GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS LOOK TO MAKE IT FOUR STRAIGHT TONIGHT AGAINST TORONTO
Nov 4, 2021TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW
The Rochester Americans (5-2-0-0) aim for their fourth straight win tonight as they host the Toronto Marlies (4-3-0-0) in a North Division showdown at The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will be the second of six scheduled meetings between the two teams this season and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.
The Amerks enter the contest having won five of their last six games and rank second in the AHL’s North Division standings. Conversely, Toronto, making its first trip to Rochester since Dec. 4, 2019, resides in fifth place and has won three of its last four, including a two-game sweep over Belleville.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT
After starting the season-series with a 1-3-0-0 record against the Marlies in 2017-18 , Rochester has gone 10-3-1-0 in the last 14 meetings since, which includes a near-perfect 5-1-0-0 mark during the 2018-19 campaign.
The Amerks have scored a power-play goal in 10 of their last 28 games against Marlies dating back to the 2016-17 season, going 15-for-90 (16.5%) with the man-advantage over that span. Conversely, Rochester’s penalty kill unit has successfully cleared 79 of the 92 opportunities (85.6%) against.
Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Rochester has outscored Toronto 95-87, while the Marlies have outshot the Amerks 895-882. There have been five shutouts since 2016-17 with four of the five coming in Toronto.
Over the last 28 games in the head-to-head series with the Marlies, the Ameks have scored two or more goals in 23 contests, which includes 10 games where they have produced five or more tallies.
WATCH: TONIGHT'S FACE-OFF FIRST LOOK
LET'S GO STREAKING
The Amerks come into the weekend winners of five of their last six games while scoring 24 goals, five of which have come on the power-play. A total of 18 different Rochester skaters have recorded at least one point and 10 have posted multi-point performances as the Amerks have taken 10 out of a possible 12 points. The team also has the AHL’s top-ranked offense.
After being held without a point in the first two games of the season, Michael Mersch, a four-time 20-goal scorer, has responded with 11 points (6+5) and four multi-point outings to move into second on the team in scoring. With his game-winning goal Wednesday, the Amerks captain has goals in five straight games, which establishes a new career-high, as well as points in five straight appearances overall. Its marks his longest consecutive point streak since posting a career-best seven-game point streak from Mar. 27 to April 10, 2015 as a member of the Manchester Monarchs (12 points, 7+5).
With six points (1+5) in his first seven outings to start the season, Oskari Laaksonen leads all Amerks defensemen and enters the weekend tied for sixth in scoring among all AHL blueliners. The second-year pro tallied an assist on Wednesday to push his point streak to a career-long four straight games after scoring the overtime game-winner in Laval this past Saturday.
Goaltender Aaron Dell has backstopped the Amerks to three straight wins. Until now, the netminder has never began a season with a win in each of his first three starts at either the NHL or AHL level. He’s currently tied for fourth in the league in wins and is on pace to match his career-best seven-game win streak he posted from March 20 to April 7, 2015 with Worcester.
WATCH: PEYTON KREBS FOLLOWING MORNING SKATE
QUINN-TISSENTIAL QUALITIES
Jack Quinn comes into the weekend after being named the AHL’s Rookie of the Month for October. Entering the first weekend of November, he remains one of eight AHL rookies currently leading his respective team in scoring.
Quinn has tallied six goals and six assists for 12 points, already surpassing his offensive output from his truncated 2020-21 campaign, and became the first AHL player to reach the 10-point mark this season. Dating back to last season, the Ottawa, Ontario, native has totaled 15 points (6+9) in his last 10 games.
Quinn has been held scoreless just once through his first seven games and comes into tonight having produced five straight multi-point performances.
He is the third eighth overall pick of the Sabres in the last five years to spend time in Rochester, joining Alexander Nylander (2016) and Casey Mittelstadt (2017), and the second to make his pro debut with the Amerks.
HEAD OF THE ROOKIE CLASS
The Amerks currently own three of the AHL’s top scoring rookies in Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and Linus Weissbach, who have combined for 25 points
(10+15) through their first seven games of the season.
