AMERKS FACE ANOTHER TOUGH TEST TONIGHT AGAINST BRIDGEPORT
Rochester goes up against a heavy Islanders squad with a balance of smart veterans and high end skilled players
Nov 25, 2022By Suzie Cool
The Rochester Americans’ schedule didn’t let up this week despite the Thanksgiving holiday. And…it doesn’t make it any easier that they’re in the midst of three straight games against Atlantic Division opponents that bring an NHL caliber pace of play.
“It's just stylistic differences, not good or bad,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert referring to Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Providence Bruins seemed like for Rochester. “I think the North Division was the best division in the league last year and it remains to be seen if we are again this year.”
Appert then continued with, “The way Providence plays, it feels like an NHL game. They played more structured, less chaotic. It's aggressive and strong and physical, but it's structured physicality and not chaotic physicality. So, it definitely felt like an NHL caliber style pace to the game and so you have to handle their physicality and strength, but you also have to handle their structure.”
On Wednesday, the Amerks handed the Providence Bruins their first loss on the road this season. Rochester forward Linus Weissbach’s game-winning goal in the final seconds of overtime capped a wild third-period comeback as the Amerks scored three straight unanswered goals to erase a 3-1 deficit and stun the league-leading Bruins with a 4-3 win.
“It’s kind of a thing that's part of our identity is we know we always have a chance, whether it's in the third or if we fall behind,” commented veteran blueliner Ethan Prow when asked about the third period heroics the Amerks have been putting up this season. “I think we need to have better starts and kind of come out ready to go in certain aspects of the game, but it kind of just goes to show what we have in the room and the belief we have in our team.”
After defeating, arguably, the best team in the American Hockey League on Wednesday, the Amerks are now faced with another tall task in the Bridgeport Islanders tonight. From the looks of it, the Islanders don’t seem any easier for Rochester to take on than the Bruins were prior to the holiday festivities.
Bridgeport also comes to town as one of the AHL's top teams with a 10-3-3-0 overall record and 23 points, which is second-most in the league. The Islanders, who are one of only seven teams to reach the 10-win mark, posted an eight-game point streak from Oct. 15 to Nov. 5. Additionally, the Islanders enters tonight winners of three straight and have points in five of their last six games.
“They (the Islanders) have a really good mix of heavy, strong, smart veterans with real high end young skilled players and good goaltending. So, we think that Providence looked like one of the best teams in the American League and when you watch video, so does Bridgeport,” explained Appert when addressing the lineup that Bridgeport brings to the ice.
When diving further into the Islanders style of play, Prow feels it’ll be a good test for the Amerks with the way Bridgeport plays in the offensive zone and is a heavy puck pressure team.
“It’s another good team and they've had a good start to the season, too. They're good in the offensive zone, heavy puck pressure team and have a lot of skill back there. It's a good test for us but I think if it's one of those games where, if we come ready to play and can play our game and to our identity, it's going to be a good matchup.”
Tonight, the Amerks luck at home gets put on the line once again as they’ve earned at least one point in seven of their first eight home contests so far this season, boasting a 6-1-1-0 mark within the friendly confines of The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester opened the season with five straight home wins, marking the team's best start since 2006-07.
Five of the six victories this season in the Flower City have come when the team trailed entering the final 20 minutes of regulation while all six wins have come by way of four or more goals. Rochester has outscored its opposition 17-7 after the start of the third period and has outshot the visitors 76-64.
Tonight marks the lone meeting between the Amerks and Islanders at The Blue Cross Arena during the 2022-23 campaign. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start and will be carried on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV as the AHL's Free Game of the Week. Additionally, the game will air tape-delayed on CW Rochester on Saturday at noon.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
So far this season, the Amerks have used 12 different defensemen, which is second-most in the AHL behind Toronto. 10 of the 12 have recorded at least one point while five have scored. Ethan Prow is the only defenseman to appear in all 16 games this season and has skated in 86 of the 92 games dating back to the start of the 2021-22 campaign.
Amerks forward Mason Jobst spent his first two pro seasons in Bridgeport from 2019-2021. In 51 games with the Sound Tigers/Islanders, he tallied 15 points on five goals and 10 assists.
Bridgeport forward Hudson Fasching began his AHL career with Rochester as he appeared in 106 games from 2016-18. Fasching produced 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points while also appearing in 22 games with Buffalo. He recorded his first NHL goal on March 26, 2016, which also served as his NHL debut.
Islanders head coach Brent Thompson is the father of former Amerk Tage Thompson. A former ECHL Coach of the Year, he’s in his 10th season with Bridgeport and is the all-time winningest coach in franchise history.
Bridgeport forward Cole Bardreau was born in Fairport. In 349 career games between Bridgeport and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Bardreau has recorded 70 goals and 80 assists for 150 points. Additionally, he’s tallied three assists in 24 career playoff appearances between the two teams.