Three straight wins get Eriksson Player of the Week nod

The Utica Comets haven’t looked basement dwellers this past week.

Vancouver’s top affiliate put together four straight wins, getting back some of the ground they lost after dropping six straight before the current win streak.

In the streak, goaltender Joacim Erikkson had had a shutout and overtime victory, and things are looking up for the Comets.

Eriksson is in his first season in North America after signing with the Canucks in the summer. In 24 games for the Comets this year, Eriksson has posted an 11-11-1 record with three shutouts, a .911 SV%, and 2.63 GAA.

The 23-year-old Eriksson, a Gavle, Sweden native, got the call in one NHL game this season when he suited up on Jan. 15 against the Anaheim Ducks. In 36 minutes of work, Eriksson stopped 25 shots and allowed six goals.

Eriksson should get the call again on Tuesday as the Comets look to extend their win streak to five when they host the Lake Erie Monsters.

Advertisement

Canucks ink vet Prospal to PTO, Utica bound

The Vancouver Canucks have inked 16-year NHL veteran Vinny Prospal to a pro tryout contract.

Dan Murphy broke the story late last night, saying the 38-year-old Prospal had been practicing with the Utica Comets earlier in the day. Prospal, who hasn’t suited up in an AHL contest since the 1996-97 season when he was a member of the Philadelphia Phantoms, had gone unsigned to this point.

Last season, as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Prospal appeared in 48 games and helped bolster the offensive attack with 30 points (12-18). At 38, any speed Prospal may have once had is all but gone, but the wily veteran should still be a contributor while getting back into game shape with the Comets.

Cancuks GM Mike Gillis commented on the possibility of Prospal making the move to the Canucks lineup after a brief stint in Utica, saying that, “with the injuries (the Canucks have), there may be an opportunity for him.” Gillis added that Prospal will likely need eight to ten games to get up to speed before the Canucks consider bringing him in.

An AHL first-team all-star back when he was a member of the Phantoms, Prospal has appeared in over 1100 games in the NHL, and is chasing down 800 career points, just 35 shy of the mark. If things work out for Prospal in Vancouver, and he parlays the shot with the Canucks to a deal in Vancouver or elsewhere at season’s end, he could have a shot at reaching the milestone before his career comes to a close.

The Comets currently sit at last in the Western Conference, just two points away from the league’s basement with a 13-20-2-3 record in 38 games this season. Utica will head to Abbotsford this weekend to take on the Heat.