TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS ON VERGE OF CLINCHING PLAYOFFS
Apr 8, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
A dominant performance on home ice, followed by a New England road trip saw the Amerks continue their winning ways, extending their streak to a season-long six games thanks to three wins, including a pair past regulation over the weekend.
Wednesday night saw the Amerks bombard the Cleveland Monsters for a six-goal outburst, including four in the first period, en route to a 6-1 victory.
On Saturday, Rochester rallied in the third period to force overtime against Providence, where Michael Mersch would go on to score the game-winning-goal, serving as his 400th professional point in a 3-2 win against the Bruins.
Less than 24 hours later, the Amerks were dominating a Bridgeport Islanders team that all-of-a-sudden erased a 4-0 deficit to even the score. The Sunday matinee required a shootout, where Brandon Biro and Jiri Kulich dangled the Amerks to a 5-4 win.
ONE IS ALL YOU NEED
With Sunday’s win, Rochester trimmed its magic number to a single standings point. The team had a chance to secure a playoff berth that day, but Utica thwarted the attempt by winning its game against Toronto. The Amerks’ next chance to clinch comes Friday at home against Belleville.
Rochester has hit their stride down the stretch, playing as one of the top teams across the American Hockey League by earning points in 25 of its last 33 games. What once was a team scratching for the bottom playoff spots in the North now has a legitimate opportunity to win the division, sitting just a point back of Syracuse with 81 and a 36-22-6-3 record.
If the playoffs started today, the Amerks would draw Cleveland in a best-of-five series. The Monsters, Crunch, and Amerks are separated by a combined two points for first through third. Each team has five games remaining in the regular season.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Mersch’s 400th point wasn’t the only tally for the captain on the week. The fourth year Amerk and 10th-year pro registered consecutive two-point (1+1) games against Providence and Bridgeport. It’s the first time Mersch has strung together back-to-back multi-point outings since January 2023.
Over his last 13 games, Mersch has amassed 10 points (5+5). The captain owns 14 goals on the season, marking the ninth season Mersch has reached at least 14 conversions.
YOUNG BUCK SETTLING IN
Newcomer and 18-year-old rookie forward Anton Wahlberg scored a critical goal in Saturday’s win over Providence. With the Amerks trailing 2-1, Wahlberg netted his first professional goal in North America halfway through the third to help Rochester force overtime.
The Malmo, Sweden, native has skated in four contests with the Amerks and has points in all but his first game with the team. Wahlberg tallied his first point Wednesday with an assist on Viktor Neuchev’s opening period goal, then added a helper on Mason Jobst’s first-period goal Sunday. The 2023 Buffalo draft choice was selected 39th overall with the Sabres’ second-round pick. He began the year in his native country playing professionally in the SHL, accumulating five goals and 10 points in 43 games.
COMING UP NEXT
Blue Cross Arena plays host to four of the final five games of the regular season for the Amerks, beginning with the start of a four-game homestand Friday against Belleville. The Senators visit Rochester for games both Friday and Saturday. Belleville enters the week in a tie for the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division. Rochester is 2-3-0-1 in six games against the Sens this season.