By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
It was billed as PGA Championship Night, a chance for Rochester Americans fans to get an up-close look at the Wanamaker Trophy and start thinking about golf’s second major of the season coming to Oak Hill Country Club in May.
The Amerks themselves apparently preferred to look at it as Right the Ship Night.
Six different players scored goals while goaltender Michael Houser made a half-dozen clutch saves in the first 30 minutes as the Amerks regained a little confidence by steamrolling the first-place Toronto Marlies 6-2 on Friday night at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
“It really didn’t matter what the score was,” Houser said, “we just need to get points.”
Did they ever. Like the golfer who is unable to find the fairway or make four-foot par-saving putts, the Amerks were in a funk. A six-week funk. They’d won just five of their previous 16 games and were as close to last place in the AHL’s North Division as they were second.
But along came Houser, making his first home start since Dec. 9. It wasn’t necessary the quantity of saves (24) as it was the quality and timing. He made several key early saves before the long-slumbering offense finally broke loose.
His biggest stops came just 38 seconds apart in the second period, preserving a 3-2 lead. He kicked out his right leg to rob Joseph Blandisi’s point-blank spin-around try at 12:55. On the next shift, he shifted quickly across his crease to deny Bobby McMann’s shot from the left circle.
“Him keeping it at 2, during some frantic moments, allowed us to get out to a lead and that was important,” coach Seth Appert said.
Then the Amerks swarmed the Marlies over the final six minutes of the second period and scored two more goals, extending the lead to 5-2 and prompting Marlies coach Greg Moore to pull starting goalie Erik Kallgren (five goals on 25 shots).
Brett Murray, Vinnie Hinostroza, Sean Malone, Chase Priskie, Jiri Kulich and Lawrence Pilut scored the Amerks goals. In the previous 13 games they had scored four goals or more just three times.
And four goals has been their magic number all season. They’re 18-1-1 when they eclipse three goals.
“What I liked tonight, and we’ve been talking a lot about the last few weeks and probably even more so after Cleveland (a 2-1 loss on Tuesday) is that we have to get to the inside,” Appert said. “That’s where goals are scored.”
That’s where Murray was when he slammed home an across-the-crease pass from Lukas Rousek to make it 1-1. That’s where Michael Mersch was when he screened goalie Erik Kallgren and allowed Malone’s tip to elude the catching glove and break a 2-2 tie 8:07 into the second period.
That’s where Linus Weissbach was, preventing Kallgren from getting a good look at Chase Priskie’s one-timer from the point 6:24 later for a 4-2 lead. And where Ethan Prow, creating a screen as Lawrence Pilut drove home a slap shot for the clinching goal 63 seconds into the third.
“Four of our six goals were goals that were only scored because you’re going to the net and doing those hard things,” Appert said. “The two other goals were really skilled, and that’s great, but if that’s all we’re going to rely on, then we’re going to be stuck on two a lot of nights.”
While the offense was rejuvenated, perhaps the best indication of the collective determination was shown by rookie winger Isak Rosen.
With the Amerks already ahead 6-2, Rosen knelt in the high slot to block a one-timer by William Villeneuve. If he stays on this skates, doesn’t block the shot and it finds the net, the Amerks would still have been ahead by three goals with under 13 minutes to play.
“Easy not to, especially as a 19-year-old, first-round draft pick” Appert said. “Easy to think, ‘That’s not my job, that’s somebody else’s job.’ I thought that was awesome.”
The block also said a lot about Rosen’s make-up as a player. He wasn’t good and was even taken off the power play in the first period because of ineffective play.
“Rosie had a real tough first period and then he was exceptional in the second and third,” Appert said. “There was no pouting. The message is, just keep working, and I thought his response in the second and third period was outstanding.
“I thought that blocked shot was an awesome sign of a what a competitor that young man is and what a great teammate he is.”
There were a lot blocks earlier in the game by a lot of others as well.
“That’s the most shots I’ve been behind that we’ve blocked all year,” Houser said. “When you’re blocking shots, it kills the flow of what they’re trying to do.”
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