 AM “The Gambler”, AHLTV and the Monsters Hockey Network.
MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following an 8-3 road win over the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday, the Cleveland Monsters enter tonight’s game at 10-6-2-3 on the season. With a .595 points percentage, the Monsters currently rank third in the North Division standings and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by D Jake Christiansen (5-13-18), C Brendan Gaunce (7-9-16), and LW Adam Helewka (5-10-15).
COMETS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 3-4 road overtime loss to the Rochester Americans on Wednesday, the Utica Comets enter tonight’s game at 16-1-2-0 on the season. With a .895 points percentage, the Comets currently rank first in the North Division standings and first in the Eastern Conference. Utica is currently led in scoring by D Reilly Walsh (4-11-15), C Chase De Leo (3-12-15), and C Nate Schnarr (5-8-13).
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Friday marks the first of eight meetings between the Monsters and Comets this season and the first of four games between the two clubs at Adirondack Bank Center this year.
MONSTERS GOALTENDERS:
| 31 Jet Greaves | OVERALL | 3 GP, (1-1-0), 0 SO, 2.36 GAA, .933 S% |
| LAST APP. | (33/38) in 4-5 L vs MIL 12/4/21 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | 1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 1.00 GAA, .976 S% | |
| 35 Jean-Francois Berube | OVERALL | 10 GP, (4-3-3), 1 SO, 2.80 GAA, .912 S% |
| LAST APP. | (32/35) in 8-3 W at SYR 12/8/21 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | 6 GP, (3-1-2), 1 SO, 2.25 GAA, .929 S% | |
| 40 Daniil Tarasov | OVERALL | 9 GP, (5-2-2), 0 SO, 2.96 GAA, .897 S% |
| LAST APP. | (35/36) in 5-1 W vs TOR 11/26/21 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | 4 GP, (2-0-2), 0 SO, 3.37 GAA, .894 S% |
COMETS GOALTENDERS:
| 34 Mareks Mitens | OVERALL | -- |
| LAST APP. | -- | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME | -- | |
| 35 Nico Daws | OVERALL | 10 GP, (8-1-0), 0 SO, 2.15 GAA, .926 S% |
| LAST APP. | (17/19) in first 46:57 of 3-4 OTL at ROC 12/8/21 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME | 5 GP, (5-1-0), 1 SO, 1.84 GAA, .935 S% | |
| 93 Akira Schmid | OVERALL | 10 GP, (8-0-2), 2 SO, 1.60 GAA, .944 S% |
| LAST APP. | (7/9) in 17:20 of relief in 3-4 OTL at ROC 12/8/21 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME | 4 GP, (4-0-0), 1 SO, 1.48 GAA, .946 S% |
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- ROAD WARRIORS: The Monsters are currently in the midst of a three-game road point streak (2-0-1-0), the AHL’s fourth-longest such active streak. All told this season, Cleveland is 6-1-2-2 away from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
- HELEWKA’S HEROICS: Cleveland LW Adam Helewka notched his first AHL hat trick on Wednesday in a four-point performance that helped the Monsters claim an 8-3 road win over Syracuse. In his last five appearances, Helewka is scoring at a better than point per game pace (4-4-8).
- DYNAMIC DEFENSEMAN: Monsters D Jake Christiansen ranks in the AHL’s top three among blue-liners in points (18, 2nd), goals (5, T1st), assists (13, 3rd), and shots on goal (62, 1st) so far this season.