By CRAIG POTTER
Rochester comes from behind with 2 goals in the 3rd to send the game into OT where Cole Schneider nets the game-winner.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Americans ended their 5-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night before 4,892 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
Trailing 3-1 entering the third period, a fight that involved defenseman Brady Austin and Thunderbird Ed Wittchow after he checked Nick Baptiste, helped spark the comeback.
“I think we started playing with a lot more emotion during the third period,” Amerks head coach Dan Lambert said. “Guys stepped up and they were guys who we need to step up after not being very sharp for the first two periods.
“Brady helped his teammates out with his physicality. That’s what he can do for a hockey club.”
Rookie Alex Kile scored his first professional goal late in the second period to tie the game 1-1 in just his second contest with the Amerks.
“There was a puck in the slot and it went wide and wrapped around the boards,” Kile said. “I went to the net and got in position. (Patrick Mullen) shot the puck and I tipped it. I didn’t know that it went in the net.”
Kile recently completed his college career at the University of Michigan and signed an AHL contract with Rochester on March 20. His hustle on the ice was noticed by Lambert.
“I really like his compete, his work ethic,” said Lambert. “It’s something that’s noticeable when somebody does it. We need a lot more guys to buy into working and competing.”
However, the Thunderbirds struck for 2 goals 14 seconds apart less than a minute after Kile knotted the count.
The Amerks took control of the contest in the third period as they outshot the Thunderbirds, 18-6. Derek Grant recorded the second Rochester tally with a power play goal.
“I thought our team really rallied around the hit on ‘Bapper’ (Nick Baptiste),” said Grant. “As a team, we started moving our feet and starting firing more pucks to the net and got rewarded for it in the third period. We did not like our second period, so it showed a lot of character for us to come back in the third like we did.”
Six-and-a-half minutes later Grant netted the equalizer.
In the overtime period, Cole Schneider ripped a shot from the right circle that beat Springfield goalie Adam Wilcox for the game-winner. It was his 20th goal of the campaign.
“We needed this win for the morale of our group,” Lambert said. “We don’t give up, and I think that was the biggest message. We can’t quit and we certainly can’t quit on each other.”
Amerks netminder Linus Ullmark recorded 21 saves in earning his 23rd win of the season.
Amerks sign 3 ATOs
The Amerks signed goaltender Jonas Johansson, forward Justin Danforth, and defenseman Ian Brady to Amateur Tryouts on Friday. However, none played in the game against Springfield.
Johansson, 21, joins the Amerks after spending the majority of the 2016-17 campaign with Almtuna IS of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden. The Gavle, Sweden, native went 17-18-0 in 37 appearances with three shutouts while posting a 2.26 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. The 6-foot-4, 198 pound netminder also appeared in two games with Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League, earning a 1-1-0 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Johansson was originally drafted by Buffalo Sabres in the third-round pick (61st overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
After completing a four-year career at Sacred Heart University (AHA) earlier this month, Danforth, 24, joined the ECHL’s Reading Royals for a brief three-game stint. While with the Royals, he notched three points (1+2) in three games, including his first pro goal on March 10. He also appeared in one AHL contest for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Prior to turning pro, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound forward closed out his senior season at Sacred Heart with a team-high 32 points (10+22) in 37 games for the Pioneers while serving as an alternate captain.
*NOTES – Rochester’s 3-in-3 weekend continues on Saturday as the Amerks travel to the Southern Tier to face the intrastate rival Binghamton Senators for the sixth of the eight meetings this season. The Amerks and Springfield go at it again on Sunday afternoon at 3:05 at the BCA…Springfield’s first visit to Rochester saw the return of several former Amerks. Assistant coaches Doug Janik and Michael Ryan were teammates with the Amerks from 2003-06. Current Thunderbirds defenseman Matt MacKenzie played parts of four seasons (2011-15) in Rochester.
Links
Rochester Americans – amerks.com
Videos
Cole Schneider OT goal – https://youtu.be/UY1iAL9FpRA
Alex Kile goal – https://youtu.be/CtWXOaoREgE
Derek Grant pp goal – https://youtu.be/qPaopQtGsng
Derek Grant tying goal – https://youtu.be/ufl5-9peRfI
Cole Schneider interview – https://youtu.be/PaA_XtoKwvc
Derek Grant interview – https://youtu.be/RxR9qIwZmkc
Alex Kile interview – https://youtu.be/Pgb6boVOKcs
Dan Lambert interview – https://youtu.be/npH0isf8f9Q