Game Preview: Monsters at Comets 10/21
In 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 “The Gambler”, AHLTV, and the Monsters Hockey Network.
MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 5-4 home shootout win over the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, the Cleveland Monsters enter today’s game at 2-0-0-0 on the season. With four standings points, the Monsters currently rank second in the North Division standings and tied for second in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by RW Kirill Marchenko (3-1-4), RW Trey Fix-Wolansky (1-3-4), and RW Emil Bemstrom (2-1-3).
COMETS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 1-3 road loss to the Hershey Bears on Saturday and a Monday home game vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins that was suspended in the second period, the Utica Comets enter today’s game at 0-1-0-0 on the season. With zero standings points, the Comets currently rank seventh in the North Division standings and 14th in the Eastern Conference. Utica is currently led in scoring by RW Brian Pinho (1-1-2), C Nick Hutchinson (1-0-1), and D Robbie Russo (1-0-1).
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Friday marks the first of eight games 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:
| 30 Pavel Cajan | OVERALL | -- |
| LAST APP | -- | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | -- | |
| 73 Jet Greaves | OVERALL | 2 GP, (2-0-0), 0 SO, 4.16 GAA, .870 S% |
| LAST APP | (32/36) in 5-4 SOW vs SYR 10/15/22 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | -- |
COMETS GOALTENDERS:
| 50 Nico Davis | OVERALL | 1 GP, (0-0-0), 0 SO, 1.61 GAA, .950 S% |
| LAST APP. | (19/20) in 37:17 of sus. gm. vs WBS 10/17/22 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME | 1 GP, (0-0-0), 0 SO, 1.61 GAA, .950 S% | |
| 93 Akira Schmid | OVERALL | 1 GP, (0-1-0), 0 SO, 2.05 GAA, .909 S% |
| LAST APP. | (20/22) in 1-3 L at HER 10/15/22 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME | -- |
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- FIX IS FIRING: Dating back to the final four games of the 2021-22 season, Monsters RW Trey Fix-Wolansky has points in each of his last six AHL appearances (3-6-9).
- WALKING WOUNDED: With Cleveland missing three players up front due to injury (LW Tyler Angle, LW Brett Gallant, and RW Robbie Payne) for Friday’s game in Utica, Monsters forward Tyler Irvine is poised to make his Monsters debut while returning Cleveland forward Jake Gaudet has been medically cleared from an upper-body injury and is traveling with the Monsters on the team’s season-long six-game road trip.
- SIZZLING START: Following back-to-back home shootout wins over Syracuse in the first two tilts of the 2022-23 campaign, the Monsters are out to a 2-0-0-0 start for the sixth time in the club’s 16-year AHL history and sit a Friday road win in Utica away from matching the best start ever for the franchise (3-0-0-0 in 2018-19).
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