GRIFFINS HIT THE ROAD FOR THREE NORTH DIVISION BATTLES

This Week’s Games
Wed., Jan. 14 GRIFFINS at Utica Comets 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., Jan. 16 GRIFFINS at Hamilton Bulldogs 7:30 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., Jan. 17 GRIFFINS at Hamilton Bulldogs 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Wed., Jan. 7 Charlotte Checkers 2 at GRIFFINS 3 OT 18-11-3-1, 40 pts. (T2nd, Midwest Division)
Fri., Jan. 9 Charlotte Checkers 2 at GRIFFINS 1 18-12-3-1, 40 pts. (T3rd)
Sat., Jan. 10 Chicago Wolves 1 at GRIFFINS 5 19-12-3-1, 42 pts. (3rd)

Clawing Up: Grand Rapids earned four of six possible points during its three-game week at home. On Wednesday, an overtime venture ended in a 3-2 victory for the Griffins over the Charlotte Checkers. Teemu Pulkkinen put away the Griffins’ second goal, the game-tying tally, to mark the eighth consecutive game in which he scored a goal. His streak now ties the Griffins’ franchise record previously set by Donald MacLean in the 2005-06 season. Landon Ferraro potted the overtime winner just 1:18 into the extra frame, which was his second game-winning goal in a row. The Griffins hosted a rematch with Charlotte on Friday, when former Griffin and Red Wing Andrej Nestrasil made his return to Van Andel Arena on a conditioning stint with the Checkers. Kevin Porter put home Grand Rapids’ only goal at 14:47 of the second period, and despite a 30-25 shot advantage, Charlotte’s Brendan Woods found the back of the net with 5:55 remaining in the contest to lead the Checkers to a 2-1 win. However, the Griffins bounced back on Saturday when the Chicago Wolves paid a visit to Grand Rapids in a crucial battle between two Midwest Division teams. Ferraro secured two goals and first-star honors, and goals from Andy Miele, Mitch Callahan and Brennan Evans put the Griffins on top, 5-2. This week, the Griffins will pay visits to the Utica Comets (Wed.) and Hamilton Bulldogs (Fri. and Sat.).

Recent Success: The Griffins are 9-2-1-1 in their last 13 home games, following a 0-4-1-0 start in friendly confines. Overall, they are 5-1-0-1 in their last seven, 7-2-0-1 in their last 10, 10-3-1-1 in their last 15, and 16-6-2-1 since Nov. 12.

All-Star Duo: Last Tuesday, Griffins defenseman Xavier Ouellet and right wing Teemu Pulkkinen were selected to play for the Western Conference AHL All-Star Team at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino, which will be held Jan. 25-26 at Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, N.Y. Former Griffins head coach Mike Stothers (2007-08), whose Manchester Monarchs sport the AHL’s second-best record at 25-8-3-1, will serve as a coach for the Eastern Conference all-stars.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen continues to lead the Griffins in scoring with 39 points (20-19—39) in 33 games and is currently on an eight-game point and goal streak. Last Thursday, Pulkkinen was recalled by Detroit and made his NHL season debut on Saturday, when he registered three shots on goal. Pulkkinen ranks third overall in scoring in the league and ties for first in goals. Center Andy Miele sits in second on the team with 32 points (12-20—32) in 32 games, while left wing Mitch Callahan ranks third (11-16—27). Right wing Chris Bruton (64) leads the team in penalty minutes and defenseman Brennan Evans (48) ranks second. Defenseman Alexey Marchenko registers the highest plus/minus rating on the team (plus-12), followed by Evans’ plus-10 rating.

The Midwest: The Midwest Division is as tight as it has been all season, with the Rockford IceHogs (21-12-4-1, 47 pts.) still atop the division. In second are the Milwaukee Admirals (19-12-2-3, 43 pts.), who are just one point ahead of the third-place Griffins (19-12-3-1, 42 pts.). The Chicago Wolves (18-14-4-0, 40 pts.), who fell to Grand Rapids 5-1 at Van Andel Arena on Saturday, sit in fourth place, and the Lake Erie Monsters (15-15-2-3, 35 pts.) rank fifth. The Griffins own the best record in the last 10 games of any team in the division (7-2-0-1).

