GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS LOOK FOR REDEMPTION TONIGHT IN REMATCH WITH MONSTERS
Nov 13, 2021TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW
The Rochester Americans (6-4-0-0) have a shot at redemption tonight as they host the Cleveland Monsters (5-2-1-3) in the back-end of a two-game set at The Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 6:05 p.m. start and will be carried live on 95.7 FM/950 AM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.
A mere two points is all that separates the two teams in the American Hockey League’s North Division standings with Cleveland currently sitting in second place following last night’s 4-3 win. The Amerks, though, have one more win than the Monsters and have a game in hand on Cleveland.Rochester is also four points back of the North Division-leading Utica Comets, who are a perfect 8-0-0-0 to start the 2021-22 season thus far.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT
Rochester holds a record of 31-12-4-4 against Cleveland over the last 10 years dating back to the start of the 2011-12 campaign and has earned a point in nine of the last 14 games.
The Amerks have scored 10 power-play goals in their last 11 games against Cleveland dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season, going 10-for-46 (21.7%) with the man-advantage over that span. Conversely, Rochester’s penalty kill unit has successfully cleared 44 of the 55 shorthanded opportunities (80.0%) against.
Both teams come into tonight’s matchup unbeaten when leading after the second period this season with Rochester boasting a 4-0-0-0 record and Cleveland showing a 3-0-0-0 mark. Additionally, the Amerks and Monsters each have winning records when scoring the first goal of the game.
WATCH: TONIGHT'S FACE-OFF FIRST LOOK
VIEW FROM ROCHESTER
The Amerks come into the weekend winners of six of their last nine games and have scored 33 goals over that span, seven of which have come on the power-play. A total of 20 different Rochester skaters have recorded at least one point and 10 have posted at least one multi-point performance.
With five players currently playing at more than a point-per-game pace, the Amerks have the AHL’s third-best offense and are one of only three teams averaging more than four goals per game. Collectively, Rochester’s 40 goals this season are tied for most in the North Division and are third-most in the league behind only Ontario (46) and Springfield (42).
After being held without a point in his first two games of the season, veteran forward Michael Mersch has totaled 11 points (6+5) and four multi-point outings over his seven games since to move into second on the team in scoring. Last Friday’s 4-1 loss to Toronto snapped a five-game goal-scoring streak for the Amerks captain, the longest of his career and the longest in the AHL this season, while his point streak marked his longest since posting a career-best seven-game point streak from Mar. 27 to April 10, 2015.
With seven points (1+6) in his first 10 outings to start the season, Oskari Laaksonen leads all Amerks defensemen and comes into the matchup tied for 11th in scoring among all AHL blueliners.
JJ Peterka pushed his point streak to five straight games with an assist in last night’s loss to Cleveland. He’s totaled six points (1+5) over that span and is now tied for second on the team in scoring.
Mattias Samuelsson has four points through his four games of the season.
QUINN-TISSENTIAL QUALITIES
Jack Quinn was named the AHL’s Rookie of the Month for October after leading all first-year players with 10 points (5+5) through the first month of the regular season. In just six games to begin the season, Quinn already surpassed his offensive output from his truncated 2020-21 campaign, and became the first AHL player to reach the 10-point mark this season.
Quinn continued his torrid start to the season by scoring his team-leading eighth goal of the year in Friday’s 4-3 loss against Cleveland. Dating back to last season, the Ottawa, Ontario, native has totaled 17 points (8+9) in his last 13 games.
Quinn has been held scoreless just twice through his first 10 games and comes into tonight having recorded five multi-point performances this year. Entering the second weekend of November, he remains one of four AHL rookies currently leading his respective team in scoring.
Last night, Quinn became the first AHL rookie since Frank Vatrano in 2015-16 to score eight goals through his first 10 games of the season.
ROOKIE TRIFECTA
The Amerks currently own three of the AHL’s top scoring rookies in Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and Peyton Krebs, who have combined for 31 points
(10+21) through the team’s first 10 games of the season.