Quinn, Buffalo’s eighth overall pick in 2020, comes into the weekend leading the league in both goals (6) and points (12) among all AHL rookies. His 12 points also place him inside the league’s top three scorers overall.
Peterka, meanwhile, is third amongst all first-year players with seven assists while his eight points are tied for third-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 two rookie duos across the AHL to rank among their respective team’s top three individual scorers.
After going scoreless in his pro debut, Weissbach has recorded five points over his last six games, including a two-goal effort in Toronto back on Oct. 23. Buffalo’s seventh-round selection in 2017, Weissbach enters play tonight tied for fifth in goals (3) and tied for ninth in scoring among all AHL rookies. He’s in his first pro season following four years at the University of Wisconsin, where he recorded 114 points (34+84) in 127 career games.
WATCH: SETH APPERT FOLLOWING MORNING SKATE
FROM SILVER AND GOLD, TO RED, WHITE AND BLUE
On Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres acquired forwards Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch, a top-10 protected 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 second-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Jack Eichel and a 2023 third-round pick.
Krebs was reassigned to Rochester yesterday afternoon after beginning the season with five assists in two games for the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) before a recent nine-game stint with Vegas.
The 20-year-old Krebs was named the WHL’s 2020-21 Player of the Year after leading the league in assists (30) and points (43) in 24 games during his third year as captain of the Winnipeg Ice. He recorded 231 points (62+169) in 199 career WHL games.
The Calgary native won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also served as Canada’s team captain and tied for the team lead with 10 points at the 2019 iIIHF U18 World Championship.
SERIES NOTABLES
In 18 of the last 23 meetings dating back to the 2016-17 season, the team that scored first has gone on to come away with the victory. Additionally, in 14 of the last 15 meetings, the winning team has scored at least four goals dating back to the 2017-18 season.
Casey Fitzgerald and Sean Malone are the only two Amerks that were on Rochester’s roster during the last meeting here in Rochester versus the Marlies.
In 16 combined games all-time against Toronto, Malone (13-games, 1+4) and Fitzgerald (3-games, 1+1) have posted seven points (2+5).
Marlies defenseman Alex Biega spent two seasons in Rochester, including the 2012-13 campaign when he set career-highs in goals (5), assists (20) and points (25). He was a fifth-round pick (147th overall) of Buffalo in 2006.
With the addition of Peyton Krebs, Rochester’s current roster features three former first-round selections in forwards Jack Quinn (8th overall, 2020), Krebs (17th overall, 2019), and Mark Jankowski (21st overall, 2012).
Toronto Marlies vs Rochester Americans: Head To Head Stats
Summary
|
Description |
Result |
|
| Head to Head Record 2021-22 Regular Season | Toronto 0-1-0-0 | Rochester 1-0-0-0 |
| Head to Head Record 2020-21 Regular Season | Toronto 0-0-0-0 | Rochester 0-0-0-0 |
| Last 5 Years record between teams | Toronto 8-8-2-1 | Rochester 11-7-1-0 |
| Toronto vs. Rochester Last 5 Years record at Toronto | Toronto 3-6-1-0 | Rochester 7-3-0-0 |
| Toronto vs. Rochester Last 5 Years record at Rochester | Toronto 5-2-1-1 | Rochester 4-4-1-0 |
| Previous Meetings This Season | Rochester 7 @ Toronto 3 (Oct 23 2021) Final |
How the two teams match up
|
Rochester |
Toronto |
|
| Team Record | 5-2-0-0 -- 10 points | 4-3-0-0 -- 8 points |
| Division Ranking | 2nd North | 5th North |
| Conference Ranking | 3rd Eastern | 9th Eastern |
| League Ranking | 6th | 15th |
| Past 10 Games | 5-2-0-0 | 4-3-0-0 |
| Streak | 3-0-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
| Last Game | 4-3 W vs Belleville (Nov 3 2021) Final | 5-2 W vs Belleville (Oct 30 2021) Final |
| Home Record | 2-0-0-0 | 3-2-0-0 |
| Away Record | 3-2-0-0 | 1-1-0-0 |
| GF | 31 | 21 |
| GA | 30 | 24 |
| PP (Overall) | (5/25) 20.0% | (3/21) 14.3% |
| PP (Home) | (2/8) 25.0% | (2/10) 20.0% |
| PP (Away) | (3/17) 17.6% | (1/11) 9.1% |
| PK (Overall) | (6/21) 71.4% | (5/33) 84.8% |
| PK (Home) | (3/10) 70.0% | (3/22) 86.4% |
| PK (Away) | (3/11) 72.7% | (2/11) 81.8% |
| PP vs. Opp. | (0/1) 0% | (0/0) 0% |
| PK vs. Opp. | (0/0) 0% | (0/1) 100% |
| Leading Rookie | Quinn (6-6-12) | Der-Arguchintsev (0-4-4) |