On Tour: When the Griffins face off against the Utica Comets for the first time ever at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday, it will mark the 53rd arena and 45th city in which they’ve played since their 1996 inception (including Grand Rapids and Van Andel Arena).

Sturdy Coreau: Despite being tacked with a loss last Friday to the Charlotte Checkers, second-year Griffins goaltender Jared Coreau remains steadfast between the pipes. Friday’s loss was just his second regulation loss in nine appearances. This season, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound netminder owns a 6-2-1 record, alongside a 1.83 goals against average and a 0.938 save percentage. On Saturday, Tom McCollum was recalled by Detroit, which puts Coreau in the number-one goaltending role for Grand Rapids. Coreau’s 2014-15 campaign is a turnaround compared to his rookie season, when he registered a 4.03 GAA and a 1-12-6 record in 20 games with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye and a 4.39 GAA and a 0-4-0 record in five games with the Griffins.

Pulkkinen’s Shot: Griffins scoring leader Teemu Pulkkinen was recalled to Detroit on Jan. 8 after Johan Franzen was placed on injured reserve. A native of Vantaa, Finland, Pulkkinen made his NHL debut last season and played in three games with the Wings. This, however, marks his first recall this season. Pulkkinen made his NHL season debut on Jan. 10 at Washington in a 3-1 loss to the Capitals. He didn’t earn a point, but Pulkkinen popped off three shots and enjoyed 16:21 worth of ice time. Prior to his recall, the third-year Griffin was on an eight-game goal streak, which ties a Grand Rapids franchise record.

Ferraro on Fire: Fifth-year Griffin Landon Ferraro has been ablaze lately in terms of scoring. The Trail, British Columbia, native has scored five goals and an assist in his last four games, including game-winning goals in back-to-back games on Jan. 2 and Jan. 7. In Saturday’s 5-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves, Ferraro put away two goals and an assist to earn first-star honors. In 35 games this season, Ferraro has picked up 20 points (15-5—20), ranks second on the team in goals and ties for first in game-winning goals (4) along with Teemu Pulkkinen and Kevin Porter.

Don’t Be Blashful: With 107 wins (107-61-9-10) in his three seasons at Grand Rapids’ helm, Jeff Blashill is now two wins shy of tying Greg Ireland (109-65-8-10) for third place on the Griffins’ head coaching list, with No. 2 Danton Cole (116-72-16-3-1) lurking on the horizon. Curt Fraser (146-130-18-22) stands as the team’s all-time leader. Blashill, whose career 0.623 winning percentage is second to only Bruce Cassidy’s 0.642 (95-49-11-4) in franchise history, earned his 100th regular season win in his 176th game on Dec. 12, a 5-2 triumph at Oklahoma City. Only Ireland (167 games) and Cole (172) reached the century mark sooner.

Toledo Depth: The Griffins’ roster last week featured several skaters who have spent a majority of their season with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, including Martin Frk, Marek Tvrdon, Alden Hirschfeld, Tyler Barnes and Joel Chouinard. This season, Grand Rapids has also employed the services of Shane Berschbach and Kyle Bonis, who are both currently with Toledo. Both Barnes and Chouinard made their Griffins debuts in Wednesday’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Charlotte Checkers. Barnes, who was recently named the ECHL Rookie of the Month for December, is a Griffins-contracted forward, while Chouinard is with the team on a professional tryout. Barnes was assigned to Toledo on Sunday and Frk returned to the Walleye the next day.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (23-5-2-2, 50 pts.) hosted the Indy Fuel on Saturday, defeating the team 4-2. Forward Kyle Bonis notched the game-winning goal at 13:31 of the third period before Toledo earned an empty-net insurance tally to secure the final margin. Toledo ranks second in the North Division, five points behind the first-place Fort Wayne Komets (26-6-1-2, 55 pts.). The Walleye have three games in hand to the Komets and will head into a three-in-three on the road this weekend between South Carolina and Greenville.

McCollum Recalled: The Detroit Red Wings on Sunday recalled Tom McCollum from Grand Rapids. McCollum, 25, has played in 21 games for Grand Rapids this season, producing a 10-8-3 record, a 2.33 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage. The Cambria, N.Y., native is currently on a five-game winning streak with Grand Rapids, dating back to Dec. 27. Detroit’s first choice (30th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, McCollum has appeared in 180 career games with the Griffins since 2009-10 and has compiled a 79-75-13 record and a 2.87 GAA. In his 2013-14 campaign, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound netminder ranked fourth among AHL goaltenders with a 2.30 GAA, and he set career bests in games played (46), wins (24) and save percentage (0.922).

