DELL BACKSTOPS AMERKS TO 5-1 WIN OVER CHECKERS
Feb 2, 2022On the strength of four different skaters recording multi-point efforts and a 35-save effort by goaltender Aaron Dell, the Rochester Americans (22-13-2-1) earned a 5-1 victory over the Charlotte Checkers (21-16-2-0) in the first of back-to-back meetings between the two teams Wednesday at The Blue Cross Arena.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | FINAL |
| Charlotte | 0 | 0 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 |
| Rochester | 3 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 5 |
POST-GAME REPORT GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY
With the win, Rochester’s first against Charlotte since Dec. 6, 2019, the Amerks improved to 4-1-2-1 in their last seven home games. Additionally, the Amerks have earned points in 17 of their last 25 games dating back to Nov. 19.
Brandon Biro, Arttu Ruotsalainen, JJ Peterka and Brett Murray, all of whom returned earlier in the day from the Buffalo Sabres’ Taxi Squad, all finished with a goal and an assist before Brendan Warren capped off the scoring in the third period. Biro pushed his point streak to five games while Michael Mersch extended his to a career-best nine with an assist in the first period. Ethan Prow also kept his point streak intact as he earned a helper on Ruotsalainen’s marker in the opening stanza. Ryan Scarfo and Oskari Laaksonen both got on the scoresheet as the duo picked up an assist on Warren’s third-period tally.
Dell (6-0-0) made his first start with Rochester since Jan. 7 and stopped all but one of the 36 shots he faced to earn his sixth straight win. Until now, the netminder has never began a season with a win in each of his first six starts at either the NHL or AHL level. In each of his six appearances this season with the Amerks, he has made 25 or more saves while also averaging 30 shots-against.
WATCH: GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Former Amerk and two-time Stanley Cup champion Scott Wilson helped the Checkers avoid their first shutout since Dec. 6, 2019, which came against Rochester, as he scored in the third period. Goaltender Joey Daccord (8-6-1) earned his 16th appearance of the season, but after allowing three goals on five shots, he was replaced by Antoine Bibeau (3-1-1) just 11:13 into the contest. Bibeau made 26 saves in relief.
Early in the first period, Peterka blocked a shot inside the Amerks blueline before sending Linus Weissbach and Biro on a 2-on-1 odd-man rush through the center of the ice. Weissbach carried the puck across the Checkers blueline before dishing a perfect one-time feed onto the stick of Biro 4:03 into the contest to give the Amerks a 1-0 lead.
WATCH: SETH APPERT POST-GAME
Less than two minutes later after serving a too-many-men penalty, Murray upped Rochester’s lead as he jammed in his seventh tally of the slate at the 12:32 mark. With the secondary helper, Mersch is now one point away from becoming the first Amerk this season and just the fourth player in the AHL to reach the 40-point mark.
Prior to the end of the opening period, the Amerks added one more goal to their two-goal lead as Rutosalainen tapped in a centering feed out in front of Daccord for his sixth goal of the season. The Finnish forward has tallied 14 points on six goals and eight assists over last 13 games while Prow pushed his point streak to match his season-long four games.
WATCH: AARON DELL POST-GAME
Murray also earned the assist on the Ruotsalainen to pick up his second multi-point outing of the season.
By allowing his third goal of the night and stopping two of the five shots he faced, Daccord was replaced by Bibeau with 8:47 left in the period.
WATCH: BRANDON BIRO POST-GAME
Despite the two clubs combing for 26 shots in the second period, it appeared that the game would remain a 3-0 lead for the Amerks but Peterka increased the cushion to four in the final minute of the frame.
Peterka blocked a shot yet again inside the defensive zone before sprinting behind the Checkers defensemen and gathering a stretch pass from Biro. As the German rookie raced in all alone towards Bibeau, he stickhandled to the net before tucking in a backhanded shot to make it 4-0 going into the final period of play.
The Amerks capped off their scoring 4:16 into the third period as Warren hammered home a shot from Scarfo and Laaksonen.
WATCH: BRETT MURRAY POST-GAME
Charlotte erased Dell’s shutout bid at the 13:12 mark when Wilson shoveled in his own rebound past the diving netminder for his team-leading 15th goal of the campaign.
The Amerks close out their four-game homestand in a rematch against the Checkers on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. All the action will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
|
CHARLOTTE |
GAMECENTER |
ROCHESTER |
|
S. Wilson (15) |
GOAL-SCORERS |
B. Biro (7), B. Murray (7 – GWG), A. Ruotsalainen (6), J. Peterka (9), B. Warren (4) |
|
GOALTENDERS |
|
|
1-3 |
POWER-PLAY |
0-1 |
|
1-1 |
PENALTY KILL |
2-3 |
|
36 |
SHOTS ON GOAL |
33 |