AMERKS TOP MONSTERS IN OVERTIME THRILLER TO SWEEP WEEKEND
Mar 19, 2022The Rochester Americans (30-23-4-2) twice rallied from behind during regulation, including overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the second period, before Mark Jankowski delivered the game-winner with only 16 seconds remaining in overtime to cap a thrilling 6-5 win over the Cleveland Monsters Saturday at The Blue Cross Arena.
With the win, Rochester’s second in as many nights against the Monsters, the Amerks swept the weekend set against Cleveland to move into third place in the American Hockey’s League’s North Division standings.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | FINAL |
| Cleveland | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | -- | 5 |
| Rochester | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | -- | 6 |
Along with Jankowski’s two-point outing (1+1), Arttu Ruotsalainen (1+1) and Jack Quinn (1+2) both registered a multi-point effort to help the Amerks, who scored five of the final six goals, push their point streak to four games dating back to March 12 while picking up their 30th win of the season.
Defensemen Nick Boka and Josh Teves both scored in the second period before Michael Mersch tied the game to force overtime with his 21st goal of the campaign. Ethan Prow, Ben Holmstrom, Mitch Eliot, JJ Peterka and Brett Murray all recorded an assist.
Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (10-11-2) made 34 saves, which included 16 in the opening period, on his way to earning his 10th win of the season. The victory snapped a four-game winless streak.
WATCH: GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Jake Gaudet (1+1) tallied a pair of points while Roman Ahcan, Tristan Mullin, Zach Jordan and Tyler Angle all found the back of the net for Cleveland. Goaltender Jean-Francois Berube (4-10-5) earned the start but saw his winless skid reach nine games (0-7-2) despite making 18 saves.
Trailing 4-1 midway through the second period, Rochester countered back with three goals, including a pair in 33 seconds from Boka and Teves, to even the score going into the final 20 minutes of regulation.
WATCH: MARK JANKOWSKI POST-GAME
On the first of the three Amerks goals, Boka found a loose puck out in front of Berube for his third of the season at the 12:36 mark before Teves boomed a slap-shot from just inside the blueline following an offensive zone face-off win just 33 seconds later to make it one-goal game.
The Amerks capped off the three-goal run with Ruotsalainen’s 14th of the season in the final 1:13 to even the game. Prior to the tally, the Finnish forward, who has tallied 35 points on 14 goals and 21 assists over his last 34 games, served a penalty before receiving a breakaway pass from Holmstrom.
JANKOWSKI WINS IT IN OVERTIME
Cleveland reclaimed its lead at 6:15 of the third period on Jordan’s first of the season, but Rochester responded while capitalizing on the man-advantage goal from Mersch.
After forcing overtime, each team recorded one shot through the first four minutes of the extra period and it appeared the game was headed for a shootout as the score remained tied at five.
WATCH: SETH APPERT POST-GAME
Rochester carried the puck into the offensive zone, and after Quinn was initially stopped, Jankowski crashed the crease and poked the loose puck between the legs of Berube to lift the Amerks to the 6-5 overtime victory.
Despite the Amerks opening the scoring 4:01 into the contest, Cleveland turned the 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 advantage as they scored the next four goals, which included three in the first 10 minutes of the second period.
WATCH: NICK BOKA POST-GAME
In the final 34 minutes of the contest, Rochester outscored the Monsters 5-1 to earn the win.
The Amerks look to make it three straight on Friday, March 25 when they host the Toronto Marlies in the final game of their three-game homestand at The Blue Cross Arena. The North Division matchup gets underway at 7:05 p.m. and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV. The game will also be tape-delayed and available for viewing at noon the following day on CW Rochester.
|
CLEVELAND |
GAMECENTER |
ROCHESTER |
|
Mullin (5), Ahcan (1), Gaudet (2), Angle (8), Jordan (1) |
GOAL-SCORERS |
Quinn (21), Boka (3), Teves (4), Ruotsalainen (14), Mersch (21), Jankowski (6 – OT GWG) |
|
Berube – 18/24 (OTL) |
GOALTENDERS |
Luukkonen – 34/39 (W) |
|
0-1 |
POWER-PLAY |
1-4 |
|
3-4 |
PENALTY KILL |
1-1 |
|
39 |
SHOTS ON GOAL |
24 |