Ruotsalainen’s OT goal has Amerks on verge of advancement

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

Arttu Ruotsalainen has had the hot hand ever since the playoffs began, showing an innate ability to find the net regardless of the angle, the traffic or the positioning of the goaltender.

But in overtime on Sunday night, when Peyton Krebs made a seeing-eye laser pass from the left wing to Ruotsalainen in the right circle, the guy with the magic wand for a hockey stick didn’t target the top corner or aim for open space.

He just teed it up and let it fly. Blindly.

And gave the Rochester Americans yet another 4-3 overtime victory, with his power-play goal pushing the Utica Comets to the brink of elimination and the Amerks to the verge of advancement to the Calder Cup North Division finals.

“Krebsie made an incredible through the PK players and I closed my eyes and made a shot and hoped it went in,” Ruotsalainen said of his sixth goal in five postseason games.

The Ruotsalainen one-timer somehow rocketed past the kneeling block attempt by hulking defenseman Kevin Bahl, all 6-foot-6, 230-pounds of him, and then goalie Akira Schmid just 1:39 into the extra period.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO HERE. 

So that’s now four victories in five playoff games over two series, and every win has been 4-3 in overtime.

“I joke around that we’ve already played an extra game because we’ve been in so many overtimes,” center Sean Malone said.

With the victory – in front of deafening, chanting sellout crowd of 10,741 at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial – the Amerks took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. They’ll look to clinch in Game 4 on Tuesday, with puck drop at 7:05 p.m. in downtown Rochester.

“You don’t get tons of games like that in your career, and you have to earn them,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said of the full building, the largest crowd for Amerks hockey since Game 6 of the 2000 Calder Cup finals (11,051).

“The atmosphere that was in Utica, the amazing crowd that we had, I appreciate the fans for showing up in full force. It really made it a special night. It’s a privilege to play in front of a crowd like that.”

The players said they felt the energy as they arrived, seeing Broad Street barricaded between Exchange Boulevard and South Avenue for the pre-game party. The Amerks hadn’t sold out the War Memorial for a playoff game since 2000.

“The whole street was closed off for the fans and that fueled the fire for us,” defenseman Casey Fitzgerald said.

For the first time in the series, the Amerks fell behind as A.J. Greer scored his fourth playoff goal just 7:34 into the game.

But Malone and Lukas Rousek scored before the period ended, then the Comets outscored the Amerks 2-1 in the second period before a scoreless third sent the teams back to overtime.

On Saturday in Utica, the Amerks won when JJ Peterka scored 1:29 into the extra period. On Sunday, they needed 10 seconds more before Ruotsalainen played the role of OT hero for the second time this month.

With every shift of forechecking dominance, with every necessary save from Aaron Dell and with an entire lineup willing to take a hit and deliver one, confidence has grown within the Amerks.

“The best feeling you can earn in a locker room is looking around the room and staring each other in the eye and knowing that you’re not going to let each other down,” Appert said.

Having just knocked off the Comets in overtime 22 hours earlier, the Amerks came back out onto the ice for OT with even more swagger. And being on the power play certainly added to the positive vibes.

The penalty was a no-doubter, with Utica defenseman Robbie Russo assessed a hit-to-the-head minor for his check on Michael Mersch along the boards in the Amerks zone with 14.8 seconds left in regulation.

““It was certainly a high hit, it looked like a dangerous hit to me,” Appert said.

The power play, now 3-for-10 in the postseason, produced when it mattered most, with Krebs setting up Ruotsalainen.

“The goal at the end of the game was an elite play by Krebsie and Ruotsalainen,” Appert said.

Having watched Peterka scored three times on Nico Daws in Game 2 on Saturday, Comets coach Kevin Dineen started Schmid in goal. Daws allowed seven goals and had a save percentage of .863 in the first two games, and while he made saves on breakaways by Mersch and Peterka in Game 2, he was otherwise unreliable.

Greer struck first, scoring his fourth goal of the series just 7:34 into the game. The Amerks then had to kill the first penalty of the game, and moments after doing so, tied the score at 14:36 on a goal that epitomized what is at the heart of this team.

Malone blocked a Brian Flynn shot above the left circle, with the puck scooting across to the left point, where Fabian Zetterlund had his shot blocked by Jimmy Schuldt.

As Schuldt drifted into the neutral zone on right wing, defenseman Mark Alt made a long outlet pass to spring a one-on-one. Schuldt was methodical on his attack, which enabled help to catch up.

Schuldt finally shot from the right circle and Schmid made the save, but Malone came sprinting down the slot and dived past backchecking Nolan Foote to sweep in the rebound while on his stomach.

“I was going to do whatever I could to get to that puck,” Malone said.

Two shot blocks followed by a fast break, then capped by a lunging second effort to reach the rebound.

“That is our team, that’s how we got here,” Appert said. “There’s so many games in the middle part of the season that you had to win really ugly. You had to win games blocking 35 shots and playing passive and trying to win 2-1 because you had a piecemeal lineup.

“Those were two big-time blocked shots that led to offense.”

Davidson held out

Amerks defenseman Brandon Davidson was kept out of the game by the medical staff, although he is healthy. The veteran defenseman returned to the lineup on Saturday, his first game since March 18 due to an upper body injury.

“When you’re coming back from an injury like he’s coming back from, playing back to back nights in the playoffs, there is the potential to set it back,” Appert said.

Fitzgerald wobbled but returns

Fitzgerald hobbled off the ice and to the dressing room after a heavy hit by Nikita Okhotiuk on the end boards with 2:45 remaining in the second period.

But he returned for the start of the third period and played extensively the rest of the way. He said his knee buckled on the hit and he just wanted to be examined.

“If it’s humanly possible to be back, and he’s not held by the doctors, he’s going to be back because he’s one tough young man,” Appert said.

It’s son’s team vs. dad’s organization

Fitzgerald’s father, Tom, is general manager of the New Jersey Devils, Utica’s parent team.

While Fitzgerald has gone up against Dad’s teams often, “it definitely makes the win a lot sweeter,” he said.

Tom Fitzgerald was a member of the Springfield Indians team that defeated the Amerks in the 1990 Calder Cup finals.

Kevin’s 3 stars, sponsored by Salvatore’s Old Fashioned Pizzeria

1 Arttu Ruotsalainen, Amerks … the OT hero, a game-high 7 shots on goal.

2 JJ Peterka, Amerks … No goals today, but two sweet assists to set up Lukas Rousek and Brandon Biro for goals.

3 Mark Alt, Amerks … the veteran defenseman was the epitome of poise.