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AMERKS REMAIN POSITIVE HEADING TO HERSHEY FOR GAME 5

AMERKS REMAIN POSITIVE HEADING TO HERSHEY FOR GAME 5

May 30, 2023

By Emily Wade

 

The Rochester Americans are in a must-win situation heading into Game 5 in Hershey on Wednesday night. They face a 3-1 series deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. They need to string together three wins to advance, and two of those games are on the road.

 

But they’ve been here before.

 

And they’ve succeeded.

 

“Our guys have a lot of belief that we’ve answered the bell when in tough moments, and we’re going to need to do so again here,” Amerks head coach Seth Appert said on Tuesday. 

 

“Our back has been against the wall since early February.”

 

Appert recalled that right around February 20, the Amerks were sitting in sixth place in the North Division, squarely outside of a playoff spot. In the next two months, the Amerks would storm back and tie for second place in the North Division.

 

 

But even then, they faced the final game of the regular season, on the back-end of a three-in-three, on the road, in Cleveland. That game determined if the Amerks earned a first-round bye, and they only had parts of their lineup healthy.

 

They dug in and found a way to win a hard-fought game.

 

Then, down 0-2 in the second round series against the Syracuse Crunch, the Amerks won three-straight games, including Game 5 in Syracuse in overtime.

 

“There’s a reason we practice so hard. There’s a reason that we put so much time in,” Appert said. “Because in big moments, and pressure-packed situations, you rely on your training. And you have confidence from your preparation and from your training that allows you to be steady.”

 

That preparation is also why the third period in Game 4 on Monday night was so disappointing. The Amerks had a 2-0 lead and played a strong first 10 minutes of the third period. “We executed to 80% of our offensive situations, and then didn’t finish it off,” Appert explained.

 

“Some of it with decision making, some of it with finding that next play that would’ve resulted in a big, big chance instead of a good chance,” he continued. “I thought, on video, the first 10 minutes of the third period were excellent: we started the third really good and had two or three great scoring chances to try to put it away.”

 

Those are good things, despite the loss. Appert pointed out that the problems in the third were problems that the team brought on itself, which is positive, because they can be fixed. “Some of it’s maturity; some of it’s communication.”

 

But mainly what the Amerks need is to be their very best. Hershey was the best team in the Eastern Conference throughout the regular season, and are a formidable opponent, so Rochester needs everyone at their best.

 

“It can’t just be Michael Mersch, Ethan Prow if he’s back in, and Sean Malone,” Appert added. “We need Jiri Kulich to do that. We need Isak Rosen to do that. We need Tyson Kozak to do that. Anybody it is, on the ice, we need them to be the best version of themselves.”

“We need them to execute, and we need them to play assertive in all situations.”

Filip Cederqvist was reinserted into the lineup after being scratched for two games, and he played with a noticeable chip on his shoulder. Cederqvist assisted on both of Linus Weissbach’s goals on Monday night.

 

 

“He did a lot of good things in the offensive zone for sure, in terms of winning puck battles, extending possessions against their bigger more physical defensive core,” Appert said post-game. Weissbach added: “He was a lot of fun to play with tonight.”

 

Cederqvist echoed the sentiment. “I think we have showed some chemistry during the season,” he said of Weissbach. “We find each other pretty good, and he’s very skilled, so I love to play with him.”

 

Weissbach scored both of Rochester’s goals on Monday night, after being held scoreless in the first three games since returning from injury. “I think any time you’re coming back from an injury, it takes a little time,” Appert explained. “I think he’s getting more of his confidence and swagger back, and he looked really good tonight.”

 

Weissbach is confident that his team can continue to put pucks in the back of the net. “It’s that time of year where you just gotta dig in and find chances that might not be there during the regular season,” he said post-game. “It’s a tight game, and you just have to find the pucks. We  gotta bare down and win those battles.”

 

Weissbach pointed out that they scored five goals in Game 1 in Hershey, so they can do it again in Game 5. He and Appert agreed that the power play needs to be better. The Amerks power play units are 0-for-7 in four games against Hershey after going 12-for-23 in the previous seven games.

 

“Some of it is that we haven’t earned enough opportunities, or maybe we have earned them and they weren’t called,” Appert noted. “So it’s harder to be in rhythm when you have one a night. Tonight we had two. Two is the most we’ve had, which seems low to me, given the physicality and nature of the game.”

 

There has been a lack of rhythm, but also a lack of execution on the THIS MANY power plays that Rochester has had. Weissbach is choosing to look at it as a challenge.

“We’ve been battling for each other all year. Every game, it’s fun to go out there with the guys. I think we give ourselves a chance every game. This is definitely not over.”

The puck drops on Game 5 at 7:00pm on Wednesday night from Hershey. Fans can watch on MSG Network, AHLTV, or listen to Don Stevens and Brian Duff on The Fan Rochester.

Tickets to the potential Game 6, which would be played on Friday, June 2 back in Rochester, are on sale now. All fans on Friday night will receive an Eastern Conference Finals poster, courtesy of The UPS Store.

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