Rarely the shooter, Krebs lifts Amerks with overtime goal

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

They keep telling Peyton Krebs to shoot the puck, but the art of perfect pass seems to provide him with more satisfaction.

“I’ve always been a pass-first guy,” he said, “even when I was young.”

On Wednesday night, he finally listened to his coaches and teammates, and his bullet one-timer from the right circle during an overtime power play gave the Rochester Americans a 4-3 victory over the Utica Comets.

After an 11-day hiatus due to the American Hockey League’s COVID-19 protocol, the Amerks (12-6) returned to game action and, while playing a game that was far from crisp and far from high quality, still knocked off the best team in the league for the second time in two weeks. They’re still the only team to defeat Utica in regulation time (16-2-1).

“Trust me, I didn’t think that was one of our better games, but good teams find a way,” said center Sean Malone, who scored the tying goal midway through the third period before setting up Krebs’ game-winner. He also assisted on Mattias Samuelsson’s second-period goal, his third multi-point game in the past four outings.

For Krebs, the goal was just his second in 13 games this season (the first two games with Henderson, the past 11 with the Amerks following the trade of Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights). Then again, he has fired only 17 shots on goal, so it’s not easy to score when you don’t shoot.

By comparison, Jack Quinn has a team-best 11 goals on 47 shots. JJ Peterka is a marvelous passer but he’s not afraid to shoot (four goals on 43 shots). That’s one of the items on Krebs’ prospect to-do list.

“He is certainly a passer first by nature, he sees the ice extremely well,” said assistant coach Michael Peca, who assumed head-coaching duties with Seth Appert unable to coach due to COVID-19 protocol. “He is an incredibly intelligent hockey player. He does see things at a high level, he’s able to put pucks in areas that other players can’t, even at the next level.

“But sometimes when you’re a passer by nature, you’re always going to look pass first.”

You also may look to pass when your great scoring chances don’t end up in the net. Like at 12:26 of the second period, when Krebs’ shot from the slot off a Peterka set-up somehow stayed out.

“It’s something I’ve been trying to work on, just staying positive, where if you have maybe a shift when you didn’t score or a little turnover, have a short memory, get it out of your brain and know that chances are going to come.”

The layoff was apparent in the first period, when Utica dominated but scored just once, a goal-mouth slam dunk by Marian Studenic. A half dozen other high-quality scoring chances ended up as saves for goalie Mat Robson, who was making his Amerks debut after a call-up from ECHL Cincinnati.

“It could have been five, six-nothing; he was outstanding,” Peca said. “We made far too many critical turnovers in dangerous areas of the ice. We really just made the game too easy for them.”

One of those turnovers led to Utica’s third goal, by Fabian Zetterlund, breaking a 2-2 tie at 4:47 of the third period. Peterka tried to knife through two defenders high in the Comets zone but had the puck poke-check away.

One outlet pass and one centering pass later, Zetterlund was in alone to score.

The Amerks, however, rallied, with Malone taking a pass from Oskari Laaksonen between the hash marks and then sending a backhander high into the right side of the net past relief goalie Akira Schmid at 11:43.

“Sometimes I think my backhand’s a little better than my forehand,” said Malone, who has 7 goals, 11 assists and 18 points in 18 games.

The Amerks won it on Krebs OT goal with a four-on-three manpower advantage. Former Amerk Brian Flynn was serving a double minor for high sticking after clipping Arttu Ruotsalainen in the face.

Notes: Quinn didn’t play due to a non-COVID illness. “He has a bit of a sore throat, no other symptoms, and he’s had trouble sleeping because of the sore throat so it’s just about him getting some rest and getting healthy,” Peca said.

Peterka will not play for his native Germany in the World Junior Championship. It’s a decision the parent Buffalo Sabres made with development in mind. “I get the grand stage of the whole thing, it’s a great experience, but I think for a player in JJ’s position, there’s a lot more value to him being here, playing here, the type of hockey he needs to play in order to be an impact player at the National Hockey League level,” Peca said.

Robson played the 2019-20 season for AHL Iowa and spent last year in Germany. He signed an AHL contract with the Amerks in August and was 7-6 with a 2.39 GAA and .905 save percentage with Cincinnati.

Appert and assistant coach Mike Weber remain away from the rink due to COVID-19 protocol.