By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Four days after the most memorable day of his hockey career – making his NHL debut – Brandon Biro’s afternoon on the ice with the Rochester Americans came to a premature end.
Biro was upended by a hip check, hobbled to the bench and then down the tunnel to the medical room during Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Toronto Marlies at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
Amerks coach Seth Appert didn’t have an update immediately after the game, knowing only the mid-game report that told him Biro wouldn’t be able to return due to a lower body injury.
And so the injury epidemic continues.
“You see Biro limping off the ice and you say, ‘Not again,’ ” defenseman Jimmy Schuldt said.
Indeed, the list keeps growing, it’s pretty much a who’s who of Amerks forwards. Biro joins Sean Malone, Michael Mersch, Ryan MacInnis and Mason Jobst on the rehab roster. Jack Quinn is on the list too, only he suffered his lower-body injury while playing for the Buffalo Sabres.
Add in recalled players Mark Jankowski, Peyton Krebs, Casey Fitzgerald and Mattias Samuelsson and the Amerks rostser is rather thin, or even barren.
“I saw our rehab group the other day – Michael Mersch, Ryan MacInnis, Sean Malone – and I was thinking it would be so nice to have those guys out there with us right now,” Schuldt said. “But everyone who’s played the game knows there’s times like this.”
It’s called life in the American Hockey League, not that it makes the tough times any easier to tolerate. Despite allowing 55 shots on Friday, the Amerks ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 overtime win at Syracuse.
But they gave up another 40 shots on Saturday and were shut out for the first time this season (Erik Kallgren made 22 saves). Over the past 11 games, which includes just three victories, the Amerks have scored only 21 goals.
“Things aren’t come easy , we need guys to step up,” forward Brendan Warren said.
If nothing else, the young prospects thrust into more prominent roles learn what it’s like to be counted on to produce.
“I think there is pressure, I’m sure they feel a little bit, but pressure is a privilege,” Appert said. “Maybe it’s unfair for JJ Peterka and Linus Weissbach, as rookies, to have that pressure, but they’re go-to guys right now, whether they’re ready for it or not.
“They’re at the top of the pyramid with Arttu Ruotsalainen and Brett Murray, as the only guys that really have any volume of offensive creation that’s in our lineup. How you handle that is a great development opportunity for them.”
That’s because you suddenly play in all key situations. You face the other team’s top defensive pairing and shutdown forwards.
“They need to embrace how hard it is to be a go-to guy,” Appert said. “It’s one thing play seven or eight minutes and kind of not screw up and then let Sean Malone or Jack Quinn or these guys go win the game. It’s another thing to help drive winning, and we need all of our guys to embrace that.”
The Biro loss is significant. He’s the Amerks third-leading scorer with 9 goals, 27 assists and 36 points in 40 games, with 9-23-32 over his past 29 games).
The Amerks actually played well to start the game against the Marlies. They had more than enough chances — elite chances, Appert said – in the first 25 minutes.
But none found the net. Peterka and Weissbach both passed up great shots. Mitch Eliot hit the post. Ruotsalainen couldn’t convert two high-quality power-play chances.
Yet through 40 minutes, only Toronto’s Brett Seney found the net. He scored 3:32 into the game off a quick-developing two-on-one, started when Weissbach lost the puck in the high slot in the offensive zone to a sweep check by Marlies defenseman Filip Kral.
Eventually, the frustration of not scoring and the weariness from two games in 22 hours against a rested Marlies team caught up.
The last thing a team with a short lineup needs to do is chase the game.
“That’s kind of how it’s been lately,” Warren said. “We need to finish if we’re going to win.”
Leave a Reply