Buffalo’s eighth overall pick in 2020, Quinn comes into the weekend leading all AHL rookies in goals (8) and ranking second in points (14). He’s also tied for second and fourth league-wide in goals and points, respectively.
Peterka, meanwhile, is third amongst all first-year players with a team-high nine assists while his 11 points are tied for fourth-most. He and Quinn, taken just 26 picks apart from one another by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2020 NHL Draft, currently make up one of only three rookie duos across the AHL to rank among their respective team’s top three individual scorers.
After recording his first point as an Amerk in Wednesday’s win over the Penguins, Krebs has produced six assists in five games this season, tying for eighth among all AHL rookies. Krebs, who was acquired by Buffalo as part of last week’s blockbuster trade that sent former Sabres captain Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, has recorded four of his six assists on the power-play, ranking second behind only Laaksonen in that category.
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS
Cleveland, which snapped a three-game winless skid last night, comes into the matchup as one of the top road teams in the league. The Monsters have claimed at least one point in each of their first seven road contests, going 4-0-1-2 over that span, while also outscoring the opposition 19-15. Cleveland is one of just four teams so far this season without a road regulation loss.
The Monsters return to the Flower City fueled by rookie forward Tyler Angle, who leads the team with 10 assists and 10 points through 11 games. Columbus’ seventh-round selection in 2019, Angle’s 10 assists are currently tied for third-most in the league and rank second among AHL rookies.
Third-year defennseman Jake Christiansen currently ranks second among the AHL’s defensive leaders in goals (3, T-2nd), shots on goal (29, 3rd) and points (9, T-3rd).
SERIES NOTABLES
During the 2019-20 season, all seven games between Cleveland and Rochester were decided by one goal, including five that went beyond regulation. Over that same span, Rochester posted a 4-0-1-2 record.
Monsters forward Jusitn Danforth spent parts of two seasons with the Amerks from 2016-18, recording seven points (4+3) over 20 games. He was named the 2017-18 ECHL Rookie of the Year with the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Cleveland’s Tyler Angle (0+10) and Rochester’s Jack Quinn (8+6) are two of four AHL rookies currently leading their respective teams in scoring.
Amerks forward Ryan MacInnis is set to face his former team for the second time after appearing in 121 career games for the Monsters over the last three seasons, including a brief five-game stint in 2020-21. The sixth-year pro posted his best season with Cleveland during the 2019-20 campaign when he established career-highs in all offensive categories, including goals (7), assists (23) and points (30) to finish second on the team in scoring.
Cleveland Monsters vs Rochester Americans: Head To Head Stats
Summary
|
Description |
Result |
|
| Head to Head Record 2021-22 Regular Season | Cleveland 1-0-0-0 | Rochester 0-1-0-0 |
| Head to Head Record 2020-21 Regular Season | Cleveland 4-1-0-1 | Rochester 2-4-0-0 |
| Last 5 Years record between teams | Cleveland 10-8-3-1 | Rochester 12-7-1-2 |
| Cleveland vs. Rochester Last 5 Years record at Cleveland | Cleveland 2-5-2-1 | Rochester 8-2-0-0 |
| Cleveland vs. Rochester Last 5 Years record at Rochester | Cleveland 8-3-1-0 | Rochester 4-5-1-2 |
| Previous Meetings This Season | Cleveland 4 @ Rochester 3 (Nov 12 2021) Final |
How the 2 teams match up
|
Rochester |
Cleveland |
|
| Team Record | 6-4-0-0 -- 12 points | 5-2-1-3 -- 14 points |
| Division Ranking | 3rd North | 2nd North |
| Conference Ranking | 5th Eastern | 4th Eastern |
| League Ranking | 9th | 7th |
| Past 10 Games | 6-4-0-0 | 5-1-1-3 |
| Streak | 0-1-0-0 | 1-0-0-1 |
| Last Game | 4-3 L vs Cleveland (Nov 12 2021) Final | 4-3 W @ Rochester (Nov 12 2021) Final |
| Home Record | 2-2-0-0 | 1-2-0-1 |
| Away Record | 4-2-0-0 | 4-0-1-2 |
| GF | 40 | 32 |
| GA | 39 | 34 |
| PP (Overall) | (7/35) 20.0% | (7/48) 14.6% |
| PP (Home) | (2/14) 14.3% | (3/22) 13.6% |
| PP (Away) | (5/21) 23.8% | (4/26) 15.4% |
| PK (Overall) | (8/36) 77.8% | (6/44) 86.4% |
