AMERKS GET BACK TO WORK TONIGHT AGAINST SPRINGFIELD
Feb 10, 2023By Suzie Cool
Tonight marks the Rochester Americans’ first game back from the 2023 All-Star break and the team will look for a win against the Atlantic Division’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
“We have a real test tonight,” started Amerks head coach Seth Appert when asked about the team’s first game back from break. “This (Springfield) is a very good hockey team with a very good lineup right now.”
Not to mention, the Thunderbirds make their only visit of the season to Rochester riding a season-long eight-game win streak.
Tonight is just the 13th all-time matchup between the Amerks and Thunderbirds over the last six seasons. Rochester and Springfield have split the season-series in each of the last three seasons with each team posting one win as well as a loss. The Amerks, however, are 5-0-0-0 in their last five meetings on home ice against Springfield dating back to the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
However, with as much success as the Amerks have seen against the Thunderbirds in the past, Appert noted just how loaded and refreshed this Springfield lineup is going to be coming back from break.
“Their D are big and heavy, but their forward group is dynamic right through the lineup,” continued Appert when discussing tonight’s matchup against Springfield. “(Matthew) Peca’s now healthy and he's one of the premier forwards in the league, (Martin) Frk has been one of the best goal-scorers in the American League for most of the last decade when he hasn't been in the NHL, (Matthew) Highmore is an All-Star this year, but it goes past that. Their whole forward lineup is loaded with offensive weapons. They’re a really, really deep team.”
Aside from a matchup between two teams in two separate divisions at The Blue Cross Arena tonight, here’s a little more on how the Amerks will lineup against the Thunderbirds.
INJURY UPDATES HEADING INTO TONIGHT
It’s been a minute since we’ve provided an injury update, so here’s what we got headed into tonight’s game against Springfield.
Amerks forward Brandon Biro is back and ready to go for tonight’s matchup. Rochester defenseman Joseph Cecconi is still out but is more on a day-to-day basis. Alternate captain Sean Malone practiced in orange last night but is set to play against the Thunderbirds and rookie forward Jiri Kulich is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
BIRO BACK IN THE LINEUP
Biro has only been out of the lineup since Jan. 25, however, when you’re the team’s top player, four games can seem like a lifetime.
“Any time you have any player out, you feel their effects, right?” said Appert when asked how Biro being back in the lineup will help reconnect the group. “Everybody brings their own unique abilities, talents, attitude, energy to the group, but Biro is our best player. So, when you have a player of his caliber out you feel it on so many fronts.”
The third-year pro currently paces the Amerks with 20 assists and is tied for the team-lead with 29 points through 31 games. Biro’s recent seven-game point streak to close out the 2022 calendar year was the longest of his career.
Dating back to last season, Biro has totaled 70 points on 21 goals and 49 assists over his last 79 games and hasn't gone more than six games without a point since Nov. 27, 2021.
“He's one of our best players on the power-play. He's probably our most consistent five-on-five player. He's our best offensive player and is probably our top penalty killer, so having him back is great,” finished Appert.
SUBBAN BETWEEN THE PIPES
While the team had a nice and much-needed five-day break thanks to the 2023 All-Star Classic, goaltender Malcolm Subban had a few days longer thanks to a couple of extra days in Belleville.
“In Subby’s (Subban) case, he played Junior in Bellville when Belleville was an OHL team as well. So, he did have former Bull family and people that then he could enjoy seeing without the stress of preparing to start the next night. So, I just thought all of those things were going to be good for him mentally to get him in a good spot to be back and start tonight against Springfield.”
Subban has been a force in net for Rochester this season.
After suffering a defeat in his season-debut on Nov. 18, Subban has gone 10-6-1 since over his last 17 starts, including seven straight wins between Dec. 10 to Jan. 14. The seven-game win streak was the longest of his pro career and the third-longest streak among all AHL goaltenders behind Toronto's Joseph Woll and Calgary's Dustin Wolf.
With his seven straight wins, Subban became the first goaltender to post seven straight since Jonas Johansson won nine consecutive contests during the 2019-20 campaign.
Appert felt the extra few days he gave Subban over All-Star break were just what the netminder needed to come back from the hiatus ready to attack the game.
“Giving Subban those extra days off is almost mentally like two extra days for him during All-Star break. So, instead of a four, or five-day break, it was like a six or seven-day break for him mentally just to kind of recharge,” finished Appert.
Rochester's five-game home win streak against the Thunderbirds, who are currently riding an eight-game win streak of their own, is the longest against any single opponent within the friendly confines of The Blue Cross Arena. The Amerks will look to keep that streak alive tonight with all the action being carried live on The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will also be televised live locally on CW Rochester.