Frk Departs, Nagle Joins: The Detroit Red Wings on Monday reassigned right wing Martin Frk from the Griffins to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. In addition, the Griffins signed goaltender Pat Nagle to a professional tryout. Frk, 21, has scored one goal in eight contests with Grand Rapids this season. Detroit’s first choice (49th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Frk has spent a majority of this season with Toledo, where the forward ranks seventh on the team in scoring with 22 points (11-11—22) in 17 games. A native of Pelhrimov, Czech Republic, Frk earned 12 points (3-9—12) in 50 games with the Griffins and 13 points (5-8—13) in 15 games with the Walleye last season. Prior to turning pro, Frk spent three seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, where he registered 163 points (73-90—163) in 152 games with the club. In the 2012-13 season, he produced 84 points (35-49—84) in 56 regular season games for the Mooseheads en route to capturing the QMJHL’s President Cup and the CHL Memorial Cup. Nagle, 27, owns a 2.42 goals against average alongside a 0.910 save percentage and a 17-4-1 record in 22 games with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets this season. The Bloomfield, Mich., native has also appeared in one game with the Rochester Americans on Jan. 3, when he made 39 saves on 42 shots in a 4-0 loss to the Adirondack Flames. Before joining the professional ranks, Nagle spent four seasons at Ferris State University from 2007-11 and accumulated a 2.32 GAA and a 45-42-11 record.

Scouting Report

Wed., Jan. 14 at Utica Comets (23-8-5-0) – Utica Memorial Auditorium – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time/Season Series: 0-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Road. First of four meetings overall, first of two at Utica Memorial Auditorium. NHL Affiliation: Vancouver Canucks. Head Coach: Travis Green (2nd season). Notes: The Comets rank first in the North Division, second in the Western Conference and tie for fourth overall…Center Cal O’Reilly ranks first on the team in scoring with 30 points (4-26—30) in 36 games and he ties for second in the league in assists. Center Dustin Jeffrey (8-17—25) ranks second and right wing Brandon DeFazio (13-9—22) ranks third…Comets goaltender Jacob Markstrom ranks third in the league among goaltenders with a 1.84 goals against average. In addition, he owns an 11-2-1 record and a 0.937 save percentage…Utica is nearly perfect when scoring first, posting an 18-1-1 record when earning the opening goal…The Comets’ power play ranks 24th in the league (14.4%), but their penalty kill is much stronger with an 86.8% success rate (5th)…Utica limits its opponents to just 2.25 goals per game (4th)…While the Griffins won’t reach the midpoint of their season until Saturday, Wednesday’s game in Utica could be an early playoff preview. If the postseason started today, #2 Utica and #7 Grand Rapids would face off in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Fri, Jan. 16 at Hamilton Bulldogs (16-16-6-0) – FirstOntario Centre – 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 17 at Hamilton Bulldogs – FirstOntario Centre – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:05 p.m. (Fri.) and 6:35 p.m. (Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 38-33-1-0-4 Overall, 18-19-0-0-1 Road. Season Series: 0-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Road. First and second of four meetings overall, first and second of two at FirstOntario Centre. NHL Affiliation: Montreal Canadiens. Head Coach: Sylvain Lefebvre (3rd season). Notes: The Bulldogs rank fourth in the North Division, tie for 10th in the Western Conference and tie for 21st overall…Hamilton is in the midst of a seven-game home stand, the longest home stretch for the team this season...In their last 10 games, the Bulldogs own a 3-6-1-0 record…Rookie center Charles Hudon sits atop Hamilton’s leaderboard with 34 points (11-23—34) in 38 games, followed by center T.J. Hensick (9-21—30). Hudon ties for fifth overall in AHL scoring, five points behind Griffins right wing Teemu Pulkkinen…Former Grand Rapids goaltender Joey MacDonald has split service between the pipes for Hamilton this season with rookie Mike Condon. MacDonald, who played for the Griffins for parts of six seasons, owns a 2.96 GAA, a 6-7-3 record and a 0.902 save percentage…Hamilton’s power play ranks second-to-last in the league (12.0%) and its penalty kill ranks seventh (86.5%).

