Rochester overcomes a 3-1 deficit to edge the Sound Tigers, 5-4.
By CRAIG POTTER / C&C Worldiwde Sports Director
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Trailing 3-1 early in the second period, the Rochester Americans rallied back and tied the game 4-4 with 11 seconds left in regulation on Wednesday night before 3,487 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
Rookie Victor Olofsson scored the lone goal in the shootout, after a scoreless 5-minute overtime period, and goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped all 3 Bridgeport shots for a 5-4 Amerks win.
With the victory, Rochester regained the lead atop the AHL’s North Division by 2-points over the Syracuse Crunch, who lost to the Utica Comets. However, the Crunch have 3 games-in-hand over Rochester.
Kyle Criscuolo gave the Amerks a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, but the Sound Tigers tied it up about 6 minutes later on a power play.
In the second period, the visitors from Connecticut scored twice with the first 4 minutes to go up 3-1.
Danny O’Regan fired a shot off the crossbar that hit Bridgeport goalie Jeremy Smith and went in the net to cut the deficit to 3-2. Criscuolo and Olofsson assisted on the play.
“Victor is a big-time player,” said Amerks head coach Chris Taylor. “He wants to have the puck on his stick and I thought that line (O’Regan, Asplund, and Olofsson) played really well for us tonight. They got us some good scoring chances, but overall it was a good team effort as it always is when you trail by two goals.”
Amerks defenseman Andrew MacWilliam ended his 148-game goal-less streak as he knotted the count 3-3 on a rebound shot.
“It’s always nice to chip in offensively,” said MacWilliam. “Scoring doesn’t always come around to me, but when it does, it feels great. I’ve only scored a couple, but I do remember them all.”
When asked if he remembered the last time he scored, MacWilliam said, “I do. It was at the MSC Center in Winnipeg…It was only a couple so I remember them all,” he added with a laugh.
However, the Sound Tigers regained the advantage when Ryan Bourque tipped a blast from the left point by Parker Wotherspoon.
With time winding down, Taylor pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker, and it paid off as Sean Malone won the faceoff in the Bridgeport zone. Zach Redmond controlled the puck and sent it to Alex Nylander. The big Swede faked a shot and sent a beautiful pass to Rasmus Asplund, who scored the tying goal with 11.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
“I just tried to get open,” said Asplund. “Nylander is the type of player who can make those passes. I got a little lucky, it bounced off my skate, but it counts.”
Nylander missed all but the first shift of Friday’s game and wasn’t in the lineup Saturday night due to an upper body injury. But he was fine to play on Wednesday, and now has 7 goals, 14 assists, and 21 points in 31 games.
“I thought he played one of his better games,” Taylor said. “He was getting over pucks, he was strong, he had good angles.”
*NOTES — Amerks General Manager Randy Sexton announced on Wednesoday that the team has recalled forward Judd Peterson from the Cincinnati Cyclones and have reassigned forward Vasily Glotov back to Cincinnati. Peterson, 24, earns his first recall of the season after notching 13 points (6+7) in 20 games with the Cyclones. A native of Duluth, MN., Peterson made his pro debut with the Amerks last season, appearing in two games while registering five shots. Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-0, 190-pound forward concluded a four-year collegiate career at St. Cloud State University (NCHC), where he finished with 65 points (37+28) in 151 games with the Huskies. During the 2017-18 season, Peterson scored six goals and added a career-high 12 assists in 40 games while helping the team to an NCHC championship as well as an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Peterson served as one of two team captains and was named a finalist for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. Peterson was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the seventh round (204th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. Peterson is expected to join the team for its weekend trip to Quebec to play the Laval Rocket Friday night and Saturday afternoon…Greece native Stephen Gionta, who was playing in just his 8th game for Bridgeport, was on the ice when Danny O’Regan scored for the Amerks.
Videos
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Rochester Americans rookie forward Rasmus Asplund (26) scores on the tying goal with 11.9 seconds left in regulation against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Wednesday night (1/2/19) before 3,487 fans at the Blue Cross Arena. The Amerks won the game in a shootout, 5-4.
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Brought to you by C&C Worldwide, supporting greecenylive.com, irondequoitlive.com, penfieldlive.com, websterlive.com and rochesternylive.com. Video by Craig Potter.
Rochester Americans rookie forward Victor Olofsson (12) is the first to shoot in the shootout, and the only one to score as the Amerks rally to bea the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 5-4, win on Wednesday night (1/2/19) before 3,487 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
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Brought to you by C&C Worldwide, supporting greecenylive.com, irondequoitlive.com, penfieldlive.com, websterlive.com and rochesternylive.com. Video by Craig Potter.
Rochester Americans goalie Scott Wedgewood stops the Bridgeport Sound Tigers final shooter in the shootout, Keiffer Bellows, for a 5-4 win on Wednesday night (1/2/19) before 3,487 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
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