By CRAIG POTTER
Another slow start costs Rochester in the 3-1 loss to the Wolf Pack.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Americans yielded a goal in the first 30 seconds of play on Wednesday night at lost to the Hartford Wolf Pack, 3-1, before 4,781 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
“We came out on the first shift and gave up a goal early on a play that should not have happened,” said Amerks head coach Dan Lambert. “We then took a few penalties and found ourselves down a pair of goals and being outshot 10-1.
“We were better in the second and third periods, but Hartford kept us to the outside and did a nice job of checking. We just were not able to capitalize on the chances we did get.”
The Wolf Pack scored a soft goal on John Muse, who got the start as Linus Ullmark was called up to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday to fill in for Robin Lehner, who was down with the flu.
“It’s pretty frustrating coming off a good weekend,” said Muse of the early goal. “I killed our start from what we wanted to have. It’s pretty disappointing.”
“The first shift was tough to give up a goal that quick(ly),” said forward Hudson Fasching, who was playing in just his third game of the season. “While that is not the best start, we tried to get better as a line and a team. I felt pretty good, and as the game went on, I started to get back into the rhythm of a game.”
Nicklas Jensen tucked in a shot on the short-side coming from behind the net after the Amerks failed to clear the puck from their zone.
Hartford made it 2-0 12 minutes into the game with a power play goal by Matt Carey. Jensen netted his second goal of the contest early in the third period for a 3-0 advantage.
Cole Schneider tallied a power play goal for Rochester about 7 minutes into the final stanza to avert the shutout. The Amerks continued to apply pressure as they outshot the Wolf Pack, 17-10, but goalie Brandon Halverson turned aside the rest of the shots.
The Amerks face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night with a 7:05 faceoff at the BCA.
*NOTES — Buffalo Sabres General Manager Tim Murray was seen in the hallway leaving the building, following his meeting with Amerks coach Dan Lambert after the game. Murray did not make himself available to the Rochester media for an interview…The Americans recalled goaltender Jason Kasdorf from the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. Kasdorf, 24, rejoins the Amerks after appearing in three games with the team this season. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kasdorf shows a 2-5-0 record with a 4.30 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage in seven appearances with the Jackals. He picked up his first pro win on Nov. 27 against the Manchester Monarchs, making 24 saves on 25 shots in a 2-1 overtime victory. Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound netminder completed a four-year collegiate career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (R.P.I.), posting a record of 38-37-9 in 88 games to go along with 2.39 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage…The Nashville Predators claimed forward Derek Grant off the waiver wire from the Buffalo Sabres. Grant, 26, has no goals and three assists in 35 games for Buffalo this season. A former fourth-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, Grant has played 75 NHL games for the Sens, Flames, and Sabres and is still looking for his first goal. Grant is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $650,000 cap hit…Hartford GM Jim Schoenfeld went 17-6-2 in 25 games as the Amerks head coach during the 1984-85 season before leaving midseason to return as an active player for the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 6, 1984…Wolf Pack forward Tanner Glass played parts of 3 seasons (2006-09) in Rochester, recording 25 points (10+15) in 91 career games as an Amerk.
Links
Rochester Americans – amerks.com
Videos
Cole Schneider pp goal – https://youtu.be/2Pm7TjjRslU
Hartford short-handed shot – https://youtu.be/opfsEotC95E
Glass-Strachan fight – https://youtu.be/hnMuGJ-mTBg
Hudson Fasching interview – https://youtu.be/Nr5KpbNYJZo
John Muse interview – https://youtu.be/tIUcNF_-WV8
Coach Dan Lambert interview – https://youtu.be/LMuFiuUjg4s