A look at the week ahead for Rochester.
By Ryan Harr / Rochester Americans
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Coming off a three-in-three weekend where they earned four of a possible six points on the road, the Rochester Americans (3-1-0-0) return to the ice for a pair of North Division games this coming weekend.
The Amerks welcome the Cleveland Monsters to The Blue Cross Arena for a 7:05 p.m. matchup on Friday, Oct. 18 before closing out the week with a 7 pm tilt against the Utica Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center on Saturday.
By winning six of eight games during last season’s head-to-head series with the Monsters, Rochester holds a record of 26-7-2-3 over Cleveland since the start of the 2011-12 campaign. The Amerks opened the season-series with the Comets by claiming the first two contests by a combined score of 10-1 before closing out the 10-game series with three consecutive victories. Rochester showed a 7-3-0-0 record after just going 3-2-2-3 in 2017-18.
HEROICS IN HARTFORD
The Amerks concluded their first three-in-three weekend of the season in dramatic fashion as they erased a two-goal, third-period deficit Sunday afternoon and completed the come-from-behind victory with a 3-2 shootout win over the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center. Rochester has now won three straight games in Hartford, including two comeback victories dating back to last season.
“It’s tough from playing one game to having seven days off then playing three games in three days,” said Amerks interim head coach Gord Dineen. “The mindset changes very quickly and it comes at you just as quick.”
“I was very happy with our guys,” continued Dineen. “They were smart and played gritty at spots when they needed to. With the time off, they came out in Springfield and had a great first period and the last period in Hartford, I think that was our best period.”
EARNING POINTS EARLY ON
Rochester earned four of a possible six points this past weekend and have claimed six points overall through its first four games of the 2019-20 campaign. All four contests have been one-goal games, including a pair of wins beyond regulation. The Amerks are just six teams in the AHL this season to earn a win in the extra session but are the only club to take the extra point in both games.
“We won two of three on road,” said Zach Redmond, who scored the game-tying goal on Sunday with 13 seconds left in regulation. “The first handful games of the year, everyone is trying get a feel for one another.”
“Getting those games in now is good because it always gives us something to work on and clean up leading to the weekend’s games.”
THOMPSON TORMENTING THE OPPOSITION
Despite being held off the scoresheet Saturday night against the Bruins for the first time this season, Tage Thompson has totaled 16 points (10+6) over his last 15 games with the Amerks dating back to last season, including the two goals he scored in the first round of the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Marlies.
More impressively, Thompson has scored eight goals in just 12 career regular-season games with Rochester, matching the total he set over a 30-game stint with the San Antonio Rampage during his rookie season in 2017-18. The third-year pro leads the Amerks with five points (2+3) and enters the week tied for sixth among the AHL’s top point-getters. He’s also tied for 14th in assists (3) and sixth in the league in shots (16).
RED-HOT REMOND: THE SEQUEL
Veteran defenseman Zach Redmond is tied for third amongst all AHL defensemen in scoring after averaging a point-per-game through his first four games of the season, including the game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in Sunday’s shootout win at Hartford. The reigning Eddie Shore Award winner has collected five points (1+4) in his last eight games dating back to last season. His three assists tie him for sixth-most in the league among blueliners.
HAMMOND AMONG LEAGUE’S BEST
In his first three appearances as an Amerk, netminder Andrew Hammond shows a perfect 3-0-0 record to go along with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. His three wins are tied for most in the league while his save percentage and goals-against average rank seventh and ninth, respectively, among his fellow goaltenders who have played in more than two games this season. Hammond, who stopped all three shooters he faced in the shootout on Sunday, also begins the week third in minutes (187) and fifth in the AHL with 80 saves.
TUNE IN
All of the action this Friday and Saturday night as well as every game this season will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.