AMERKS MARCH 2024 REPORT CARD
A look back at the top performance and memorable moments during the month of March
Mar 31, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The last full month of the regular season was arguably Rochester’s best. Through a chaotic 13-game schedule, the Amerks emerged with a 9-3-0-1 record, going 7-1-0-1 in their final nine games to not only further inch toward securing a playoff berth, but also enter the conversation for the top two spots in the North Division, as Rochester is within five points of first place-Syracuse with a 33-22-6-3 record with 75 points.
HOME ICE SUCCESS: A+
A huge change in narrative came on home ice, where the Amerks struggled to string victories together throughout the bulk of the season. In March, things switched, with the Amerks boasting a 5-0-0-1 mark at Blue Cross Arena to earn 11 out of a possible 12 points.
“Getting to play in front of our home fans, as we’ve seen last year, brings energy to this building,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert. “It’s important for us to bring the fans into the fight with us. The fans in our building are awesome.”
Fans played a big part in the Amerks’ success throughout the month, with 37,227 Rochester faithful’s coming through the turnstiles at Blue Cross Arena.
MILESTONE MADNESS: A+
A gamut of milestones were reached by various Amerks over the month of March.
On the 10th, Brett Murray became just the 36th forward in the 68-year history of the Amerks to play in 250 games with the red, white, and blue. Later that same week, captain Michael Mersch celebrated his 600th professional game on the 15th, and the very next day Ethan Prow competed in his 400th AHL game.
The benchmarks continued the following week, as Dustin Tokarski helped the Amerks to a 6-5 win over Hartford in his 500th professional game on March 20.
The month rounded out with an off-ice milestone, as Amerks head coach Seth Appert closed out March by coaching his 240th game on Rochester’s bench, ranking him fourth all-time amongst Amerks coaches. That game saw the Amerks pick up a 4-3 come-from-behind overtime win, getting Appert his 117th win, good for fifth in franchise history.
HOW SWEDE IT IS: A
A trio of Swedish-born Amerks made their presence felt in the penultimate month of the regular season.
Isak Rosen has jumped up to second in team scoring after a productive March that saw the Sabres prospect show signs of the same Rosen that got called-up to Buffalo in November. In 12 March contests, Rosen scored three goals and seven assists for 10 points. The second-year pro is up to 40 points (16+24) on the year.
Due to injury, forward Linus Weissbach missed the middle of the month, giving the third-year Amerk just eight games to showcase his abilities, but that was still enough for him to produce four goals and six points. Weissbach finished the month with a two-goal performance in the Amerks’ win against Cleveland.
Another European player who flashed some prowess was a recent acquisition the Amerks saw near the trade deadline. Defenseman Calle Själin came over in a trade between Buffalo and Florida. The former Charlotte Checkers blueliner made an immediate impact, posting an assist on the Amerks’ game-winning-goal on March 10 against Utica, then firing in his first goal as an Amerk the very next game in Syracuse. Since coming to the Flower City, Sjalin has three points (2+1) in six games as an Amerk.
GOLD STAR STUDENTS: JIRI KULICH
Jiri Kulich has found his scoring touch once again. The elite shooting forward has eclipsed 20 goals for a second straight season, scoring four goals in his last seven games of the month after enduring a stretch in which he only scored once in 20 games. Kulich continues to lead the Amerks in goals, and Appert has sang his praises, citing that his overall play has underwent drastic improvement, despite his scorching scoring touch going cold for some time.
Kulich is warming up again and doing so at the perfect time as the Amerks continue their march to the playoffs.
APRIL SYLLABUS
Eight games remain before the Amerks complete their 72-game slate of regular season action. The team enters April with a magic number of nine to clinch a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Five of Rochester’s remaining eight games are played on home ice and six of the remaining opponents come from within the division. Rochester hosts Cleveland and Belleville twice each. The final games outside the division come during the first weekend of April, where the Amerks tangle with Providence and Bridgeport over a weekend through the Atlantic Division.