AMERKS COME UP SHORT TO B-SENS IN SHOOTOUT
Nov 12, 2022For the second straight game, the Rochester Americans (7-4-1-1) were unable to hold a third-period lead, conceding a late goal to the Belleville Senators (5-6-1-0) before ultimately falling in the shootout, 3-2, Saturday at CAA Arena.
It marked the fourth consecutive game between the two clubs that has gone beyond regulation and seventh of 10 contests dating back to the 2021-22 campaign, including both opening round matchups of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. It also marked Rochester’s first shootout contest since April 19 of last season.
Despite the shootout defeat, the Amerks show a 7-4-1-1 record through the first 13 games of the slate and have points in six of their last seven to remain in second place in the North Division with 16 points.
Forwards Brendan Warren and Aleksandr Kisakov both scored their second goals of the season in the second and third periods, respectively. Warren has tallied three points (2+1) over his last his five outings while Kisakov has goals in back-to-back games to go with an assist. Rookies Filip Cederqvist and Tyson Kozak each tallied an assist while Chase Priskie also earned his first assist as an Amerk.
Lukas Rousek and Kisakov each scored in the shootout while Jiri Kulich’s attempt was unsuccessful.
Goaltender Beck Warm (0-0-2) appeared in his second straight game since being recalled Friday evening from Cincinnati (ECHL), making 32 saves in his first start as an Amerk. In addition to the netminder recording his first professional point with an assist on Warren’s goal, he suffered his second consecutive defeat past regulation.
Defensemen Lassi Thompson and Kristians Rubins both got on the board for Belleville, which earned its second win of November. Goaltender Antoine Bibeau stopped 26 shots he faced to even his record to 2-2-0 on the season. It marked the netminder’s first win since Oct. 15.
Jake Lucchini, Egor Sokolov and Rourke Chartier all converted in the shootout while Bibeau stopped Kulich to preserve the win.
Entering the final period, the two clubs were deadlocked in a 1-1 tie with the Senators holding a 25-16 shot-advantage.
Nearly six minutes into the frame, Kozak scooped up a loose puck inside the left circle of Warm before he skated the length of the ice. As the rookie forward reached the top of the dot in Belleville’s zone, he soon became tied up along the boards.
A mass of bodies tried to the pry the puck out and moments later, Cederqvist gathered it and found a wide-open Kisakov atop the goalmouth. The rookie winger patiently outwaited Bibeau before roofing a shot to give the Amerks a 2-1 lead at the 5:54 mark of the period.
The two teams traded several chances over the course the period, and thanks to Rubins’ tally with just under five minutes left in regulation from the inside the left circle, the overtime period was required.
In the extra frame, the first four minutes were uneventful before Bibeau and Warm combined for five saves to keep the 2-2 score intact.
Belleville elected to shoot first in the shootout and the trio of Lucchini, Sokolov and Chartier bested Warm before Bibeau stopped Kulich to earn the victory after Rousek and Kisakov beat the netminder.
Following a scoreless opening period where the Amerks were outshot 15-6, the visitors needed just 18 seconds into the middle frame to kick start the offense.
As Warm made a save early in the stanza, the rebound promptly kicked to his right for Priskie. The blueliner gathered the puck and quickly sent a pass to Warren near the center ice logo. Warren raced through the neutral zone all alone and as he reached the top of the circles of Bibeau, he snapped a shot for his second of the campaign.
Midway through the frame, it seemed Rochester was about to double its cushion as Linus Weissbach had his own breakaway. The Swedish forward was unable to get a shot on goal as his stick was slashed, sending the Senators the other way.
Dillion Heatherington grabbed the puck in-between the face-off dots and pushed it ahead to Thompson. The latter carried it down the right wing and fired a shot past Warm at the 10:05 mark to even the score at one.
Both teams scored once more in the third period before Belleville recorded the extra point as all three skaters were successful in the shootout.
For the second time this month, the Amerks will host the Utica Comets in the front-end of a home-and-home series beginning on Friday, Nov. 18 at The Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start and will be carried live on 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Storyline Stripes:
Tonight’s contest was the second of eight meetings this season and the first between the two teams in Belleville since the Amerks eliminated the Senators in the play-in round of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs ... With tonight’s outcome, Rochester is 13-13-2 all-time against Belleville despite being outscored 100-95 through the first 28 meetings ... The Amerks did not take a penalty in tonight's game, marking the team’s first penalty-free game since Oct. 23, 2021 against the Toronto Marlies.
Goal Scorers
ROC: B. Warren (2), A. Kisakov (2)
BEL: L. Thomson (3), K. Rubins (2)
Goaltenders
ROC: B. Warm – 32/34 (OTL)
BEL: A. Bibeau – 25/27 (W)
Shots
ROC: 27
BEL: 35
Special Teams
ROC: PP (0/2) | PK (0/0)
BEL: PP (0/0) | PK (2/2)
Three Stars
1. BEL - R. Chartier
2. BEL - A. Bibeau
3. ROC - B. Warm