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ROCHESTER SQUARES OFF AGAINST HERSHEY IN EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

ROCHESTER SQUARES OFF AGAINST HERSHEY IN EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

May 22, 2023

By Emily Wade

 

The Rochester Americans face the Hershey Bears in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series. It’ll be their first seven-game series, after beating Syracuse in five games and sweeping Toronto in three. When asked what’s different about playing in a seven-game series instead of a five-game series, Amerks head coach Seth Appert laughed.
 

“I don’t know. I’ve never done it. So we’ll find out.”

“Realistically,” he continued, “I don’t think probably all that much. You do have a little more time to recover from a poor start, potentially, or get caught from a great start. I can tell you this: our approach isn’t any different.”

 

The Amerks have approached every game in their six-game postseason win streak in the same manner: they’re just trying to win one game. Their entire focus, leading up to each game, is only on that game — not on the bigger picture.

 

 

They’ve taken this approach, and they’ve found success, because of how well they practice. “The best way to win one game is to have a couple great days of practice and preparation, to focus in on the habits we need to have,” Appert said. “We haven’t talked about a seven-game series because all I want our guys to worry about is Game 1.”

 

The preparation for the Eastern Conference Finals has been different, however, because Rochester and Hershey only met twice during the regular season, as opposed to the multitude of meetings between divisional opponents. Most of the preparation falls on the coaching staff.

 

“We had a book of information on the other two teams. The three of us have watched a ton of video in the last four days preparing,” Appert explained. “And then probably shown our guys a hair more — not a ton more — just so they’re more familiar with their style, but also with their personnel.”

 

Their personnel could prove more challenging for a young Amerks squad. The Bears have some high-end prospects, of course, but they’ve been driven all season by their veteran core: guys like Joe Snively, Sam Anas, Mike Vecchione, and Mike Sgarbossa.

 

“These are really elite veterans, savvy American League players. You see it in the calmness of their play in big moments."

 

He continued: "You see it on the power play where they can really snap the puck around, and not just be in the same look all the time. They can morph into other things. Usually you can only do that with veteran teams, with mature, intelligent teams.”

 

 

Appert explained that Hershey is similar to Syracuse in that way, so the team does have some experience, but that it will certainly be a challenge. But the success the Amerks found against the Bears during the regular season could certainly also help.

 

When you look back at the impressive run the Amerks went on to secure their playoff spot — and tie for second in the North Division — it really started with their 4-3 overtime win against the Hershey Bears on Friday, March 24.

 

You remember the one.

 

“In the last four games we’ve played against them, the games have been phenomenal,” Appert told the media about the two games from this season and the two from last. “Hard-fought, physical, very close games.”

 

The Amerks faced the Bears on Saturday, March 18 in Hershey prior to the win in Rochester on that Friday night. Though Rochester lost 2-1, it was an impressive game from a young group: they traveled in for a back-to-back after an overtime loss against Wilkes-Barre, and held their own in Hershey.

 

“I do believe that those were two of the games — we had been playing good in 10, 15 games leading up to that — but those are two of the games that kind of jump-started us,” Appert said. The Bears had been at the top of the Eastern Conference almost all season.

 

“I think our guys gained even more belief in ourselves in how well we played against them in those two match-ups in back-to-back weeks, and maybe that was one of the things that got us going a bit at the end of the season.”

 

The Amerks went 14-3-3 since the game against the Bears in Blue Cross Arena. It propelled them into their playoff spot, and the Amerks never looked back. Now, the Rochester squad will have the chance to take-down the second-best team in the East.

 

And they’ll do so while playing their best hockey of the season. “We’ve got a really close group in there,” Appert said. “I think that’s been the strength of our group all year: the camaraderie, the culture that’s allowed us to overcome a lot of adversity and culminate into where we’re playing our best hockey in the last 20 games of the regular season and now in the playoffs.”

 

 

That best hockey is led by a collective of players who are all contributing at a high-level. Forward Mason Jobst, who has found himself on the top line with Brett Murray and Michael Mersch, leads the team in scoring with 11 points (2+9).

 

Rookie Jiri Kulich has paced the team in scoring, with a tally in each of his six postseason games so far. Defenseman Lawrence Pilut ranks third amongst all AHL blueliners with 7 postseason points.

 

Linus Weissbach, who missed the last two games, should return to the lineup for the series, according to Appert after practice on Monday. He has five points in six games.

 

Matthew Savoie, the Buffalo Sabres’ 9th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was assigned to Rochester on Sunday and practiced with the team on Monday. He is not likely to play in Game 1, as Appert noted that he’s had a lot of travel the last few days — after his WHL season ended — but “once we get him acclimated, he’ll be in the lineup.”

 

No matter what the lineup is, it’ll be all hands on deck for the Amerks, as they face their biggest test of the postseason in Hershey. “This is going to be the best season we’ve played,” Appert said of the Bears.

 

The puck drops on Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night from the GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The game can be streamed on AHLTV, heard on The Fan Rochester with Don Stevens and Brian Duff, or watched on MSG Network for fans in the New York state area.


Game 2 is on Thursday night in Hershey before the series returns to Rochester for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday, and Monday, respectively. Tickets for both home games are on sale now — and Game 3 is quickly approaching a sellout.

 

Amerks fans can get the playoff party started early on Saturday at the ROC the Block Party on Broad Street: enjoy a live band, food and drink specials, and plenty of fun for the whole family from 4-7pm outside Blue Cross Arena.

 

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