This Week’s Games
Wed., Jan. 14 GRIFFINS at Utica Comets 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., Jan. 16 GRIFFINS at Hamilton Bulldogs 7:30 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., Jan. 17 GRIFFINS at Hamilton Bulldogs 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Wed., Jan. 7 Charlotte Checkers 2 at GRIFFINS 3 OT 18-11-3-1, 40 pts. (T2nd, Midwest Division)
Fri., Jan. 9 Charlotte Checkers 2 at GRIFFINS 1 18-12-3-1, 40 pts. (T3rd)
Sat., Jan. 10 Chicago Wolves 1 at GRIFFINS 5 19-12-3-1, 42 pts. (3rd)

Clawing Up: Grand Rapids earned four of six possible points during its three-game week at home. On Wednesday, an overtime venture ended in a 3-2 victory for the Griffins over the Charlotte Checkers. Teemu Pulkkinen put away the Griffins’ second goal, the game-tying tally, to mark the eighth consecutive game in which he scored a goal. His streak now ties the Griffins’ franchise record previously set by Donald MacLean in the 2005-06 season. Landon Ferraro potted the overtime winner just 1:18 into the extra frame, which was his second game-winning goal in a row. The Griffins hosted a rematch with Charlotte on Friday, when former Griffin and Red Wing Andrej Nestrasil made his return to Van Andel Arena on a conditioning stint with the Checkers. Kevin Porter put home Grand Rapids’ only goal at 14:47 of the second period, and despite a 30-25 shot advantage, Charlotte’s Brendan Woods found the back of the net with 5:55 remaining in the contest to lead the Checkers to a 2-1 win. However, the Griffins bounced back on Saturday when the Chicago Wolves paid a visit to Grand Rapids in a crucial battle between two Midwest Division teams. Ferraro secured two goals and first-star honors, and goals from Andy Miele, Mitch Callahan and Brennan Evans put the Griffins on top, 5-2. This week, the Griffins will pay visits to the Utica Comets (Wed.) and Hamilton Bulldogs (Fri. and Sat.).

Recent Success: The Griffins are 9-2-1-1 in their last 13 home games, following a 0-4-1-0 start in friendly confines. Overall, they are 5-1-0-1 in their last seven, 7-2-0-1 in their last 10, 10-3-1-1 in their last 15, and 16-6-2-1 since Nov. 12.

All-Star Duo: Last Tuesday, Griffins defenseman Xavier Ouellet and right wing Teemu Pulkkinen were selected to play for the Western Conference AHL All-Star Team at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino, which will be held Jan. 25-26 at Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, N.Y. Former Griffins head coach Mike Stothers (2007-08), whose Manchester Monarchs sport the AHL’s second-best record at 25-8-3-1, will serve as a coach for the Eastern Conference all-stars.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen continues to lead the Griffins in scoring with 39 points (20-19—39) in 33 games and is currently on an eight-game point and goal streak. Last Thursday, Pulkkinen was recalled by Detroit and made his NHL season debut on Saturday, when he registered three shots on goal. Pulkkinen ranks third overall in scoring in the league and ties for first in goals. Center Andy Miele sits in second on the team with 32 points (12-20—32) in 32 games, while left wing Mitch Callahan ranks third (11-16—27). Right wing Chris Bruton (64) leads the team in penalty minutes and defenseman Brennan Evans (48) ranks second. Defenseman Alexey Marchenko registers the highest plus/minus rating on the team (plus-12), followed by Evans’ plus-10 rating.

The Midwest: The Midwest Division is as tight as it has been all season, with the Rockford IceHogs (21-12-4-1, 47 pts.) still atop the division. In second are the Milwaukee Admirals (19-12-2-3, 43 pts.), who are just one point ahead of the third-place Griffins (19-12-3-1, 42 pts.). The Chicago Wolves (18-14-4-0, 40 pts.), who fell to Grand Rapids 5-1 at Van Andel Arena on Saturday, sit in fourth place, and the Lake Erie Monsters (15-15-2-3, 35 pts.) rank fifth. The Griffins own the best record in the last 10 games of any team in the division (7-2-0-1).

On Tour: When the Griffins face off against the Utica Comets for the first time ever at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday, it will mark the 53rd arena and 45th city in which they’ve played since their 1996 inception (including Grand Rapids and Van Andel Arena).

