UTICA -- Colby Robak is near some milestones.

For the Utica Comets defenseman, the highlights are coming at work and in his personal life.

First, there are the ones on the ice for the 6-foot-3, 210-pound veteran with the friendly personality. If the 26-year-old Robak plays Friday against the Albany Devils – and there’s no indication he won’t be in the lineup as he’s been in the lineup in all 22 games since joining the Comets in early November – then Saturday’s game at Hershey will be his 400th career regular season in the American Hockey League.

It’s an achievement he realized he was closing in on last week as he was “cruising around the internet.” Robak, who has played for a total of five teams in the AHL, credits taking care of himself for helping reaching the mark.

“(Reaching 400 games) kind of makes you feel old,” said Robak, who has also played in 47 total National Hockey League games for Florida and Anaheim. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I’m having the time of my life. To wake up every morning and to go play hockey for a living is something I’d never complain about. It’s something I love doing. So, to know I’m at that milestone already, it makes you feel good.”

Robak, who describes himself as a two-way defenseman, has been steady presence on the blue line for the Comets since signing an AHL deal. Robak said he’s trying to pass along what he knows to a defensive corps that includes five players that are between 21 and 23 years old. Robak also has been a key member of the Comets’ power play and penalty kill units.

“I think things are going well (defensively as a team),” Robak said. “Guys are clicking. Guys are gelling.”

Comets coach Travis Green said Robak provides leadership, which recently showed up on his blue jersey at Utica Memorial Auditorium. Robak served as an assistant captain Friday in the team’s loss against St. John’s. It is a role Robak said he enjoys.

“He’s got a good demeanor,” Green said. “He works hard and he’s fitting in well. He’s been a good addition to our group.”

Robak has also found ways to contribute offensively. Before last weekend, the lefthanded Robak had totaled nine assists with the Comets.

On Saturday against Rochester, he scored a power-play goal worthy of the highlight reels. Starting behind the Comets’ net, Robak used his speed to weave his way down the ice past Rochester’s defense. He fired from the slot and the puck ricocheted off the left pipe and directly back to him. He promptly buried the rebound past Linus Ullmark without the puck touching the ice. It was a special goal for Robak, who had 35 career goals entering the season. It was his first goal since Dec. 19, 2015, when he was playing for Rochester.

“I’d have to say (it was a memorable goal), for sure,” said Robak, who has 148 career points in the AHL. “The monkey has been on my back for awhile, so throw one off is amazing. Hopefully, the confidence and whatnot keeps going.”

The other milestone for Robak is expected to arrive sometime in early February.

That’s when his wife, Colleen, is due to give birth to their son. He couldn’t be more excited to welcome his first child. Robak said they recently put in a car seat for the boy they plan to name Cayson. It’s a name Colleen found while perusing names on the website Pinterest, he said.

“Whether he comes out with skates on or not, it’s one of the most exciting things in our lives and we can’t wait,” Robak said with a big smile.

Comets attempt to reset

For the first time since mid-November, the Comets didn’t have a mid-week game this season.

It allowed the Comets – who are 0-4-4-1 during a nine-game stretch streak that started Dec. 9 -- to get some work in during the five days without a game.

Despite the tough stretch that has dropped the Comets (10-15-5-1 overall) to seventh and last place in the North Division, Green said the team is “good spirits.”

“I think we had a productive week,” said Green, whose team had a 10-game winless stretch to start the 2013-14 season. “We worked on things in our game that I think needed improvement. From a development standpoint, (the time off helped us) take a step back and refocus.”

The Comets play their first three-game-in-three-days this weekend beginning at 7 p.m. today when North Division rival Albany (20-13-0-1, 2nd in the North) visit the Aud. Utica plays its first game outside of New York state since Nov. 26 the Comets travel to Pennsylvania to play Hershey on Saturday and Lehigh Valley on Sunday afternoon.

Green said one of the focuses this week has been better execution in Comets’ game. The Comets have struggled offensively recently and have been outscored 33-19 in the last nine games. Utica is averaging 2.39 goals per game, which is fewest in the AHL. The Comets are allowing 3.19 per game, which is sixth most.

“We talked about whether you’ve won a bunch in a row or lost (consecutive games), nothing really changes at the end of the day,” Green said. “You shouldn’t be playing harder because you’ve lost. You shouldn’t be playing harder because you’ve won. If you want to have an identity, you just play hard every game.”

Players out

Just as the Comets appeared to be getting healthy, more players will miss time due to injuries.

Forwards Derek Hulak, Yan-Pavel Laplante and defenseman Tom Nilsson each missed practice Thursday. They are week-to-week with injuries, Green said.

Hulak, who has been limited to 17 games this season, hasn’t played since Dec. 3. The 27-year-old, who signed an AHL deal in the offseason, remains out with an upper-body injury.

The 21-year-old Laplante, who recently returned from a five-game stint with the Alaska Aces in the ECHL, has played in 13 games this season with the Comets. He played in both of the team’s games last weekend, earning his first assist of the season in the Comets’ 2-1 overtime loss on Friday.

Laplante, who is 6-foot, 185-pounds, helped fire up the Aud crowd in the second period Saturday after a spirited and extended fight with Rochester’s Brady Austin, who is 6-foot-4 and 234 pounds.

With Hulak and Laplante out, the Comets have 13 healthy forwards.

It has been a tough season for the Nilsson, who has missed a majority of the season due to various injuries. The 23-year-old from Sweden missed time earlier in the season with ankle injury. He returned for five games from Nov. 18 to Dec. 2 before having to sit out again with another injury. He played in both games last weekend.

With Nilsson out, the Comets have eight healthy defensemen. Though, Andrey Pedan, who was assigned to the Comets on Monday after an extended stint with Vancouver, has not played in a game since Dec. 14.