GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS LOOK FOR FIRST ROAD WIN IN REMATCH WITH ROCKET
Oct 29, 2022TODAY'S GAME OVERVIEW
Following a quick-turnaround, the Rochester Americans (3-3-0-0) and Laval Rocket (2-4-1-0) conclude their weekend set with a 3:00 p.m. matinee today at Place Bell. All of the action will be carried live on 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Following this weekend's matchups with the Rocket, who eliminated Rochester in the North Division Finals this past Spring, the Amerks will not face Laval until January 11 following the New Year.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT
After the Amerks claimed the first three meetings in 2021-22, the Rocket have responded with points in each of the previous six meetings betrween the two teams, posting a 5-0-1-0 record over that span.
Rochester enters today's rematch with a 17-7-1-0 record all-time versus the Rocket, which includes a 9-3-1-0 mark at Place Bell. Despite being outscored last season 36-27, the Amerks have outscored Laval 81-77 overall and 42-39 in Laval.
Michael Mersch, who missed all three postseason contests against the Rocket last spring, led all Amerks skaters with eight points in six games against Laval in 2021-22. He had a team-leading five goals while also adding three assists for eight points.
Sean Malone recorded a combined five goals and three assists in 10 games during the season-series and playoffs against the Rocket. The Buffalo native also recorded a goal in each of the last five regular season games before logging an assist in two of the three postseason games versus Laval
LAST TIME OUT
After tying the score at 1-1 early in the second period, the Amerks surrendered the next seven goals to the Rocket as they dropped an 8-1 contest Friday at Place Bell in the first of back-to-back meetings between the North Division rivals this weekend.
Brandon Biro provided the lone tally for the Amerks as he scored his second of the season from Lukas Rousek and Jiri Kulich early in the second period. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (3-3-0) made 19 saves in his sixth straight start to begin the campaign but was replaced by Michael Houser midway through the final frame. Houser stopped eight of 10 shots he faced in relief.
Defensemen Brandon Davidson and Zach Berzolla each made their season debuts. Berzolla also made his Amerks debut while Davidson skated with the team in each of the past two seasons.
The game was also the first matchup between the two teams since the Rocket eliminated Rochester in the North Division Finals this past Spring.
POWER-PLAY PROFICIENCY
Seven of the Amerks 16 goals this season have come on the power-play, which are tied for fifth-most among any team in the AHL. By going 7-for-26 while on the man-advantage, Rochester is eighth in the league with a 26.9% conversion rate.
The Amerks' six power-play goals at home are tied for the most this season, going for 6-for-16 through their first three home matchups.
AMERKS BRING IN BARTKOWSKI TO BOLSTER DEPLETED LINEUP
Prior to today's game, the Amerks announced the signing of veteran defenseman Matt Bartkowski to a professional tryout. He's scheudled to meet the team in Laval for the rematch with the Rocket.
Bartkowski joins the Amerks after appearing in 72 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) in 2021-22. In addition to recording four goals and 12 assists during the regular season, he also skated in six Calder Cup Playoff contests, scoring one goal.
He has totaled 140 points (24+116) in 429 career AHL games with Providence, Iowa and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while also adding 48 points (8+40) over 256 NHL contests with Boston, Vancouver, Calgary, and Minnesota, winning his only Stanley Cup with Bruins in 2011.
Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound blueliner played two years at Ohio State University from 2008-2010, where he totaled 38 points (11+17) and 145 penalty minutes in 80 games with the Buckeyes. He was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team following his freshman season.
YOUTH MOVEMENT TAKES OVER ROCHESTER
With five points on two goals and three assists through his first six games of the season, Lukas Rousek is one point shy of the team lead.
Rousek, Buffalo’s sixth-round selection (160th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, notched his first career multi-point game on Ocxt. 19 against Belleville with a goal and assist. He appeared in only 19 games in his first season in 2021-22 after recovering from an offseason injury, finishing with four points on one goal and three assists. Following the regular-season, he ranked second among all Amerk rookies with two goals and finished third among all first-year players with six points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff contests during the Amerks’ run to the North Division Finals.
Isak Rosen (1+3) and Jiri Kulich (0+4) pace all Amerks rookies with four points while being tied for ninth in the AHL amongst all first-year skaters through their first six games. Rosen, the Sabres’ first-round selection in 2021 (14th overall), spent the 2021-22 season with Leksands in Sweden, where he made his debut in the Swedish Hockey League. He led all 17-year-olds with the Leksands U20 as he posted 35 points (21+14) in 38 games.
At age 18, Kulich, Buffalo's first-round selection (28th overall) in 2022, is among the youngest players in the American Hockey League. He shows a team-leading four assists in his first six games of the young season, tying him for fifth in the league among AHL rookies in that category.
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
Laval, playing its third game of a season-long six-game homestand, enters tonight with a 2-4-1-0 record and a 0-3-0-0 winless mark on the road. The Rocket, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs, are in their sixth season in the AHL.
Back for his third season with Laval, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (2+1) is tied for fifth among all Rocket forwards with three points (2+1) in seven games. He paced Laval's offense in 2021-22 with a career-high 35 assists and 56 points, including four goals and seven helpers during the season-series last year versus Rochester.
He also tallied five goals and five assists in 15 games during Laval's run to the Conference Finals, which was tied for third-most on the team.
SERIES NOTABLES
The Amerks current roster features nine forwards, five defensemen and two goaltenders who appeared in at least one game of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, Laval has 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders.
Laval's goaltending duo of Kevin Poluin and Cayden Primeau have a combined 8-6-1 record in 14 career games versus Rochester whereas Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 2-2-1 in his career against the Rocket. Michael Houser has faced Laval once during the regular season and appeared in two games during last year's playoff run. Malcolm Subban has never appeared in a contest against the Rocket.
Rocket goaltender Cayden Primeau is the nephew of former Amerk Wayne
Primeau, who was a member of the 1996 Calder Cup-winning team.