GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS SEEKING FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN AS HOME-AND-HOME SHIFTS TO UTICA
Nov 5, 2022TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW
The Rochester Americans (6-3-0-0) and Utica Comets (2-4-0-1) square off for the second straight day as the home-and-home series shifts back to Utica tonight for a rematch at Adirondack Bank Center. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Tonight represents the 10th of 15 straight contests against North Division opponents to open the season for the Amerks. Its Rochester's longest stretch of the season against divisional foes. Rochester and Utica will play more six times (three home and three road) during the 2022-23 season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT
The intrastate rivals alternated wins during the 12-game series last season with each team showing a 6-5-1-0 mark. Rochester showed a 4-2-0-0 record at home against Utica and a 2-3-1-0 record on the road.
The Amerks were the first team to hand the Comets their first regulation loss of the season in 2021-22 after Utica posted an AHL-best and franchise- record 13-game win streak to begin the campaign.
Jack Quinn led the Amerks with 14 points (4+10) in eight games against Utica last season while Sean Malone paced all Rochester skaters with five goals in 11 games opposite the Comets.
Tonight's exchange is the first between the two clubs in Utica since Rochester eliminated the Comets in Game 5 in the North Division Semifinals this past spring. With the win, Rochester remains unbeaten in a playoff series against a Utica-based club dating back to the 1990 postseason.
LAST TIME OUT
Trailing 3-1 entering the final minute of the second period, the Amerks erupted for four straight unanswered goals, including two in 22 seconds, to storm back and claim a 5-3 win over the Comets Friday at Blue Cross Arena. Rochester has now won three straight and have outscored the opposition 17-6 in that span, accounting for nearly half of the Amerks' 33 goals.
The win also improved Rochester to 5-0-0-0 on home ice, the team’s best start at home since 2006-07, and moved the Amerks to within two points of first place in the American Hockey League’s North Division standings.
Forwards Anders Bjork (1+1) and Brandon Biro (0+2) both notched a multi-point effort as did defenseman Ethan Prow (1+1) in the win. Lukas Rousek, Linus Weissbach and Mason Jobst all scored one goal apiece.
Matt Bartkowski, Riley Sheahan, Jiri Kulich and Brett Murray all logged an assist while goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen improved to 5-3-0 as he matched a season-high 37 saves. Luukkonen boasts a 11-5-5 record in his last 21 starts dating back to the 2021-22 campaign.
POWER-PLAY PROFICIENCY
Nine of the Amerks 33 goals this season have come on the power-play, which are tied for sixth-most among any team in the AHL. By going 9-for-37 while on the man-advantage, Rochester is ninth in the league with a 24.3% conversion rate.
The Amerks' eight power-play goals at home are the most in the league this season, going for 8-for-25 through their first five home matchups.
YOUTH MOVEMENT LEADING ROCHESTER
With two assists last night, Biro has taken over the team's scoring lead with 11 points (3+8) while also extending his point streak to four straight games. Dating back to last season, the third-year pro has totaled 13 points (5+8) over his last 12 games and hasn't gone more than one game without a point over that span.
Weissbach, Buffalo’s seventh-round selection (192nd overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, remains at a close second with 10 points through his first nine games, including as team-high six goals. He comes into tonight with a goal in each of his last three appearances and shows five goals over a six-game span dating back to a three-point effort against Syracuse on Oct. 21. His six goals tie him for third in the AHL, trailing only Toronto's Joey Anderson and Springfield's Nathan Todd.
Jiri Kulich (2+6) and Isak Rosen (2+5) pace the team's rookies with eight and seven points, respectively, while being tied for seventh and 12th in the AHL scoring race amongst all first-year skaters.
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 AHL. Kulich, who extended his point streak to four straight games with an assist last night, shows six assists in his first eight games of the young season, tying him for fifth in the league among all first-year players in that category.
HOMECOMING FOR UTICA'S DUGAN
Among the newest additions to Utica's roster this season is third-year forward and Rochester native Jack Dugan. The former McQuaid Jesuit standout is in his first year with the Comets after spending the previous two with the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL).
A fifth-round selection of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft, Dugan led the NCAA in scoring with 52 points (10+42) in 34 games and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2019-20 at Providence College. He was also named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team after recording 39 points in 41 games as a freshman.
Through eight games with Utica, Dugan is tied for third on the team with four assists and third in scoring with five points.
SCOUTING THE COMETS
The Comets come into the matchup sitting in sixth place in the AHL's North Division standings with a 2-4-0-1 overall record.
Newcomer Brian Pinho paces all Utica skaters with five goals while his seven points also lead the team. Pinho, who spent the last four seasons with Hershey, has recorded a point in all but one game so far this season, including a goal in four of his last five outings.
Utica returns the AHL's top goaltending tandem from last season in Nico Daws and Akira Schmid, both of whom spent time considerable time in New Jersey. The duo enters play tonight ranked among the top seven goaltenders in goals-against average while Daws is 17th with a .918 SV%.
SERIES NOTABLES
Amerks defenseman Mitch Eliot spent his first two professional seasons with the Comets, recording 14 points on three goals and 11 assists in 77 games from 2019-21.
Comets defenseman Dylan Blujus, who re-joined the Utica for his second stint prior to the beginning of the season, spent the 2020-21 campaign with Rochester. After being held off the scoresheet for his first 20 games that year, he tallied both of his points during the season-finale against the Comets as he scored a goal and an assist.
So far this season, the Amerks have used 12 different defensemen, which is tied for most in the AHL with Toronto.
The Amerks are off to their first 5-0-0-0 start on home ice since the 2006-07 campaign when Rochester won its first nine straight home games to begin the season. All five wins have come by way of four or more goals. Rochester is one of two teams (Charlotte) with five or more home wins and have outscored the opposition 24-13.
