GAME PREVIEW: DECEMBER STARTS WITH AMERKS HOSTING LOWLY COMETS – Rochester Individuals

5 issues to know as Rochester closes out three-game homestand in opposition to Utica
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
 
The ultimate month of the 2025 calendar 12 months begins with the Rochester Individuals (12-9-0-0) seeking to finish their three-game homestand on a successful observe in opposition to the Utica Comets (2-12-2-1) Wednesday evening at Blue Cross Enviornment.
 
Listed below are 5 issues to know earlier than the Comets make their first journey to the Flower Metropolis this season.
 
 
November concluded in dramatic trend for the Amerks final Friday evening because the crew rallied for a 4-3 win over the intrastate rival Syracuse Crunch.
 
With lower than 4 minutes left within the third interval, Carson Meyer cruised towards the entrance of the aim to redirect some extent shot taken by Vsevolod Komarov for a tying conversion that made it 3-3. Late within the body, Komarov once more shot a puck that was knocked down in entrance, solely this time it could be fellow defenseman Zac Jones pinching in after a unfastened puck to poke it underneath the legs of the Crunch goaltender with 14 seconds remaining in regulation, nabbing the Amerks a 4-3 lead that they might maintain onto in entrance of seven,349 followers at Blue Cross Enviornment.
 
After Syracuse left empty-handed in its post-Thanksgiving journey to Rochester, the crew feasted on Utica the subsequent evening, topping the Comets by a 5-3 last. Regardless of the loss, Utica trumped Syracuse in pictures, dictating the majority of play with a 40-21 shot differential. Effort apart, the Comets enter Rochester having dropped eight consecutive video games, displaying an 0-6-1-1 mark over that span.
 
 
Black Friday noticed Noah Laaouan money in on his first AHL aim, scoring to tie the sport with Syracuse late within the second interval. Laaouan’s aim got here in his 20^th AHL sport, having performed 13 with the Amerks this season. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native has spent the vast majority of his first 4 skilled seasons within the ECHL, having skated in seven AHL video games previous to this season break up between Rochester and Tucson.
 
Laaouan has registered a minimum of a shot on aim in 9 of his final 10 video games. The 24-year-old has a aim and two assists for 3 factors this season. A 12 months in the past with Rochester’s affiliate in Jacksonville, Laaouan led the crew’s blueline in scoring with eight objectives and 44 factors.  
 
 
Will probably be a change in tempo for the Amerks after taking part in a dozen video games in November. Each final month and January will see Rochester play a season high-12 occasions, whereas December and February fare lighter with 9 outings every month.
 
5 of Rochester’s 9 tilts within the month will come on residence ice and 6 of the 9 general video games are going through North Division opponents. The Amerks hit the street following Wednesday to enterprise south to Charlotte for 2 video games, then to Belleville subsequent Wednesday earlier than returning residence Dec. 13 to drop the puck on a four-game homestand.
 
Utica visits Rochester each tonight and two weeks any further Dec. 17. The ultimate video games of 2025 come through a home-and-home sequence for the Amerks in opposition to Cleveland Dec. 27 at residence and Dec. 29 within the Buckeye State.
 
 
Tonight is assembly three of 10 on the season sequence and the primary of 5 residence video games the Amerks will host Utica this season. The Amerks have dominated the Comets over the past 4 seasons, thwarting Utica with a 27-7-1-1 mark, which features a 16-2-0-1 report on the street for the reason that begin of the 2022-23 season. Rochester has outscored Utica 129-100 over that very same span, and after the second interval alone, the Amerks have dismantled the Comets by a 58-39 margin.
 
The Amerks have received 16 of the final 18 video games on the street in opposition to the Comets, together with a pair of wins within the earlier conferences with Utica this season, topping the Comets 7-4 on Oct. 17, whereas hanging on for a 4-3 win lower than two weeks in the past on Nov. 22 at Adirondack Financial institution Heart.
 
Goaltender Devon Levi posted an ideal 5-0-0 in 5 appearances versus the Comets in 2024-25 whereas displaying a 2.62 goals-against-average and a .908 save share. In his profession in opposition to Utica since becoming a member of the Amerks through the 2023-24 slate, the third-year netminder has a 10-0-0 mark, a .921 save share and a 2.56 goals-against-average.
 
 
It’s been back-to-back seasons now of the struggling Comets popping out the beginning gates able that’s troublesome to make up floor for.
 
New Jersey’s AHL affiliate had gone winless by its first 13 video games a season in the past, and this 12 months the crew has simply two victories over 17 tries. Comet scoring is at an alarmingly low price, changing for lower than two objectives a sport on common with 32 in 17 contests. Their objectives for are fewest within the league, whereas their power-play is on the backside of the Japanese Convention at 12.1%.
 
Xavier Father or mother is the one Comet to have double-digit level totals at 10 (5+5). This features a pair of objectives and three factors in opposition to Rochester this season. Even with the crew’s struggles, the fourth-year professional has amassed factors in 4 of his final 5 video games.
 
Nico Daws has gotten the majority of the workload in aim, showing in 11 video games this season. Over the past three seasons, Daws’ AHL report is 15-33-6, although the 24-year-old has been rewarded for his efforts sporadically all through his years within the Devils’ group, taking the crease for 53 video games within the NHL.
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