ROSEN’S LATE GAME HEROICS LIFT AMERKS TO SECOND STRAIGHT OVERTIME WIN OVER LAVAL
Rosen delivers game-winner in final seconds of overtime to seal 3-2 win over Rocket
Nov 24, 2023Isak Rosen scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of overtime to lift the Rochester Americans (10-4-2-0) to a 3-2 victory over the Laval Rocket (5-9-3-0) Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
With the win, Rochester’s third straight and fourth against the Rocket this season, the Amerks improved to a near-perfect 14-3-0-0 mark at The Blue Cross Arena versus Laval, which includes all three home games in 2023-24. Rochester sits in second place in the North Division standings, just one point back of the Cleveland Monsters.
Forwards Mason Jobst (1+1) and Jiri Kulich (0+2) both turned in multi-point performances to complete the two-game sweep over the Rocket while Jeremy Davies and Rosen concluded the goal scoring. Zach Metsa, Michael Mersch, and Kale Clague all added an assist.
Goaltender Devin Cooley (4-2-1) evened his record on the campaign as he stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced in the win.
Jan Mysak and Riley Kidney both scored their second goals of the season for Laval. Goaltender Strauss Mann (2-4-2) took the defeat in the Rocket crease as he made 32 saves in his 10th appearance of the season.
Despite being unable to capitalize on a pair of third period power-plays and outshooting the Rocket 14-6 over final 20 minutes, the Amerks headed to overtime for the seventh time this season as the game was tied 2-2.
In the extra frame, both Mann and Cooley made timely stops to keep the score even, but as the contest seemingly headed for a shootout, it was Rosen and the Amerks who had other plans.
With the puck deep inside his own zone, Clague tucked behind the Rochester net to allow enough time for Jobst to find an open lane. The defenseman then provided a pass to the far blueline for Jobst to push ahead for Rosen as he sprinted towards Mann. Rosen corralled the pass in the deep slot, deked to his right and flipped a backhanded shot under the crossbar with seven seconds remaining for the 3-2 victory.
The overtime goal was Rosen’s first of his career and gave Rochester three consecutive home wins versus Laval through the first four meetings inside the Flower City.
During the opening period, it was nearly identical to overtime as neither club scored until the final moments.
Lukas Rousek carried the puck into the offensive zone before leaving it for Kulich inside the right face-off dot. The latter fired a shot, which Metsa dug out of the feet of Mann and passed it to the right corner. Gaining possession inside the near circle, Davies stepped out with the puck and wired a shot past a screened Mann with less than a second on the clock.
Following the intermission break, the two clubs alternated goals in the second period while also combining for 20 shots.
Laval opened the scoring nearly eight minutes into the frame as Mysak pounced on a rebound to the right of the crease after a turnover by the Amerks inside their own zone.
Seven minutes after Mysak’s second marker of the campaign, Rochester drew its second power-play as the Rocket was whistled for a tripping infraction.
The Amerks needed only 37 seconds before Kulich centered a pass onto the doorstep for Mersch. Rochester’s captain steered the feed towards the netminder before Jobst finished converted the rebound with 5:08 to play in the stanza.
The power-play tally gives Rochester at least one goal on the man-advantage in all five games this season versus Laval.
Despite trailing for the second time in the contest, Laval tied the score at the 16:20 mark with Kidney’s second of the season. The forward gathered Mitchell Stephens’ feed from along the blueline and used an Amerk as a screen before ripping a long-range shot past Cooley.
The game remained tied until the final seven seconds of overtime, where Rosen provided the late-game heroics.
The Amerks step away from North Division opponents as they travel to Allentown for a 7:05 p.m. contest with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday, Nov. 25. All the action from the PPL Center will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Stars and Stripes:
With Isak Rosen (1+0) and Jiri Kulich (0+2) recording at least one point each, Rochester owns a 20-3-2-1 record when they each have at least one point in the same game dating back to start of last season … In addition to tonight’s game, the Amerks have scored at least three goals in 13 of their first 16 games, including six outings with five goals or more … Including all five games this season, 33 of the 35 games between Rochester and Laval has seen the winning club score three or more goals … Rochester has scored a power-play goal in each of the five games this season against Laval, going 6-for-21 over that span.
Goal Scorers
LAV: J. Mysak (2), R. Kidney (2)
ROC: J. Davies (3), M. Jobst (7), I. Rosen (8)
Goaltenders
LAV: S. Mann – 32/35 (OTL)
ROC: D. Cooley – 32/34 (W)
Shots
LAV: 34
ROC: 35
Special Teams
LAV: PP (0/3) | PK (3/4)
ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (3/3)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - I. Rosen
2. ROC - J. Kulich
3. LAV - R. Kidney