Rochester Americans vs Utica Comets: Head To Head Stats
Summary
|
Description |
Result |
|
| Head to Head Record 2022-23 Regular Season | Rochester 1-0-0-0 | Utica 0-1-0-0 |
| Head to Head Record 2021-22 Regular Season | Rochester 6-5-1-0 | Utica 6-5-1-0 |
| Last 5 Years record between teams | Rochester 21-18-1-2 | Utica 21-17-2-2 |
| Rochester vs. Utica Last 5 Years record at Rochester | Rochester 13-8-0-1 | Utica 9-10-1-2 |
| Rochester vs. Utica Last 5 Years record at Utica | Rochester 8-10-1-1 | Utica 12-7-1-0 |
| Previous Meetings This Season | Utica 3 @ Rochester 5 (Nov 4 2022) Final |
How the two teams match up
|
Utica |
Rochester |
|
| Team Record | 2-4-0-1 -- 5 points | 6-3-0-0 -- 12 points |
| Division Ranking | 6th North | 2nd North |
| Conference Ranking | 13th Eastern | 6th Eastern |
| League Ranking | 29th | 9th |
| Past 10 Games | 2-4-0-1 | 6-3-0-0 |
| Streak | 0-2-0-1 | 3-0-0-0 |
| Last Game | 5-3 L @ Rochester (Nov 4 2022) Final | 5-3 W vs Utica (Nov 4 2022) Final |
| Home Record | 2-1-0-1 | 5-0-0-0 |
| Away Record | 0-3-0-0 | 1-3-0-0 |
| GF | 19 | 33 |
| GA | 20 | 31 |
| PP (Overall) | (5/27) 18.5% | (9/37) 24.3% |
| PP (Home) | (3/15) 20.0% | (8/25) 32.0% |
| PP (Away) | (2/12) 16.7% | (1/12) 8.3% |
| PK (Overall) | (7/23) 69.6% | (9/31) 71.0% |
| PK (Home) | (5/12) 58.3% | (4/18) 77.8% |
| PK (Away) | (2/11) 81.8% | (5/13) 61.5% |
| PP vs. Opp. | (1/4) 25% | (1/4) 25% |
| PK vs. Opp. | (1/4) 75% | (1/4) 75% |
| Leading Rookie | Nemec (1-1-2) | Kulich (2-6-8) |
| Most PIM | Halonen - 17 | Weissbach - 18 |
| Team PIM/GM | 12.9/Game | 10.3/Game |
| Leading Scorers | Pinho (5-2-7) | Biro (3-8-11) |
| Johnsson (1-5-6) | Weissbach (6-4-10) | |
| Foote (3-2-5) | Rousek (3-6-9) | |
| Thompson (2-3-5) | Kulich (2-6-8) | |
| Dugan (1-4-5) | Rosen (2-5-7) | |
| Last 5 Games | 5-3 L @ Rochester (Nov 4 2022) Final | 5-3 W vs Utica (Nov 4 2022) Final |
| 4-3 L vs Providence (Nov 2 2022) Final SO | 7-2 W vs Syracuse (Nov 2 2022) Final | |
| 2-1 L vs Toronto (Oct 29 2022) Final | 5-1 W @ Laval (Oct 29 2022) Final | |
| 5-1 W vs Cleveland (Oct 28 2022) Final | 8-1 L @ Laval (Oct 28 2022) Final | |
| 2-1 L @ Providence (Oct 22 2022) Final | 6-2 L @ Syracuse (Oct 22 2022) Final | |
| Leading After 1st | 1-1-0-1 | 3-1-0-0 |
| Leading After 2nd | 2-1-0-1 | 3-1-0-0 |
| Tied After 1st | 0-2-0-0 | 1-0-0-0 |
| Tied After 2nd | 0-0-0-0 | 0-0-0-0 |
| Trailing After 1st | 1-1-0-0 | 2-2-0-0 |
| Trailing After 2nd | 0-3-0-0 | 3-2-0-0 |
| Out Shooting Opponents | 2-1-0-0 | 3-0-0-0 |
| Out Shot by Opponents | 0-2-0-1 | 3-2-0-0 |
| 1-Goal Games | 1-2-0-1 | 2-0-0-0 |
| 2-Goal Games | 0-2-0-0 | 2-1-0-0 |
| 3-Goal Games | 0-0-0-0 | 0-0-0-0 |
Rochester Americans
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | Anders Bjork | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Ethan Prow | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Brandon Biro | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Mason Jobst | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | Lukas Rousek | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 13 | Linus Weissbach | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 43 | Matt Bartkowski | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Jiri Kulich | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 81 | Brett Murray | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 | Riley Sheahan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 71 | Filip Cederqvist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 88 | Brandon Davidson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 52 | Mitch Eliot | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 |
| 44 | Tyson Kozak | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Oskari Laaksonen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Isak Rosen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 45 | Brendan Warren | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 55 | Riese Zmolek | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 3 | 3.00 | 0.925 |
Utica Comets
| # | Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Nolan Foote | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -2 |
| 24 | Brian Halonen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Brian Pinho | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -2 |
| 79 | Samuel Laberge | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 77 | Aarne Talvitie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Tyce Thompson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 |
| 22 | Reilly Walsh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -3 |
| 92 | Graeme Clarke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Nico Daws | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Jack Dugan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 55 | Mason Geertsen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Jeremy Groleau | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Simon Nemec | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Robbie Russo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Ryan Schmelzer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 90 | Zach Senyshyn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Nolan Stevens | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Michael Vukojevic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 23 | Tyler Wotherspoon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| # | Player | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Nico Daws | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59:00 | 5 | 5.08 |