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AMERKS MAINTAIN FOCUS AHEAD OF GAME 3

AMERKS MAINTAIN FOCUS AHEAD OF GAME 3

May 16, 2023

By Emily Wade

 

When the Amerks returned to Rochester in Round 2, they were trailing the series by two games. Now, as the Amerks return to Rochester in Round 3, they’re leading the series by two games.  While the situations are in stark opposition, the focus is still the exact same.

 

Just win one game.

 

That’s been the message from the coaching staff — and from the leadership group in the locker room — for the last five games. As the Amerks faced elimination in three-straight games, the mindset stayed the same: just win one game. And the Amerks did.

 

They won one game.

 

And then they won one game, again.

 

And then they won one game to advance to the North Division finals.

 

 

Tomorrow, in front of the home crowd, the Amerks will try to win one game. And they’ll try to eliminate the Marlies from the Calder Cup Playoffs as they do so. It won’t be an easy task against the top-seeded Toronto team, even with a 2-0 series lead.

 

“Our guys know how hard it is to end someone’s season,” Amerks head coach Seth Appert said after practice on Tuesday. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for Toronto, but our focus is just preparing to just win a game.”

 

The preparation for the game comes in having good habits at practice, it comes in productive video sessions, and it comes with rest, too. “What can we do today, on a Tuesday, to get ready, to put ourselves mentally and physically in the best position to win one game,” Appert said.

 

 There have been adjustments since the two games in Toronto, aimed at finding ways to exploit Toronto’s weak spots and take away their strengths. There have also been adjustments made to the Amerks’ game, and a focus on tweaking the penalty kill.

 

Before assessing the PK, though, Appert made sure to give credit to Toronto, who had the second-best power play in the league throughout the regular season. “At the end of the day, it’s really important you stay out of the box,” he explained. “You can kill off two or three, but if you’re giving them four, five, or six, usually a good power play like Toronto is going to get you.”

 

Rochester is also seeing a good power play during the playoffs so far. The Amerks’ unit ranks second in the league, converting on 34.6% of power plays in seven games. Rookie Jiri Kulich has scored four of his five postseason goals on the power play.

 

 

In fact, he has a goal in every playoff game he’s suited up for. Kulich’s 5-game goal streak matches the longest in an AHL postseason since Peter Holland for Toronto in 2014.

 

“We’re all extremely impressed with Jiri,” Appert said. “I think that it’s just a biproduct of the work he’s been putting in, especially in the second half of the season."

 

"His habits, the maturity to his game, competing for the puck, those things started to take off at a high level and his offensive numbers went with it.”

 

Kulich led the Rochester squad with 24 goals, and 17 of those came in the second-half of the season. His nine power play goals were also best on the team. “A player of his caliber, when you have the puck, good things can happen,” Appert said.

 

The Amerks are hoping for a few good things tomorrow night, but one thing is certain: the crowd is going to be electric. Wednesday night’s game is very quickly approaching a sellout, with over 9,500 tickets out.

 

The team is excited to play in front of the rowdy home crowd and to use the home ice to their advantage. “I thought in the Syracuse series, we did a great job of bringing the fans into the fight,” Appert said. Big hits, fights, and early goals: “Those are things that really get a crowd going. Let’s make sure we do those things early and often.”

 

And just win one game.

 

Only a handful of tickets remain for Game 3 at Blue Cross Arena on Wednesday night. The first 5,000 fans will receive a red Round 3 rally towel, and fans can enjoy Pregame Happy Hour, presented by the Genesee Brewery: get $2 beers until puck drop at the Genesee Brewhouse inside Blue Cross Arena.

Fans can also get the playoff party started early at the Genesee Brewhouse: Sabres Live will be broadcasting live from 12-1pm and then Marty & Duffer will be hanging out until 2pm! They'll have Amerks x Genny t-shirts to give away... and maybe a pair of tickets, too.

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