Sturdy Coreau: Despite being tacked with a loss last Friday to the Charlotte Checkers, second-year Griffins goaltender Jared Coreau remains steadfast between the pipes. Friday’s loss was just his second regulation loss in nine appearances. This season, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound netminder owns a 6-2-1 record, alongside a 1.83 goals against average and a 0.938 save percentage. On Saturday, Tom McCollum was recalled by Detroit, which puts Coreau in the number-one goaltending role for Grand Rapids. Coreau’s 2014-15 campaign is a turnaround compared to his rookie season, when he registered a 4.03 GAA and a 1-12-6 record in 20 games with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye and a 4.39 GAA and a 0-4-0 record in five games with the Griffins.

Pulkkinen’s Shot: Griffins scoring leader Teemu Pulkkinen was recalled to Detroit on Jan. 8 after Johan Franzen was placed on injured reserve. A native of Vantaa, Finland, Pulkkinen made his NHL debut last season and played in three games with the Wings. This, however, marks his first recall this season. Pulkkinen made his NHL season debut on Jan. 10 at Washington in a 3-1 loss to the Capitals. He didn’t earn a point, but Pulkkinen popped off three shots and enjoyed 16:21 worth of ice time. Prior to his recall, the third-year Griffin was on an eight-game goal streak, which ties a Grand Rapids franchise record.

Ferraro on Fire: Fifth-year Griffin Landon Ferraro has been ablaze lately in terms of scoring. The Trail, British Columbia, native has scored five goals and an assist in his last four games, including game-winning goals in back-to-back games on Jan. 2 and Jan. 7. In Saturday’s 5-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves, Ferraro put away two goals and an assist to earn first-star honors. In 35 games this season, Ferraro has picked up 20 points (15-5—20), ranks second on the team in goals and ties for first in game-winning goals (4) along with Teemu Pulkkinen and Kevin Porter.

Don’t Be Blashful: With 107 wins (107-61-9-10) in his three seasons at Grand Rapids’ helm, Jeff Blashill is now two wins shy of tying Greg Ireland (109-65-8-10) for third place on the Griffins’ head coaching list, with No. 2 Danton Cole (116-72-16-3-1) lurking on the horizon. Curt Fraser (146-130-18-22) stands as the team’s all-time leader. Blashill, whose career 0.623 winning percentage is second to only Bruce Cassidy’s 0.642 (95-49-11-4) in franchise history, earned his 100th regular season win in his 176th game on Dec. 12, a 5-2 triumph at Oklahoma City. Only Ireland (167 games) and Cole (172) reached the century mark sooner.

Toledo Depth: The Griffins’ roster last week featured several skaters who have spent a majority of their season with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, including Martin Frk, Marek Tvrdon, Alden Hirschfeld, Tyler Barnes and Joel Chouinard. This season, Grand Rapids has also employed the services of Shane Berschbach and Kyle Bonis, who are both currently with Toledo. Both Barnes and Chouinard made their Griffins debuts in Wednesday’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Charlotte Checkers. Barnes, who was recently named the ECHL Rookie of the Month for December, is a Griffins-contracted forward, while Chouinard is with the team on a professional tryout. Barnes was assigned to Toledo on Sunday and Frk returned to the Walleye the next day.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (23-5-2-2, 50 pts.) hosted the Indy Fuel on Saturday, defeating the team 4-2. Forward Kyle Bonis notched the game-winning goal at 13:31 of the third period before Toledo earned an empty-net insurance tally to secure the final margin. Toledo ranks second in the North Division, five points behind the first-place Fort Wayne Komets (26-6-1-2, 55 pts.). The Walleye have three games in hand to the Komets and will head into a three-in-three on the road this weekend between South Carolina and Greenville.

McCollum Recalled: The Detroit Red Wings on Sunday recalled Tom McCollum from Grand Rapids. McCollum, 25, has played in 21 games for Grand Rapids this season, producing a 10-8-3 record, a 2.33 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage. The Cambria, N.Y., native is currently on a five-game winning streak with Grand Rapids, dating back to Dec. 27. Detroit’s first choice (30th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, McCollum has appeared in 180 career games with the Griffins since 2009-10 and has compiled a 79-75-13 record and a 2.87 GAA. In his 2013-14 campaign, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound netminder ranked fourth among AHL goaltenders with a 2.30 GAA, and he set career bests in games played (46), wins (24) and save percentage (0.922).

