GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS LOOK TO TAKE DOWN UNDEFEATED COMETS TONIGHT
Nov 17, 2021TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW
The Rochester Americans (7-4-0-0) continue their four-game homestand tonight as they look to take down the undefeated Utica Comets (10-0-0-0) in a North Division showdown at The Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.
MAKE OR BREAK HISTORY
The Comets, who are currently in their first season as the top affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, put their season-opening 10-game win streak on the line tonight. Only one other team in the 85-year history of the AHL has had a better start to a season as the 1984-85 Amerks hold the league record for the longest win streak to start a season (11). Utica can tie the mark with a win tonight.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT
Six points is all that separates the two teams in the American Hockey League’s North Division standings. The Amerks have won seven of their last 10 games, which includes three on home ice. Tonight’s matchup is the first of six in the Flower City between the two clubs this season and second of 12 overall. Utica claimed a 6-2 win in the season-opener back on Oct. 17.
Rochester has collected at least one point in 30 of the last 46 games against Utica dating back to the start of the 2016-17 campaign, going 23-16-3-4 over that span. In the last 23 games in Rochester, the Amerks have posted an 11-9-1-2 record.
The Comets and Amerks enter tonight’s matchup with the second and third-best ranked offenses in the league, averaging 4.20 and 4.00 goals per game, respectively. Both teams also has five wins when scoring first.
WATCH: TONIGHT'S FACE-OFF FIRST LOOK
VIEW FROM ROCHESTER
With four players currently performing 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 44 goals this season are most in the North Division and are second-most in the league behind only the Ontario Reign (52).
Third-year goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was selected as the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 14, 2021. In three starts last week, Luukkonen went 2-1-0 while totaling 112 saves and posting a 1.68 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage and registering the first shutout of his AHL career. Luukkonen, who has made four straight starts to open the month of November, has allowed two or fewer goals in three of his last four appearances, good for a 1.77 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage over that span. His 220 saves also rank among league leaders.
With his first-period goal this past Saturday, veteran forward Michael Mersch has totaled 12 points (7+5) and four multi-point outings over his last eight games. The Amerks captain began that stretch with a five-game goal-scoring streak, the longest of his career and the longest in the AHL this season, while his five-game point marked his longest since posting a career-best seven-game point streak from Mar. 27 to April 10, 2015.
Rookie forward JJ Peterka pushed his point streak to six straight games with a goal and an assist in Saturday night’s win over Cleveland. He’s totaled eight points (2+6) over that span and is now second on the team in scoring.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has five points through his first five games of the season, which includes four assists in the last three contests.
WATCH: SETH APPERT AFTER MORNING SKATE
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 ninth goal of the year in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Cleveland. Dating back to last season, the Ottawa, Ontario, native has totaled 19 points (9+10) in his last 14 games. He has goals in three straight and five of his last six games.
Quinn has been held scoreless just twice through his first 11 games and comes into tonight having recorded six multi-point performances this year. Entering the week, he remains one of only four AHL rookies currently leading his respective team in scoring.
Last Friday, 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 36 points
(12+24) through the team’s first 11 games of the season.
Buffalo’s eighth overall pick in 2020, Quinn comes into the week leading all AHL rookies in goals (9) and ranking second in points (16). He’s also tied for the league-lead in goals and is third in scoring overall among the AHL’s top point-getters.
Peterka, meanwhile, is tied for second amongst all first-year players with a team-high 10 assists while his 13 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 the only rookie duo across the entire AHL to rank first and second on their team in scoring.
After recording his first two points (0+2) as an Amerk last week, Krebs has produced seven assists in six games this season, tying for seventh among all AHL rookies. Krebs, who was acquired by Buffalo as part of the blockbuster trade that sent former Sabres captain Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, has recorded four of his seven assists on the power-play.
SCOUTING THE COMETS
Utica has outscored the opposition 42-18 over its current season-opening 10-game win streak, including 17-8 on the road. The Comets have held their opponents to two or fewer goals-against in four of their last five games.
Utica comes into the matchup with a plus-24 goal differential and a 1.80 goals-against average, which are both tops in the league this season. Goaltenders Nico Daws (6-0-0) and Akira Schmid (4-0-0) have a combined .943 save percentage despite neither earning a shutout yet this season.
Seventh-year forward Chase De Leo currently tops all Utica skaters with a team-high 11 assists, 12 points and 21 shots through seven games with the Comets. The La Mirada, Cali., native has tallied 234 career points (91+143) in 372 games between Utica, San Diego and Manitoba while also appearing in five contests at the NHL level with Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks.
SERIES NOTABLES
onight’s contest features four players selected in the 2020 NHL Draft, which includes Utica’s Alexander Holtz (1st round, 7th overall) and Niko Daws (3rd round, 84th overall) and Rochester’s Jack Quinn (1st round, 8th overall) and JJ Peterka (2nd round, 34th overall).
Comets forward and assistant captain Brian Flynn spent two seasons with the Amerks, recording 33 points (16+17) in 50 games from 2011 to 2013.
Utica forward Patrick McGrath spent last season in Rochester while Tyce Thompson is the brother of former Amerk Tage Thompson.
Both Rochester (7-1-0-0) and Utica (6-0-0-0) enter tonight with winning records this season when being outshot by an opponent.
Utica head coach Kevin Dineen is the younger brother of former Amerks assistant coach Gord Dineen.
