TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS END 2023 ON HIGH NOTE
Jan 2, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (14-12-2-1) ended 2023 in winning fashion, topping the Utica Comets in a 3-2 shootout win to finish the week with a 1-2-0-0 record and end the calendar year still in playoff positioning.
Following consecutive two-goal losses Wednesday (3-1 to Syracuse) and Friday (4-2 to Hershey), Linus Weissbach netted the game-winning-goal eight rounds into the shootout Saturday night.
ROAD WARRIORS
Despite a difficult month overall, the Amerks enter the New Year having won two straight road games and three of their last four away from Blue Cross Arena. Overall, the Amerks posted a 4-2-0-1 record away from home in December.
Jeremy Davies has been a consistent bright spot on the road, registering 10 of his 15 points away from Rochester. Likewise, Amerks captain Michael Mersch has found 11 of his 17 points on the season in opposing team’s venues. Mersch finished the year with a two-point game (1+1) Saturday in Utica, including a crucial goal to tie the game with 2:28 left in regulation to force overtime.
A JOLT FROM JOST
The Amerks benefitted from Sabres’ forward Tyson Jost clearing waivers and arriving in Rochester. In his first AHL game since Feb. 9, 2019, Jost made an immediate impact in his Amerks debut against Hershey Friday, scoring a power-play goal along with an assist.
“It was just nice to play in a hockey game again,” said Jost following Friday’s game. “Obviously I want to be in the NHL. I know I’m an NHL player, but I wasn’t going to come down here and have a bad attitude and not try. I want to better my game and become a better player and get back to the NHL. I know I belong there.”
“As much as it’s disappointing for a guy like him to be in the NHL, it can become very good for his career,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert. “It’s not good to sit and just be a 13th forward. For him to get to play 18 to 20 minutes a night and be on special teams is great for him.”
Following his multi-point game at home, Jost found the back of the net again in Utica, giving the forward of over 450 NHL games a two-goal, three-point weekend in Rochester.
ROUSEK ROLLING
For the second time in his career, forward Lukas Rousek has registered a six-game point streak and will enter 2024 with a chance to establish a new career-long point streak. Rousek began the final week of 2023 with a penalty shot conversion against Syracuse Wednesday, then followed with an assist in both Friday and Saturday’s games. Rousek is now third in team scoring with 19 points (6+13) and his 13 assists are tied for second amongst his teammates.
“Rousek’s eight or nine-game run here has just been excellent,” said Appert. “It’s how hard he’s playing off the puck and how hard he’s hunting pucks. He’s a really talented player. He’s creative and a great passer. Something we’ve challenged him on is not needing to be the smartest player on the ice, but we need him to be the most competitive player on the team every day. I think when he was younger, he would settle for being the smartest player on the team. He’s playing in a manner right now that when he earns another call-up it will give him a better chance at staying in the National Hockey League.”
COMING UP NEXT
January features a lighter month in terms of quantity of games (10), but the schedule of opponents doesn’t get easier. The New Year starts with the Amerks entertaining the North Division leading-Cleveland Monsters Friday night for the start of a home-and-home beginning at Blue Cross Arena and ending in Cleveland Saturday night.