GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS CLOSE OUT WEEKEND WITH MATINEE NORTH OF THE BORDER
Dec 10, 2022TODAY'S GAME OVERVIEW
The Rochester Americans (11-9-1-1) conclude their busy stretch this afternoon as they travel north of the border for a 4:00 p.m. face-off against the first-place Toronto Marlies (14-8-1-0) at Coca-Cola Coliseum. All of the action will be carried on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Today's matinee is the third between the two teams this season and first since the two clubs split a two-game set to begin the campaign. The North Division foes will meet once more in 2022 as the Amerks make the trek back to Toronto for a 4:00 p.m. contest on Dec. 31 to ring in the New Year.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT
Toronto went 4-2-0-0 in the six-game series in 2021-22, and coming into today, have won two of the last five meetings between the two teams. The Amerks earned just one point in the three get-togethers in Rochester last season and over the last five years show a 5-6-1-1 mark compared to a 8-5-0-0 record in Toronto.
Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Toronto has outscored Rochester 110-109 and outshot the Amerks 1,118-1,078. There have been six shutouts since 2016-17 with four of the six coming in Toronto.
In the last 35 games against Toronto, the Amerks have scored two or more goals in 26 contests, which includes 11 games where they have produced five or more tallies. Coming into today’s matchup, the Amerks are 13-11-1-1 in their last 26 games against the Marlies spanning the last five seasons.
Today is the second of four meetings in Toronto between the two clubs.
LAST TIME OUT
The Amerks took a 2-1 lead over the Utica Comets early in the third period, but the visitors pulled away midway through the frame with four goals over the final eight minutes of regulation to hand Rochester a 5-2 loss Friday at The Blue Cross Arena.
Despite Rochester dropping back-to-back regulation losses at home for the first time all season, the Amerks have earned at least one point in eight of their first 11 home games and boast an 11-9-1-1 record overall. The team is second in the North Division standings with 24 points through its first 22 games of the campaign.
Brandon Biro recorded a pair of assists, his team-leading sixth multi-point outing of the campaign, while Lukas Rousek and Linus Weissbach scored their fifth and ninth goals of the season, respectively. Jeremy Davies and Chase Priskie each were credited with their third assists of the season.
Goaltender Michael Houser (3-4-0) appeared in his ninth contest but suffered the loss after making 15 saves.
POWER-PLAY PROFICIENCY
Coming into the weekend, 17 of the Amerks' 70 goals this season have come on the power-play, which are 18th-most among any team in the AHL. By going 17-for-77 while on the man-advantage, Rochester is 13th in the league with a 22.1% conversion rate.
The Amerks' 14 power-play goals at home are tied for fifth-most in the league this season, going 14-for-47 through their first 11 home matchups.
WELL-BALANCED OFFENSE
With five points (3+2) over his last seven games, which includes a two-point outing on Nov. 23 versus the Providence Bruins, Linus Weissbach is one point back from the team-lead with 17 points through 22 games. More impressively, he has already scored half as many goals from last season and has matched his career-high of two game-winning goals.
Despite missing six games due to injury, third-year forward Brandon Biro is back atop the team's scoring lead following a two-assist effort last night against Utica. He currently paces the Amerks in assists (12) and points (17)through 16 games. Dating back to last season, Biro has totaled 19 points over his last 18 games dating and hasn't gone more than one game without a point over that span. He also leads the team with six multi-point games.
Brett Murray, one of four Amerks with at least 15 points on the season, is also on pace to surpass the career-high 15 goals he scored in 2021-22. Murray enters the weekend with nine goals in only 22 games this season, including four over his last seven appearances. Murray has been one of Rochester's top point-getters over the last nine games, showing nine points (4+5) and three straight multi-point efforts over that span.
Despite being two of the youngest players in the AHL this season, rookie forwards Isak Rosen (3+11) and Jiri Kulich (5+9) are both tied for 15th in scoring amongst all first-year skaters with 14 points each. Rosen is also tied for fourth among all AHL rookies with 11 assists.
HOME-COOKING FOR AMERKS
The Amerks have earned at least one point in eight of their first 11 home contests so far this season, boasting a 7-3-1-0 mark and 15 points within the friendly confines of The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester opened the season with five straight home wins, marking the team's best start since 2006-07.
Five of the seven victories this season in the Flower City have come when the team trailed entering the final 20 minutes of regulation while all seven wins have come by way of four or more goals. Rochester has outscored its opposition 19-15 after the start of the third period and has outshot the visitors 102-88.
Prior to this past Wednesday's loss to Syracuse, Rochester was the only AHL team with only one regulation loss on home ice.
SCOUTING THE MARLIES
The Marlies come into the matchup leading the AHL's North Division standings with a 14-8-1-0 overall record. Toronto's 14 wins are tied for fourth-most in the league while its 29 points are tied for sixth-most in the AHL. The Marlies are 5-5-0-0 at home compared to a 9-3-1-0 mark on the road.
Newly named captain of the Marlies and 10-year veteran Logan Shaw tops all Toronto skaters with 18 assists and 26 points through 23 games this season. He is tied for fifth and sixth in the AHL in those respective categories. Over his last 16 games, Shaw has registered 21 points (7+14), which includes seven points during his current seven-game point streak.
Forwards Adam Gaudette and Joey Anderson are first and second among all Marlies skaters with 12 and 11 goals this season, respectively. Gaudette, who will miss today's game due to a suspension, has recorded 12 goals and 16 points, both of which are career-highs, in just 18 games, while fove of 11 Anderson's 11 goals so far this season have come on the power-play.
SERIES NOTABLES
So far this season, the Amerks have used 12 different defensemen, which is third-most in the AHL behind Toronto and Cleveland. Ten of the 12 Amerks have recorded at least one point while seven have scored. Ethan Prow is the only defenseman to appear in all 22 games this season and has skated in 92 of the 98 games dating back to the start of the 2021-22 campaign.
Of the 40 different players the Marlies have used this season, 32 have produced at least one point while 22 have scored. Toronto has dressed five different goaltenders, three of which have been rookies. They are the only team in the league to use five netminders and three first-year players.
In 22 of the last 30 meetings between the two teams dating back to the
2016-17 season, the team that scored first has gone on to come away with
the victory. Additionally, in 19 of the last 22 meetings, the winning team has
scored at least four goals dating back to the 2017-18 season.
In addition to today's matchup between the Amerks and Marlies, the NLL's Rochester Knighthawks and Toronto Rock meet up for a 7:00 p.m. faceoff. The game will be the Knighthawks Home Opener after the team picked up a
16-11 win to begin their third season in the league.