| PK (Home) | (5/19) 73.7% | (4/16) 75.0% |
| PK (Away) | (3/17) 82.4% | (2/28) 92.9% |
| PP vs. Opp. | (0/4) 0% | (1/3) 33.3% |
| PK vs. Opp. | (1/3) 66.7% | (0/4) 100% |
| Leading Rookie | Quinn (8-6-14) | Angle (0-10-10) |
| Most PIM | MacInnis - 18 | Bayreuther - 20 |
| Team PIM/GM | 13.8/Game | 13.5/Game |
| Leading Scorers | Quinn (8-6-14) | Angle (0-10-10) |
| Mersch (6-5-11) | Christiansen (3-6-9) | |
| Peterka (2-9-11) | Gaunce (4-3-7) | |
| Malone (2-6-8) | Sikura (2-5-7) | |
| Jankowski (3-4-7) | Meyer (4-2-6) | |
| Last 5 Games | 4-3 L vs Cleveland (Nov 12 2021) Final | 4-3 W @ Rochester (Nov 12 2021) Final |
| 5-1 W @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Nov 10 2021) Final | 3-2 L vs Belleville (Nov 6 2021) Final SO | |
| 4-1 L vs Toronto (Nov 5 2021) Final | 6-2 L vs Belleville (Nov 5 2021) Final | |
| 4-3 W vs Belleville (Nov 3 2021) Final | 4-3 L @ Hershey (Oct 31 2021) Final OT | |
| 6-5 W @ Laval (Oct 30 2021) Final OT | 2-1 W @ Hershey (Oct 30 2021) Final SO | |
| Leading After 1st | 4-1-0-0 | 3-0-1-0 |
| Leading After 2nd | 4-0-0-0 | 3-0-0-0 |
| Tied After 1st | 1-0-0-0 | 0-1-0-2 |
| Tied After 2nd | 1-1-0-0 | 2-0-1-2 |
| Trailing After 1st | 1-3-0-0 | 2-1-0-1 |
| Trailing After 2nd | 1-3-0-0 | 0-2-0-1 |
| Out Shooting Opponents | 0-3-0-0 | 2-1-0-0 |
| Out Shot by Opponents | 6-1-0-0 | 3-1-1-3 |
| 1-Goal Games | 3-1-0-0 | 4-0-1-3 |
| 2-Goal Games | 1-0-0-0 | 0-1-0-0 |
| 3-Goal Games | 0-1-0-0 | 0-0-0-0 |
Cleveland Monsters
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Brendan Gaunce | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Justin Danforth | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Carson Meyer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | -1 |
| 27 | Tristan Mullin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 77 | Tyler Angle | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Jake Christiansen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Liam Foudy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Justin Scott | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Tyler Sikura | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | Billy Sweezey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Tim Berni | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 12 | Cole Cassels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Cole Clayton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| 21 | Josh Dunne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| 42 | Cole Fonstad | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Adam Helewka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 26 | Thomas Schemitsch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Dillon Simpson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 40 | Daniil Tarasov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Daniil Tarasov | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 3 | 3.00 | 0.893 |
Rochester Americans
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Mattias Samuelsson | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Mark Jankowski | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 81 | Brett Murray | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Jack Quinn | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -2 |
| 72 | Ryan MacInnis | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | JJ Peterka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | Ethan Prow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 52 | Mitch Eliot | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 5 | Casey Fitzgerald | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 26 | Mason Jobst | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Peyton Krebs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 2 | Oskari Laaksonen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 1 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Sean Malone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Michael Mersch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 12 | Matej Pekar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 91 | Ryan Scarfo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Josh Teves | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Linus Weissbach | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58:31 | 4 | 4.10 | 0.907 |