Prow’s OT goal enables Amerks to add another puck to the wall

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

Just moments after Ethan Prow gave the Rochester Americans victory with a final minute goal in overtime on Wednesday night, and before the team skated to center ice en masse to salute the crowd, the game puck was quickly scooped up.

Not because the goal with 40.6 seconds remaining was some sort of career milestone for Prow, the sixth-year veteran defenseman, and not because win No. 12 of the season for goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen held some special meaning.

Instead, the puck that provided the 4-3 victory over the Laval Rocket was headed to what we can call the countdown board in the dressing room. Or maybe it’s the count-up board.

In the thick of an ultra-tight North Division playoff chase, with five teams within mere percentage points for the four available spots, the Amerks are using the puck collection to emphasize the importance of every shift.

“We’ve got a little thing on the board and just kind of the way we’re going and how many wins we need here to get into the playoffs,” Prow said. “Every two points and every puck we’ll grab.”

In defeating the second-place Rocket, the Amerks (34-26-6-3) remained fifth with a points-earned percentage of .558. Toronto is fourth at .563. Belleville, in sixth place and on the outside of the playoffs looking in, comes to Rochester Friday.

So just how many pucks make up the dressing room display? “It’s a secret,” Prow said with a smile.

OK, let’s try this a different way, then. How many pucks are still needed?

“Seven more; we’ll take seven more pucks,” he said.

That would, of course, be one for each of the seven games remaining on the Amerks schedule.

Wednesday’s victory ended up causing much more stress and consternation than seemingly should have been necessary. The Amerks sprinted to a 2-0 lead in the first 5:37 on goals by Linus Weissbach and Mark Jankowski, dominating the first period.

But they failed to build on the lead, despite chances, and soon found themselves in a 2-2 tie after giving up two goals in the first 5:08 of the second period.

Sean Malone restored the Amerks lead with a power-play goal at 6:51 of the second but Laval tied it with 9:49 remaining in the third period on a power-play goal by Xavier Ouellet.

The goal came on Laval’s third power play of the period.

“You don’t want to give your opponent momentum; you want to make them earn it,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said. “They’re going to earn enough because they’re a good team, but we probably gave them a few of those penalties, and that’s something we need to clean up.”

They also must become more comfortable in the uncomfortable pressure situations late in tight games. But Appert said part of it is that a good percentage of the lineup has never experienced the playoff chase.

“Those have been challenges for us at times, of closing,” Appert said late third period defensive issues. “We still have a lot of rookies playing in big situations. Even with guys like (Mitch) Eliot and (Josh) Teves and (Jimmy) Schuldt and (Brandon) Biro and (Oskari) Laakksonen, guys that are second or third year pros, have never been in a playoff race.

“Anyone who is in their second or third year of pro hockey has never had this level of pressure before. The only way to gain confidence and experience in it is to go through it; to succeed with some of the moments and to fail in some of the moments and then learn from it.”

They ended savoring success because of Prow’s OT goal, which came after Ryan MacInnis smartly just chipped the puck into the Laval zone from center at the end of his shift and then headed for a change.

Jack Quinn raced onto the ice and gained control deep in the left circle and made the across-the-zone pass to Prow. He moved through the right circle and, as goalie Kevin Poulin crouched, fired home a perfect shot just under the cross bar.

“It kind of just presented itself,” Prow said of the scoring chance. “Obviously it was a good play from down low to get it to me, and you have to get a shot in those opportunities when you get in that tight and luckily it went in.”

While Friday’s home game against Belleville will determine whether the Amerks stay above the playoff cut line or fall to sixth, Appert said it can’t be viewed as the end-all, be-all game.

“I’ve never believed in over-emphasizing a game,” Appert said. “We’ve tried to do this all year: The most important game is the next game in front of you. I think that’s a lesson that all of our young pros need to learn if they want to be great and play in the National Hockey League.”