Frk Departs, Nagle Joins: The Detroit Red Wings on Monday reassigned right wing Martin Frk from the Griffins to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. In addition, the Griffins signed goaltender Pat Nagle to a professional tryout. Frk, 21, has scored one goal in eight contests with Grand Rapids this season. Detroit’s first choice (49th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Frk has spent a majority of this season with Toledo, where the forward ranks seventh on the team in scoring with 22 points (11-11—22) in 17 games. A native of Pelhrimov, Czech Republic, Frk earned 12 points (3-9—12) in 50 games with the Griffins and 13 points (5-8—13) in 15 games with the Walleye last season. Prior to turning pro, Frk spent three seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, where he registered 163 points (73-90—163) in 152 games with the club. In the 2012-13 season, he produced 84 points (35-49—84) in 56 regular season games for the Mooseheads en route to capturing the QMJHL’s President Cup and the CHL Memorial Cup. Nagle, 27, owns a 2.42 goals against average alongside a 0.910 save percentage and a 17-4-1 record in 22 games with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets this season. The Bloomfield, Mich., native has also appeared in one game with the Rochester Americans on Jan. 3, when he made 39 saves on 42 shots in a 4-0 loss to the Adirondack Flames. Before joining the professional ranks, Nagle spent four seasons at Ferris State University from 2007-11 and accumulated a 2.32 GAA and a 45-42-11 record.

Scouting Report

Wed., Jan. 14 at Utica Comets (23-8-5-0) – Utica Memorial Auditorium – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time/Season Series: 0-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Road. First of four meetings overall, first of two at Utica Memorial Auditorium. NHL Affiliation: Vancouver Canucks. Head Coach: Travis Green (2nd season). Notes: The Comets rank first in the North Division, second in the Western Conference and tie for fourth overall…Center Cal O’Reilly ranks first on the team in scoring with 30 points (4-26—30) in 36 games and he ties for second in the league in assists. Center Dustin Jeffrey (8-17—25) ranks second and right wing Brandon DeFazio (13-9—22) ranks third…Comets goaltender Jacob Markstrom ranks third in the league among goaltenders with a 1.84 goals against average. In addition, he owns an 11-2-1 record and a 0.937 save percentage…Utica is nearly perfect when scoring first, posting an 18-1-1 record when earning the opening goal…The Comets’ power play ranks 24th in the league (14.4%), but their penalty kill is much stronger with an 86.8% success rate (5th)…Utica limits its opponents to just 2.25 goals per game (4th)…While the Griffins won’t reach the midpoint of their season until Saturday, Wednesday’s game in Utica could be an early playoff preview. If the postseason started today, #2 Utica and #7 Grand Rapids would face off in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Fri, Jan. 16 at Hamilton Bulldogs (16-16-6-0) – FirstOntario Centre – 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 17 at Hamilton Bulldogs – FirstOntario Centre – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:05 p.m. (Fri.) and 6:35 p.m. (Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 38-33-1-0-4 Overall, 18-19-0-0-1 Road. Season Series: 0-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Road. First and second of four meetings overall, first and second of two at FirstOntario Centre. NHL Affiliation: Montreal Canadiens. Head Coach: Sylvain Lefebvre (3rd season). Notes: The Bulldogs rank fourth in the North Division, tie for 10th in the Western Conference and tie for 21st overall…Hamilton is in the midst of a seven-game home stand, the longest home stretch for the team this season...In their last 10 games, the Bulldogs own a 3-6-1-0 record…Rookie center Charles Hudon sits atop Hamilton’s leaderboard with 34 points (11-23—34) in 38 games, followed by center T.J. Hensick (9-21—30). Hudon ties for fifth overall in AHL scoring, five points behind Griffins right wing Teemu Pulkkinen…Former Grand Rapids goaltender Joey MacDonald has split service between the pipes for Hamilton this season with rookie Mike Condon. MacDonald, who played for the Griffins for parts of six seasons, owns a 2.96 GAA, a 6-7-3 record and a 0.902 save percentage…Hamilton’s power play ranks second-to-last in the league (12.0%) and its penalty kill ranks seventh (86.5%).