AMERKS DROP WEEKEND FINALE IN OVERTIME TO BRIDGEPORT
Mar 27, 2022Forwards Arttu Ruotsalainen (1+2) and Brett Murray (0+3) each recorded three points Sunday afternoon against the Bridgeport Islanders (27-25-6-4), but the Rochester Americans (30-24-5-3) suffered a heart-breaking 6-5 overtime loss at The Blue Cross Arena.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | FINAL |
| Bridgeport | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -- | 6 |
| Rochester | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -- | 5 |
Despite the overtime loss, Rochester’s second of the weekend that went beyond regulation, the club extended its home point streak to four games, going 2-0-1-1 over that span. It was also the second straight game this season against Bridgeport, who rallied back from a pair of two-goal deficits, that ended in overtime as the Amerks fell to 7-1-2-0 in their last 10 meetings versus the Islanders dating back to the 2017-18 season.
Ruotsalainen turned in his 11th multi-point effort in the last 37 games as he’s tallied 40 points (16+24) since the turn of the New Year. Murray registered his second three-assist outing of the season while Mark Jankowski (1+1) scored a goal and added an assist in the first period. Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, and Linus Weissbach all lit the lamp in the contest, the Amerks’ third of the weekend.
Ethan Prow, Michael Mersch and Josh Teves each were credited with an assist while goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (10-11-4) made 40 saves in the game, which included 19 in the final period. In 11 of his 25 appearances this season, Luukkonen has stopped 40 or more shots, including four of his last five games.
WATCH: GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Austin Czarnik (1+2), Robin Salo (1+2), Arnaud Durandeau (1+1) all recorded a multi-point game before Chris Terry (1+1) sealed the overtime win as he scored his 22nd goal of the season to go with an assist. Rochester native Cole Bardreau tied the game in the first period while Michael Dal Colle sent the game to the overtime. Netminder Jakub Skarek stopped 25 of the 30 shots he faced to improve to 16-11-4 on the campaign.
Facing a 5-3 deficit 3:20 into the final period of play, the Islanders, who entered the contest 5-0-1-0 in their previous six games, scored a pair of goals to send the game to the overtime period.
On the second Bridgeport goal of the frame, it came with just six seconds left in the game and Skarek on the bench for the extra skater.
WATCH: ARTTU RUOTSALAINEN
In the overtime period, neither team generated much offensively in the first half, but the Islanders gathered a loose puck after a turnover inside the blueline and sprinted up the ice for a two-on-zero. On the breakaway, Mitch Vande Sompel received a bank-pass before Terry capped the game as he beat Luukkonen on a one-time feed from the right face-off dot.
In 13 of the last 14 meetings between the two clubs, the winning team has scored three or more goals. Additionally, seven games during that same stretch have been decided beyond regulation, which includes three of the last four dating back to the 2018-19 season.
Rochester jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 3:38 of the first period only to have Bridgeport counter back with three unanswered goals to take the lead into the intermission break.
WATCH: SETH APPERT POST-GAME
During the middle stanza, Peterka knotted the score at three with his 17th of the season at the 12:19 mark before Ruotsalainen reclaimed the Amerks advantage as he blasted a shot in the final minute of the period.
The Amerks used the energy from the goal as Weissbach picked up his 13th of the slate from Ruotsalainen and Murray to push the score to 5-3 with 16:40 left in regulation.
With his three-point performance, Ruotsalainen became fourth different Amerk to reach the 40-point mark this season, joining Peterka, Quinn and Mersch.
WATCH: BRETT MURRAY POST-GAME
After seeing their lead turn into a deficit, the Islanders scored a pair of goals to force overtime before Terry capped off the 6-5 victory 3:17 into the extra-period.
The Amerks conclude the month of March on Wednesday, March 30 as they host the league-leading Utica Comets for a North Division showdown at The Blue Cross Arena. The intrastate matchup gets underway at 7:05 p.m. and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
|
BRIDGEPORT |
GAMECENTER |
ROCHESTER |
|
Salo (4), Bardreau (13), Durandeau (15), Czarnik (9), Dal Colle (8), Terry (22 – OT GWG) |
GOAL-SCORERS |
Quinn (22), Jankowski (7), Peterka (17), Ruotsalainen (16), Weissbach (13) |
|
Skarek – 25/30 (W) |
GOALTENDERS |
Luukkonen – 40/46 (OTL) |
|
0-2 |
POWER-PLAY |
2-4 |
|
2-4 |
PENALTY KILL |
2-2 |
|
46 |
SHOTS ON GOAL |
30 |