This will be the fourth all-time playoff meeting between the 2 teams.
By Erica Whyte
The Rochester Americans are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. With Rochester’s 4-2 victory over the Syracuse Crunch this past Saturday, the North Division standings were solidified, and the stage has been set for an Amerks-Crunch matchup in the best-of-five opening round.
The upcoming series will be the fourth postseason meeting between the Amerks and Crunch. Rochester has come out on top in all three playoff series thus far, most recently winning a seven-game series in the 2004 North Division Semifinals. The Amerks also swept the Crunch 3-0 in the 1997 Empire State Division Semifinals and captured a 4-1 series win in the 1996 Southern Conference Finals en route to their most recent Calder Cup.
For the first time since Ron Rolston’s inaugural season in 2011-12, a first year coach is leading the Amerks playoff charge. No stranger to Calder Cup quests himself, head coach Chris Taylor has made playoff appearances 14 different times in his pro career, five of which when he was wearing the Amerks crest. Taylor attributes the Amerks success this year to a long list of people.
“It’s all due to everybody in this organization,” said Taylor, reflecting on his first year as head coach. “From the coaching staff, to the trainers, Randy (Sexton), Jason (Botterill), Steve Greeley, and the team that they’ve put together. Everybody is in it together. We’re all partners and we’re all pulling the same way and we all want everyone to do well and get better.”
At the risk of sounding cliché, Taylor insists that everyone in the organization as well as the fans are all in this together.
“We believe in each other. That’s the biggest thing for me. Everybody believes in each other and everybody really likes each other, and we’re doing this for each other.”
At the beginning of the season, Taylor emphasized the importance of a solid leadership group within the dressing room. With that in mind, his selection of Kevin Porter to captain this team was a no-brainer. Currently in his 10th pro season, the 32-year-old Detroit, Mich., native has competed in both NHL and AHL playoff series with five different teams. He also has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for the Penguins’ 2016 win, alongside Jason Botterill and Randy Sexton.
With skill and experience to boot, Porter hopes to guide the younger players into their first taste of the playoffs.
“It’s definitely more intense, you’ve got to finish every check, you’re going to get finished every time you have the puck,” said Porter. “Sometimed in the regular season your legs might not be there, but you’ve got to make sure you’re fired up for every game in the playoffs.”
And as for the upcoming games themselves? Porter says his team is ready for war.
“I think its going to be a great series. They play hard, we play pretty hard, they’re a great skilled team, and its going to be a good battle.”
Individual game tickets for Round One of the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs start as low as just $14 and range in price up to $28 depending on seat location. All tickets purchased on the day of the game will increase by $2. Tickets are available for purchase either in person at the Blue Cross Arena Box Office, online at WWW.AMERKS.COM, or by calling 1-855-GO-AMERKS