KISAKOV NOT BACKING AWAY FROM PHYSICALITY OF AHL
Nov 18, 2022By Suzie Cool
After missing four games with an injury, Rochester Americans forward Aleksandr Kisakov came back with a purpose last weekend.
Kisakov posted three points and had goals in back-to-back games between the team’s efforts on Friday and Saturday against the Cleveland Monsters and Belleville Senators. On Friday, Kisakov tallied his first goal in the AHL before roofing a shot to give Rochester a 2-1 lead in the second frame of Saturday’s contest in Belleville.
“We saw it in ‘Kisa’ before the injury. He was starting to come, and you felt it was just a matter of time because he's creating scoring chances every game. So, it doesn't surprise me,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert when discussing how Kisakov’s offense is finally beginning to surface.
“It's a real credit to him to come back from injury and to jump right back in where he left off,” said Appert. “These are physical games. The North Division is not easy, and the Syracuse game was physical, and the Bellville game was physical, and the Cleveland game was physical. He’s only 157 pounds right now, so I’m really impressed at his willingness and ability to get to the inside.”
Two impressive performances for the rookie who just came back from injury in the very same week.
“I was just watching video with him, and I was pointing out all the different clips over the three games last week that he's in the scoring areas. He's at the front of the net, he's in the slot, he's very willing,” continued Appert when speaking of Kisakov’s efforts last week. “If you want to be a great offensive player, you have to be willing to take pucks to hard areas and to go to hard areas. He was doing that earlier, but it just always wasn't translating for his offense.”
And this season has been a big learning curve for Kisakov, going from the Minor Hockey League, and Kontinental Hockey League, in Russia to a smaller ice sheet in the American Hockey League.
“There's just more traffic. There’s more physicality in North America because they shoot smaller so that there's less room to get away to be in isolated situations. So, it's a real credit to him,” commented Appert when talking about the strides Kisakov’s already made in his game to continue to be just as effective in the AHL.
Last season, Kisakov recorded a team-leading 56 points on 26 goals and 30 assists in 51 games with Dynamo Moscow of the MHL while also adding seven assists in six playoff contests. While the rookie forward’s goal and assist totals finished second on his team in the MHL, Kisakov went on to make his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) debut with the Dynamo Moscow, appearing in four games.
In 2020-21, Kisakov finished his second season in the MHL with a career-high 36 goals and 73 points while his 37 assists were sixth in 61 games with Dynamo Moscow. Kisakov’s career-highs that season topped all Dynamo skaters in goals and points, while he went on to record 10 points on five goals and five assists in 14 playoff games.
There’s no doubt Kisakov can thrive offensively, as evidenced by the impressive numbers he’s put up over the last couple of years in Russia. If Kisakov continues to keep getting to the front of the net, finding himself in the slot and getting to those hard areas, then more points are bound to follow.
“I’ve been really impressed as to how he’s handled it, especially considering it’s his first year in North America,” finished Appert when discussing how Kisakov, despite his size, has handled the physicality of the AHL.