AMERKS OUTLAST COMETS IN WEEKEND FINALE
Rochester holds off Utica for 3-2 win, takes four out of six points over three-game weekend
Mar 10, 2024The Rochester Americans (26-21-6-2) seized a two-goal, first-period lead before Brendan Warren scored the game-winning goal to cap a 3-2 victory over the Utica Comets (24-23-4-4) in the weekend finale between the intrastate rivals Sunday afternoon at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
The Amerks closed out their three-game weekend collecting four out of a possible six points and have recorded at least one point in 15 of their last 22 games dating back to Jan. 17. Rochester maintains a 6-3-1-0 record through the first 10 games of the season-series with Utica.
Forward Viktor Neuchev opened the scoring with his eighth of the season before Brett Murray, who was skating in his 250th career game as an Amerk, tallied his 15th in the opening frame. Warren (1+0) notched his first game-winning marker of the slate while Brandon Biro, Jiri Kulich, Justin Richards, and Mason Jobst all added an assist. Defenseman Calle Själin, who was acquired by the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, also finished with an assist in his Amerks debut.
Goaltender Devon Levi (9-7-5) made his 15th start in the last 18 games since being reassigned to Rochester on Jan. 20. The rookie netminder, who has held the opposition to three or fewer goals in 13 of his 17 starts, boasts a 9-1-3 this season in those games.
Joseph Gambardella and Topias Vilen both found the back of the net for Utica, which went 1-1-1-0 during its three-game weekend. Goaltender Erik Källgren (4-6-3) stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced in his 16th appearance of the campaign.
On the ensuing shift after Utica tied the game at 2-2, Jobst, Richards and Warren entered the offensive zone with the puck. While Jobst’s shot from in-between the circles caromed wide of Källgren, Richards played it to Warren from inside trapezoid. Despite falling to a knee, Warren quickly sniped his AHL career-best fifth goal of the season overtop the netminder’s shoulder to restore Rochester’s lead with 3:04 left in the middle stanza
Despite being outshot 20-4 in the frame, the Amerks carried the one-goal cushion into the final period.
Both teams traded chances in the third period, however, Rochester held on for the 3-2 victory.
Towards the end of the first period, Michael Mersch cleared the puck out of the Amerks zone. After Graham Slaggert raced to avoid the icing, Biro played the puck from along the wall and calmly centered it for Neuchev, who was trailing the play. The rookie forward retrieved the pass on his backhand before tucking in his eighth of the season with 3:56 left in the stanza.
Shortly after the marker, Isak Rosen drew a cross checking penalty to give Rochester its first power-play of the night.
On the man-advantage, Jobst won the draw in the left face-off dot before Kulich and Själin traded passes along the blueline. As Murray positioned himself atop the blue paint, Själin fired a shot towards the net. While the puck never reached the goaltender, Murray swept it into the back of the cage to double the cushion with his 15th of the slate and third of the weekend.
Following the intermission break, the Comets, who at one point had a 16-3 shot-advantage, came back in the middle frame by scoring twice to even the score at 2-2 at the 3:49 mark.
Rochester regained its lead 45 seconds after Vilen evened the score to cap the scoring late in the second period.
The Amerks kick-off another three-game week on Wednesday, March 13 when they return to Upstate Medical University Arena for an intrastate showdown with the Syracuse Crunch at 7 p.m. The North Division matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Stars and Stripes:
Newcomer Calle Själin made his debut today, becoming the 42nd player to dress for Rochester this season and the 14th different defensemen … Själin is also the 33rd player to record at least one point and 10th different blueliner overall … Including today's assist on the eventual game-winning goal, Mason Jobst shows 22 points (9+13) over his last 24 games … Brett Murray became just the 36th forward in the 68-year history of the franchise to play in 250 career games with Rochester.
Goal Scorers
UTC: J. Gambardella (9), T. Vilen (2)
ROC: V. Neuchev (8), B. Murray (15), B. Warren (5)
Goaltenders
UTC: E. Källgren – 20/23 (L)
ROC: D. Levi – 33/35 (W)
Shots
UTC: 35
ROC: 23
Special Teams
UTC: PP (0/2) | PK (0/1)
ROC: PP (1/1) | PK (2/2)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - B. Warren
2. ROC - B. Murray
3. ROC - V. Neuchev