Rochester takes a 10-game point streak into Friday’s showdown against the Toronto Marlies.
By Amy Moritz / Buffalo News
The difference in results has been impressive. Amazing, really.
The Rochester Americans have points in their last nine games, their longest streak since a record-tying 11 straight wins from Oct. 12 to Nov. 10 during the 2009-10 season. Rochester is now six points behind the first-place Toronto Marlies in the North Division and in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. It’s bringing new hope around Blue Cross Arena for a franchise that hasn’t has made the playoffs the last three years and hasn’t made it out of the first round since 2005.
On the ice, the Amerks have been playing with consistency while depth throughout the lineup has allowed the team to roll four lines and go six deep at the blue line.
Off the ice, the Amerks have quickly created a new culture, one that goes beyond hockey. One that is demonstrating that success is not a zero-sum game.
“I’m surprised at how well our culture has changed and how quickly it’s changed in the dressing room,” said Amerks coach Chris Taylor. “The staff and players are talking and enjoying each other. We know we’re here for a reason and the end result is we’re here to win and develop and have fun as a family. Everyone is buying in. Everyone wants to come in and see each other and see what’s going on in other people’s lives, not just our hockey lives. We care about each other outside of the game. That makes us a stronger team.”
And that has translated into success in games. Sure, this season in particular has provided ample opportunity for players to earn call-ups to the Buffalo Sabres as the parent NHL club has struggled mightily, and somewhat unexpectedly. But nobody has been focused on the potential opportunity. That’s not the culture in Rochester these days. Instead, the family atmosphere allows for players to grow and develop while the internal competition reinforces the need to bring their best every single day.
“With our people and our dressing room, it’s about caring about each other,” Taylor said. “They really want to win for each other. Everyone has a big picture. Everyone wants to be in the NHL. But when we’re here, we’re working hard. It’s a family. We’re trying to win for each other. There’s internal pressure and internal competition. We want to compete daily, not just against another team but with each other, pushing each other to get better. Who wants to score that next goal? Who wants to step up on the PK and do a great job for us? Who wants to block a shot for us to make sure we get a win? Internally we’re doing a really good job with that.”
The rookies in particular have been able to shine in this culture. Forward C.J. Smith leads all active AHL rookies in scoring with 25 points in 25 games. His 17 assists tie him for sixth in the league. Brendan Guhle ranks second in scoring among AHL rookie defensemen with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists), all of which have come in his last 20 games.
The depth of the team has allowed them to make rookie mistakes without a loss in confidence. As others pick them up, they learn from the mistake instead of suffering a setback.
“The biggest thing is they’re improving every day and not taking steps backward,” Taylor said of Smith and Guhle. “They’re still making young mistakes. That’s part of the process of developing, but how are they going to respond to that when they’re out there? They’ve had good responses and are really helping our team.”
The Amerks are getting something the Sabres wish they had — scoring from the blue line. Three of Rochester’s top five scorers are defensemen, all with 15 points — Guhle, Zach Redmond and Stuart Percy.
Backstopping it all is Linus Ullmark, who played his 100th game as an Amerk over the weekend. In his last 11 games, Ullmark is 8-0-3 and has not lost in regulation since Oct. 28. He leads the AHL in saves (508) and ranks second in wins (11) and minutes played (1,002). But what makes him a crucial element to the Amerks’ culture aren’t his numbers but rather his approach to the game.
“His professionalism around the rink, especially for practice and how he gets prepared for a game is so great,” Taylor said. “He so badly wants to win. He’s not worried about his goals against or his save percentage. He’s just worried about winning first and foremost. He gives us a chance to win every game. He doesn’t like to lose and that’s a great mentality.”
*EDITOR’S NOTE — The Amerks beat the Utica Comets, 3-1, Wednesday night, after the article was written, to extend their point streak to 10 games, the longest since the team tied the team record 11-game streak in the 2009-10 season. The Marlies (20-5-0-0, 40 points) presently lead the Amerks (15-5-3-3, 36 points) by 4 points in the North Division, and come to the Blue Cross Arena for a 7:05 pm faceoff on Friday.