TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS BEING BATTLE TESTED
Pair of points act as silver lining to challenging week of competition
Nov 18, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (7-5-2-0) earned two points in three games over a week that saw them face the top team in the North Division twice, followed by playing a Toronto team on short rest Sunday evening.
After a 3-2 overtime loss to Laval Wednesday, the Rocket returned to Blue Cross Arena Saturday evening to take a 4-1 decision from the Amerks. On Sunday, Rochester rallied down 1-0 in the third period to pick up a point, but ultimately fell on the wrong end of a 2-1 final to the Marlies. Despite the winless week, the Amerks’ recent six-game win streak allotted them some wiggle room, as the team remains in playoff positioning entering the penultimate week of November.
LOTS OF MOVEMENT
Between transactions and injuries, the Amerks had a week that saw several shifts in the lineup. On Wednesday, veteran defenseman Ethan Prow made his season debut after missing the start of the year due to injury. Prow, a 10th-year pro, has skated in 448 professional games, including four in the NHL. Across his AHL career, the Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, native has amassed 52 goals and 225 points. Prow has been an Amerk since the 2021-22 season.
Over the weekend, Tyson Kozak rejoined the lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. The third-year pro has already matched his career high in goals (5) and did so in 33 fewer games. Staying on offense, the Amerks also said goodbye to Jiri Kulich, who was recalled to the Sabres following four games with Rochester, where the 20-year-old scored two goals and an assist. Kulich appeared in eight games with the Sabres before being reassigned to Rochester, then played in his first game back with the Sabres Saturday against Philadelphia.
In goal, the Amerks released Matt Vernon from his Professional Tryout (PTO) once Felix Sandström got cleared to dress for the weekend. Sandström backed-up Michael Houser Saturday, then made his first start in nine days Sunday in Toronto, making numerous quality saves to help the Amerks earn a point while making 27 saves in his sixth start as an Amerk.
HARD-WORK HOUSER
Houser started two of Rochester’s three games last week, turning in 41 saves and an 0-1-1 record. Houser, 32, appeared in four straight games for the Amerks prior to Sunday and is 4-3-1 through nine games. He is six minutes shy of having already exceeded his 2023-24 time in goal by 200 minutes. Additionally, Houser currently ranks fifth in the AHL’s Eastern Conference in minutes played with 513.
The experienced netminder is in his fifth season with the red, white, and blue and 13th year as a pro. In 125 AHL games, Houser shows a 54-45-9-4 record.
“He’s been really consistent,” said Amerks head coach Michael Leone. “There’s been a couple of times where we don’t give up much, but then suddenly we do give the other team a big chance and he has come up with big time saves. If you look at the career he’s had, he’s built up a lot of deposits in the bank. He’s always ready to play and he’s given us a chance to win every time he’s in there for us.”
COMING UP NEXT
For a third straight week, the Amerks have three games on their slate as the month of November, Rochester’s busiest of the season, continues to heat up. On Wednesday, the team will travel north of the border again, this time to face-off with Laval for what will be the third time in the Amerks’ last four games.
Following Wednesday, the Amerks will start a four-game homestand at Blue Cross Arena, beginning Friday night against the back-to-back defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears. Then on Saturday, the currently winless Utica Comets (0-10-1-2) will make their first visit to Rochester with the Amerks already owning a 3-0-0-0 season series lead with a trio of wins at Adirondack Bank Center.
Fourteen of Rochester’s remaining 17 games in the calendar year 2024 will be against North Division opponents.