By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Even though goalie Scott Wedgewood was returned to the Rochester Americans on Tuesday by the Buffalo Sabres, Jonas Johansson was given the start on Wednesday night.
It might be his last for a while.
Johansson didn’t make it through 22 minutes, allowing four goals to the Binghamton Devils on just 10 shots before he was replaced by Adam Wilcox.
Needless to say, Johansson struggled. Then again, which Amerks player didn’t? The goalie was hardly deserving of all the blame in what became a 5-1 loss.
Your Wednesday night Amerks 6-pack:
1. So why did Johnasson start?
Amerks coach Chris Taylor said the start “was warranted” based on how the second-year goaltender played last week, and because “Wedgewood just got sent down and didn’t get a lot of practice time (during the five-day recall) in Buffalo.”
Johansson won his first two starts, 5-2 on Dec. 5 against a mediocre Utica team and 2-1 on Friday against the on-a-roll Providence Bruins. He stopped 51 of 54 shots in the two games.
And he was promoted to the Amerks on merit. He had gone 7-3-1 with 2.49 GAA and .912 save percentage with ECHL Cincinnati.
Still, Wedgewood is clearly the Amerks No. 1 goalie. Now that he’s back, the Amerks will soon need to decide who goes to Cincinnati.
2. Grind line was Amerks most effective line
When your fourth line creates the most scoring chances, turnovers and offensive zone time, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s definitely not a compliment to the other three groups.
Still. for the entire night, wingers Tyler Randell and Yannick Veilleux with just-recalled center Myles Powell were clearly the most effective line. Taylor agreed.
“They just worked hard, they went after pucks, they forced turnovers,” he said.
Veilleux had a game-high seven shots on goal.
3. Where was everyone else?
The Amerks essentially gave the Devils two goals in the first period.
Ineffective play in the Amerks zone by the Malone-Nylander-Justin Bailey line led to the Devils first goal. Defenseman Zach Redmond then made a poor pass in the D-zone that turned into the second goal during an Amerks power play.
“It’s unacceptable to start that way,” Malone said.
Said Taylor: “Those are two costly mistakes. Our execution was terrible.”
4. Hunwick begins conditioning assignment
Defenseman Matt Hunwick, 33, made his Amerks debut, joining the club Wednesday on a conditioning assignment.
The 12th-year defenseman hadn’t played all season because of a neck injury suffered during a summer workout. He came to organization along with Conor Sheary in an off-season trade that sent a conditional draft pick to Pittsburgh.
Hunwick’s last game was on April 1. He was a healthy scratch for the Penguins final 14 games last season (two regular season, 12 playoff). He felt the layoff, too.
“After the first period I did feel a little slow in decision-making,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
How long will it be before he’s NHL ready? “I think I’ll have a better idea after one more game.”
Hunwick helped set up the Amerks goal 8:22 into the second period. He denied a clearing attempt near the left point, sweeping the puck to high slot for Alex Nylander, who then made a perfect no-look pass to Sean Malone. All it did, however, was cut the deficit to 4-1.
5. Kevin Porter injury update
Taylor said the Amerks captain has a lower body injury and his status is considered “week to week.”
Porter was hurt midway through the third period on Friday, when he delivered an open-ice check in the game against Providence.
Following what ended up being an awkward hit, he immediately went to the bench and then to the dressing room.
That’s why Myles Powell came up from Cincinnati on Tuesday.
6. Within three degrees of the Rockies
The game’s first goal was scored by John Quenneville, who was barging across the deep slot and had the point shot by defenseman John Ramage deflect in off his body.
It was a Long Live the NHL Colorado Rockies moment, repeated when Quenneville assisted on a Ramage goal 1:21 into the second period.
Quenneville is the second cousin of former Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and Ramage is the son of former NHLer Rob. The elder Quenneville and elder Ramage spent three seasons (1979-80 through 1981-82) with Rockies in Denver before the franchise moved to East Rutherford, N.J., and became the Devils.
NOTE: Amerks winger Dalton Smith was forced to miss Wednesday’s game because of the one-game suspension issued by the AHL on Monday. He was punished for a check early in the third period that sent Providence defenseman Jakub Zboril awkwardly into the boards. No penalty was assessed on the play.
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