GAMEDAY NOTES AND QUOTES: AMERKS AND CRUNCH MEET IN PLAYOFF REMATCH
Nov 1, 2023
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
For the first time since Game 5 of the North Division Semifinals, the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch will go head-to-head to start the first full month of the 2023-24 regular season.
“These teams don’t like each other,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert after Wednesday’s morning skate. “There’s a good, healthy hatred between each other. That happens when both teams play hard and are committed to being hard to play against and physically engaged. We played them 17 times last year and 12 times this year. That builds some healthy hatred which usually makes the games very good.”
PESKY CRUNCH
Rochester went 6-3-2-1 in 12 regular season meetings with the Crunch last season, though the Amerks won five of the first seven encounters. Syracuse hasn’t missed the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. Longtime former head coach Benoit Groulx, whose first AHL coaching stint was in Rochester years ago, led the team to five playoff appearances, including a trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2017, but a new bench boss was found over the summer when two-time AHL All-Star Joel Bouchard was named head coach.
“They have a new coach this year and it looks like a bit of a change in the defensive zone, but they’ve always been a good defensive team. They’re heavy, they’re older, they have an older defensive core, so they’re always a hard team to score against. They make you earn your goals. You have to earn your offense against this team, and you also better make them earn theirs because if you give this team free goals, they’ll make it harder to get those back.
“They’re focused to details,” said defenseman Ethan Prow. “They always play hard. They’re physical and a good forechecking team. With those things and the way that we play, it makes for a good battle and a great game to come watch.”
BIRO TO BUFFALO
The Amerks will be without one of their top forwards, but for good reason. Brandon Biro has been called-up to the Buffalo Sabres and is expected to make his season debut with the team Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
“I couldn’t be more excited to watch the replay of that game later on tonight,” said Appert. “Brandon Biro signed here as an undrafted free agent. He wasn’t thought of as a high-end prospect in our organization. He struggled that COVID year. Had a pretty good year after that. What Brandon Biro does every day is he is the first or second guy here every single day. He’s working on his craft. He’s one of our hardest working players in practice every single day. Over the course of years now, he’s just stacked up win after win after win in terms of his daily habits. Now he’s one of the best players in the North Division and earning this opportunity. It’s a great story.”
Biro, 25, has scored two goals and amassed six points through five games in Rochester this season. He made his NHL debut with the Sabres two seasons ago, playing against Montreal on Feb. 23, 2022.
A SECOND FOR SLAGGERT
After making his Amerks debut on Saturday in Utica, forward Graham Slaggert will see the home crowd for the first time at Blue Cross Arena Wednesday night against the Crunch.
“I coached Graham when I was at the national program. He’s a really smart player. He’s competitive and can play up and down your lineup because he’s talented and smart enough to play with offensive players, but he’s good enough defensively to play on a checking line, plus he can play center and wing. He has those winning characteristics.”
Slaggert came to the Flower City after spending his rookie season with Toronto, where the South Bend, Indiana, native scored six goals and added four assists for a 10-point campaign.
NADEAU DEBUTS
“Olivier Nadeau will make his pro debut tonight,” confirmed Appert.
Nadeau was selected by the Sabres in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. Afterwards, the power forward returned to his junior team, the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL, where he posted a 78-point season through 65 games in 2021-22. Last season was a shorter run for Nadeau, but he continued to flourish with a 22-goal, 46-point season across 34 games.
“His work ethic and competitiveness in practice has earned him this opportunity. It’s neat for him to get rewarded and we’re excited for him to play tonight.”
“I’m really excited,” said Nadeau earlier this morning. “Since the beginning of the year, I’ve worked hard for this moment. I can’t wait to step on the ice and be in a real game. I just want to be a good teammate and I think being around the team made me feel like my time was coming soon and I knew I needed to be ready for that moment.”
COOLEY GETS THE NOD
Appert confirmed Wednesday morning that Devin Cooley would get his fifth start of the season. The 26-year-old has gone 10-2-3 over his last 15 decisions in net dating back to Dec. 31, 2022. As an Amerk, Cooley has won three straight and is 2-0-1-0 on home ice. He made 52 saves over both home games last week against Charlotte and Laval.