GAMEDAY NOTES & QUOTES: ROUND 3 | GAME 3
May 17, 2023The North Division Final series makes its way to Rochester tonight, with the Amerks holding a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Marlies. After stealing two big victories in Toronto, the Rochester squad knows tonight will be the toughest battle yet.
“This is going to be Toronto’s best effort — physically, mentally, and execution-wise,” Amerks head coach Seth Appert said this morning. “At the same point in time, you understand that, but you don’t worry about that.”
“We try to keep most of the focus on ourselves: what do we need to do to prepare ourselves to be the best version?”
A narrow focus has been the mindset that the coaching staff has given the players since Round 2 against the Syracuse Crunch. It’s important to look at each game, no matter the circumstance, as the one game you need to win.
“How do we execute our team play? How do we execute the adjustments we want to make against Toronto?” Appert asked the team. “If we do those things at a high level, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win. It doesn’t guarantee anything, though. We’re playing a great team.”
LINEUP NOTES
Linus Weissbach is out of the lineup for the second-straight game, but he’s close, according to Appert: “He’s headed in a good direction, and he’ll be back sooner than later.”
Appert noted that they’ll use the same 11 and 7 lineup tonight as in Game 2, which means that Mitch Eliot will be the seventh defenseman.
That also means the top line of Brett Murray, Mason Jobst, and Michael Mersch will likely see a lot of ice time again tonight. “He’s the best he’s ever been in his career,” Appert said of Murray. “The most consistent. The most physically engaged. Look what he does now: he’s first line, physical presence, power play. He’s penalty killing.”
Jobst and Mersch both lead the team with nine points a piece in the seven postseason games so far. Mersch, who tallied a Round 2, Game 3 hat trick, has five goals so far. Jobst has tallied seven assists.
Rookie forward Jiri Kulich has five goals as well: one in every playoff game he’s suited up for. “I don’t think pressure gets to him,” Appert told Sabres live today. “He seems to perform extremely well when the lights are bright.”
Appert also explained that both Syracuse and Toronto targeted Kulich, and fellow rookie Isak Rosen, but that they both haven’t got caught up “in the nonsense.”
WORTH MENTIONING
Kulich leads all AHL rookies with five goals. He also paces the league with four power play goals and two game-winning goals in the postseason.
Lawrence Pilut, who scored the game-winning overtime goal in Game 5 against Syracuse, ranks third in scoring amongst all AHL defensemen with seven points (3+4). He also carries the longest active point streak by a defenseman, currently sitting at five games.
A win tonight would give the Amerks a series sweep for the first time since eliminating Hamilton in the opening round of 2005. It would earn the team a trip to the Conference Finals for the first time in 19 years.
Rochester has a 10-4 record when they have a chance to sweep an opponent in the postseason, and have won each of their last seven games to sweep an opponent.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
The Toronto Marlies ran away with the North Division with over a month left in the season. They defeated the Utica Comets in four games in Round 2.
The Maple Leafs returned goaltender Joseph Wall to the Marlies on loan after Woll appeared in Game 3 and started Games 4 and 5 for the Leafs in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When asked if he was worried about Woll’s return on The Sports Bar, Appert responded, “I don’t worry about things I can’t control. I didn’t even look at their ‘clear day’ roster; I have no idea who they could’ve sent down. I don’t care.”
Appert explained that the team is not preparing for one player — whether they’re in the lineup or not. “My focus is on us and getting our guys to play the right way.”
Forward Bobby McMann could return to the Toronto lineup as well tonight after missing 29 games. McMann tallied 21 goals in his 30 games played during the regular season.
The Marlies owned the second-best power play throughout the regular season, and scored on four opportunities during Game 2. The Amerks, who have seen an excellent penalty kill for most of the second half of the season, have made a few tweaks to their special teams ahead of tonight’s game.
“We’ve made adjustments every game of the playoffs,” Appert said. “That’s the nature of the playoffs. It’s not like we’re going to go away from our identity… but it’s our job as a coaching staff to bring solutions to them in areas of the game that maybe we’ve struggled.”
GAME NIGHT INFORMATION
Very few tickets remain for tonight’s Game 3 at Blue Cross Arena. The first 5,000 fans will receive red Round 3 Amerks rally towels.
Fans can enjoy $2 draft beers until puck drop at Pregame Happy Hour in the Genesee Brewhouse inside Blue Cross Arena.
The Sports Bar is live from Blue Cross Arena until 7pm! Say hello to Gene Battaglia and Mike Danger behind section 119 before puck drop as they broadcast on The Fan Rochester.