| Most PIM | MacInnis - 18 | Clune - 36 |
| Team PIM/GM | 14.4/Game | 27.0/Game |
| Leading Scorers | Quinn (6-6-12) | Semyonov (1-5-6) |
| Mersch (6-5-11) | Ho-Sang (5-0-5) | |
| Peterka (1-7-8) | Duszak (0-5-5) | |
| Malone (2-4-6) | Seney (4-0-4) | |
| Laaksonen (1-5-6) | Anderson (3-1-4) | |
| Last 5 Games | 4-3 W vs Belleville (Nov 3 2021) Final | 5-2 W vs Belleville (Oct 30 2021) Final |
| 6-5 W @ Laval (Oct 30 2021) Final OT | 5-2 W @ Belleville (Oct 29 2021) Final | |
| 4-3 W @ Laval (Oct 29 2021) Final | 5-0 L @ Laval (Oct 27 2021) Final | |
| 7-3 L @ Belleville (Oct 27 2021) Final | 3-2 W vs Cleveland (Oct 24 2021) Final SO | |
| 7-3 W @ Toronto (Oct 23 2021) Final | 7-3 L vs Rochester (Oct 23 2021) Final | |
| Leading After 1st | 3-0-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
| Leading After 2nd | 3-0-0-0 | 3-0-0-0 |
| Tied After 1st | 1-0-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
| Tied After 2nd | 1-0-0-0 | 1-0-0-0 |
| Trailing After 1st | 1-2-0-0 | 0-3-0-0 |
| Trailing After 2nd | 1-2-0-0 | 0-3-0-0 |
| Out Shooting Opponents | 0-2-0-0 | 3-1-0-0 |
| Out Shot by Opponents | 5-0-0-0 | 1-2-0-0 |
| 1-Goal Games | 3-0-0-0 | 1-0-0-0 |
| 2-Goal Games | 1-0-0-0 | 0-0-0-0 |
| 3-Goal Games | 0-0-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
Toronto Marlies
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Brett Seney | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1 |
| 94 | Kirill Semyonov | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 28 | Joey Anderson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| 39 | Curtis Douglas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| 12 | X Matthew Hellickson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -3 |
| 52 | Jack Kopacka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Filip Král | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| 95 | Mikhail Abramov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 3 | Alex Biega | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 17 | Richard Clune | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 35 | X Andrew D'Agostini | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Carl Dahlström | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Semyon Der-Arguchintsev | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 21 | Joseph Duszak | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 29 | Kurtis Gabriel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 96 | Josh Ho-Sang | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 50 | Erik Källgren | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | Jeremy McKenna | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 40 | Marc Michaelis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 |
| 44 | Kristiāns Rubīns | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | X Andrew D'Agostini | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46:54 | 3 | 3.84 | 0.857 |
| 50 | Erik Källgren | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13:06 | 4 | 18.32 | 0.429 |
Rochester Americans
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Michael Mersch | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Mark Jankowski | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Jack Quinn | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Linus Weissbach | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 77 | JJ Peterka | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 72 | Ryan MacInnis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 45 | Brendan Warren | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 88 | Brandon Davidson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Matej Pekar | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| 4 | Jimmy Schuldt | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 44 | Josh Teves | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Aaron Dell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 52 | Mitch Eliot | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Casey Fitzgerald | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | X Dominic Franco | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Oskari Laaksonen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Sean Malone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Ethan Prow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 91 | Ryan Scarfo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | Aaron Dell | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 3 | 3.00 | 0.900 |