Utica Comets vs Rochester Americans: Head To Head Stats
Summary
|
Description |
Result |
|
| Head to Head Record 2021-22 Regular Season | Utica 1-0-0-0 | Rochester 0-1-0-0 |
| Head to Head Record 2020-21 Regular Season | Utica 7-3-0-1 | Rochester 4-6-0-1 |
| Last 5 Years record between teams | Utica 23-12-2-3 | Rochester 17-16-2-5 |
| Utica vs. Rochester Last 5 Years record at Utica | Utica 12-5-2-1 | Rochester 8-8-1-3 |
| Utica vs. Rochester Last 5 Years record at Rochester | Utica 11-7-0-2 | Rochester 9-8-1-2 |
| Previous Meetings This Season | Rochester 2 @ Utica 6 (Oct 17 2021) Final |
How the two teams match up
|
Rochester |
Utica |
|
| Team Record | 7-4-0-0 -- 14 points | 10-0-0-0 -- 20 points |
| Division Ranking | 2nd North | 1st North |
| Conference Ranking | 4th Eastern | 1st Eastern |
| League Ranking | 8th | 1st |
| Past 10 Games | 7-3-0-0 | 10-0-0-0 |
| Streak | 1-0-0-0 | 10-0-0-0 |
| Last Game | 4-0 W vs Cleveland (Nov 13 2021) Final | 4-1 W @ Belleville (Nov 14 2021) Final |
| Home Record | 3-2-0-0 | 6-0-0-0 |
| Away Record | 4-2-0-0 | 4-0-0-0 |
| GF | 44 | 42 |
| GA | 39 | 18 |
| PP (Overall) | (7/37) 18.9% | (5/26) 19.2% |
| PP (Home) | (2/16) 12.5% | (3/15) 20.0% |
| PP (Away) | (5/21) 23.8% | (2/11) 18.2% |
| PK (Overall) | (8/40) 80.0% | (4/32) 87.5% |
| PK (Home) | (5/23) 78.3% | (1/18) 94.4% |
| PK (Away) | (3/17) 82.4% | (3/14) 78.6% |
| PP vs. Opp. | (0/5) 0% | (1/3) 33.3% |
| PK vs. Opp. | (1/3) 66.7% | (0/5) 100% |
| Leading Rookie | Quinn (9-7-16) | Thompson (4-3-7) |
| Most PIM | MacInnis - 23 | Greer - 26 |
| Team PIM/GM | 13.7/Game | 11.1/Game |
| Leading Scorers | Quinn (9-7-16) | De Leo (1-11-12) |
| Peterka (3-10-13) | Zetterlund (3-6-9) | |
| Mersch (7-5-12) | Boqvist (2-6-8) | |
| Malone (2-6-8) | Schnarr (2-6-8) | |
| Jankowski (3-4-7) | Gambardella (6-1-7) | |
| Last 5 Games | 4-0 W vs Cleveland (Nov 13 2021) Final | 4-1 W @ Belleville (Nov 14 2021) Final |
| 4-3 L vs Cleveland (Nov 12 2021) Final | 5-3 W @ Laval (Nov 13 2021) Final | |
| 5-1 W @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Nov 10 2021) Final | 3-1 W vs Syracuse (Nov 11 2021) Final | |
| 4-1 L vs Toronto (Nov 5 2021) Final | 4-2 W vs Laval (Nov 7 2021) Final | |
| 4-3 W vs Belleville (Nov 3 2021) Final | 5-2 W vs Toronto (Nov 6 2021) Final | |
| Leading After 1st | 5-1-0-0 | 3-0-0-0 |
| Leading After 2nd | 5-0-0-0 | 5-0-0-0 |
| Tied After 1st | 1-0-0-0 | 6-0-0-0 |
| Tied After 2nd | 1-1-0-0 | 3-0-0-0 |
| Trailing After 1st | 1-3-0-0 | 1-0-0-0 |
| Trailing After 2nd | 1-3-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
| Out Shooting Opponents | 0-3-0-0 | 4-0-0-0 |
| Out Shot by Opponents | 7-1-0-0 | 6-0-0-0 |
| 1-Goal Games | 3-1-0-0 | 2-0-0-0 |
| 2-Goal Games | 1-0-0-0 | 3-0-0-0 |
| 3-Goal Games | 0-1-0-0 | 4-0-0-0 |
Utica Comets
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Reilly Walsh | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | X Alexander Holtz | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Brian Flynn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | X Tyce Thompson | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Fabian Zetterlund | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 82 | Nikita Okhotiuk | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Ryan Schmelzer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 77 | Aarne Talvitie | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 92 | Graeme Clarke | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Chase De Leo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | Joe Gambardella | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | A.J. Greer | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| 88 | Kevin Bahl | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 90 | X Jesper Boqvist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Nico Daws | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Nolan Foote | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 38 | Jeremy Groleau | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Robbie Russo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 23 | Tyler Wotherspoon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Nico Daws | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59:50 | 2 | 2.01 | 0.926 |
Rochester Americans
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Sean Malone | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | Casey Fitzgerald | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Jack Quinn | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 88 | Brandon Davidson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Oskari Laaksonen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | X Lukas Craggs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| 29 | X Dominic Franco | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 1 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 72 | Ryan MacInnis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 28 | Michael Mersch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 81 | X Brett Murray | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 12 | Matej Pekar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 77 | JJ Peterka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Ethan Prow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 |
| 91 | Ryan Scarfo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| 4 | Jimmy Schuldt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 44 | Josh Teves | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 45 | Brendan Warren | 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 | 59:49 | 6 | 6.02 | 0.750 |