Rochester’s 4-game winning streak propels the team into first place.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Starting the 2018-19 season winless to begin the campaign, the Rochester Americans put the disappointing start behind them as they have followed the 0-2-0-0 start with 4 straight victories, which also featured a pair of come-from-behind road wins.
The Amerks began the winning-streak with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night at the Blue Cross Arena against the Syracuse Crunch in the first contest between the two clubs since Syracuse eliminated Rochester in the Opening Round of the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs this past spring.
Following Wednesday’s victory, the Amerks traveled to Webster Bank Arena for their first two road games against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the season. Trailing both matinees to begin the third periods 3-1 on Saturday and 2-1 on Sunday, the Amerks came-from-behind for a 4-3 win Saturday before earning a 3-2 overtime victory the next afternoon.
With Sunday’s overtime-victory, the Amerks improved to 4-1-1-0 in their last six meetings against the Sound Tigers. Additionally, Rochester has won back-to-back games in Bridgeport for the first time in franchise history.
The Amerks concluded the road trip with a 6-1 thrashing of the Comets Wednesday night in Utica behind 4 power play goals.
‘GOALFSSON’ EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Rookie VICTOR OLOFSSON was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week yesterday afternoon after posting a pair of game-winning goals and adding four assists to help the Amerks to a perfect 3-0-0-0 record.
“It’s a good feeling,” Olofsson said after becoming the first Amerks skater since Mikhail Grigorenko (Jan. 18, 2015) to be earn the weekly honors. “Having that kind of success helps build the confidence coming into this week against three tough opponents and divisional games.”
To begin the week, Olofsson scored his first-career American Hockey League goal and chipped in two assists to help Rochester double up Syracuse, 6-3. On Saturday in Bridgeport, the 23-year-old forward assisted on the tying goal early in the third period before scoring the winner with 59.4 seconds remaining, lifting the Amerks to a 4-3 victory. And in Sunday’s rematch with the Sound Tigers, Olofsson duplicated the feat: he set up the tying goal early in the third before capping off the game-winner at 1:46 of overtime as Rochester won, 3-2.
“Victor did not have the best of starts to the season,” said Amerks head coach Chris Taylor. “He worked hard last week during practice and he is figuring it out. He’s a well-grounded, mature player and it shows great character by a young professional.”
Olofsson, the Buffalo Sabres’ seventh-round selection (181st overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, paces all AHL rookies and is tied for third overall in the AHL with a team-high eight points (3+5) through his first five games of the season. He also leads all league skaters with five power-play points and enters the week on a three-game point streak, all multi-point efforts. His 14 shots are also tied for most among league rookies.
BLUELINER PAIR RED HOT
After enjoying a career-setting year in 2017-18, ZACH REDMOND has picked up where he left off this season as he shows seven points (2+5) through his first five games to lead all AHL defensemen in scoring.
“Zach is an All-Star player on the ice,” said Amerks assistant coach Gord Dineen. “He sees the game so well and sees plays ahead of them happening and it’s something that is impossible to coach.”
Redmond currently leads all AHL blueliners in power-play scoring with six points (2+4) and ranks second with 16 shots on goal, seven of which came in Sunday’s overtime win.
“’Reds’ has put up some really impressive numbers the last two seasons for us from the back-end, but I think he really enjoys seeing the team having success rather than his own personal,” said Dineen.
While Redmond is off to another hot start to the campaign, so too is LAWRENCE PILUT, who paces all first-year defenseman in overall scoring with seven points (2+5) through his first five North American professional games.
“I am getting better and better every game,” admitted Pilut. “I am still learning different areas and ways to improve my overall game but am happy with the progress so far.”
Pilut, last year’s SHL Defenseman of the Year, has recorded all but two of his seven points on the power-play this season, including his two goals, which are tied for the most among all AHL defensemen.
“Getting points early in the season is a good feeling but I am trying to do what I can to help the team win and have success as much as possible.”
POTENT POWER-PLAY
During Saturday’s 4-3 come-from-behind win, the Amerks opened the game with a power-play goal and also used a third-period goal on the man-advantage to even the game. Just over 24 hours later, Rochester knotted the score at 2-2 just 46 seconds into the final frame of regulation in Sunday’s win.
“One of the keys to our early success has been guys working hard,” said Amerks assistant coach Toby Petersen, who oversees the power-play. “You can have all the talent in the world, but you need to have the type of players who work hard. Both of our units work very hard and have won the puck retrievals, have sharp and crisp passes and great execution.”
Last Wednesday night, the Amerks were aided to a 6-3 win as they added three goals while on the power-play.
Rochester currently has the fourth-best power-play in the AHL with a 31.8% conversion rate and entering this week, the Amerks are also one of only two teams to record seven goals with the man-advantage so far this season, joining the Springfield Thunderbirds.
“Our personnel is really good,” Redmond said. “We have some really good, young guys. They bring a lot of skill, plus we have a good coach, who always has a good game plan. We do not want to ask too many questions while we keep doing what makes us successful.”
“It has been a great start to the year with the special teams’ phase,” added Petersen.
Rochester’s power play netted the first 3 goals Wednesday against the Comets. They added another one in the third period to become the first team in the AHL this season to reach double-digits in power-play goals with 11.