Courtesy of Amerks.com
Utica, N.Y. – The Rochester Americans (35-25-5-3) scored five straight unanswered goals, including four in the third period, as they cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Utica Comets (33-26-6-4) in the season series finale between the two teams Saturday night at Adirondack Bank Center.
With the victory, the Amerks have earned 20 out of a possible 26 points over their last 13 games and extended their season-long point streak to 10, which dates back to Mar. 21. It marks Rochester’s longest since the 2019-20 season when the club posted a 12-game point streak from Nov. 13 to Dec. 6.
Rookie forward Isak Rosen scored twice for a multi-point effort as part of a team-high seven-shot night while defensemen Ethan Prow and Matt Bartkowski recorded two points each with a goal and an assist. Brett Murray notched his 22nd tally of the campaign to round out the scoring while Peter Tischke, Mason Jobst, Michael Mersch, and Chris Jandric, who made his professional debut, all produced an assist.
Goaltender Michael Houser improved his record to 9-7-2 as he turned aside 20 shots in his third straight appearance opposite the Comets, during which he has a perfect 3-0-0 mark, including a shutout. The veteran netminder boasts a 4-2-0 record this season against Utica, which includes a 4-0-0 mark in his last four appearances in the Adirondack Bank Center.
Utica first-year forward Josh Filmon scored his first professional goal in the first period from Graeme Clarke and Nolan Stevens. Netminder Akira Schmid (11-7-4) made 23 saves but suffered the loss.
In the second period while Utica held a 1-0 lead, the two clubs began to use their speed as they traded chances in the first nine minutes.
The Comets had a shot carom wide off the end boards and as the rebound reached the right point, a Utica defenseman lost an edge. Rosen was pressing the blueliner and sprinted up the ice with the puck all alone. As the rookie reached the left dot, he quickly wired a shot over the glove-hand of Schmid to even the score at one.
The game remained tied until the 2:36 mark of the third period when Rosen gathered Bartkowski’s dump-in behind the net and banked a shot off a Comet in-front of Schmid.
The bad angle shot secured his second multi-goal performance of the season and was initially setup by Jandric, who was awarded his first point as a pro.
Nearly six minutes later, Tischke cleared the puck out of Rochester’s zone and onto the stick of Mersch. As the Amerks team captain crossed the opposing blueline, he ushered a pass to Prow atop the right point. Prow took a stride towards the circles then lasered a shot in-between Schmid’s pads and into the back of the cage.
Holding a 3-1 lead, Rochester sealed the victory as Murray and Bartkowksi both scored while the Comets had Schmid pulled for an extra-attacker at the 17:03 and 19:36 marks, respectively.
Utica opened the scoring in the first period as Filmon popped a rebound from the left of Houser nine minutes into the game from Clarke and Stevens.
The playoff bound Amerks return home for the final weekend of the 2022-23 regular season on Friday, April 14 when they host the Belleville Senators at The Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Storyline Stripes:
With a pair of points (1+1) tonight, Ethan Prow became the seventh different Amerk this season to reach the 40-mark … Except for shortened 2019-20 campaign, Prow has reached the mark in three straight AHL seasons in the AHL … Chris Jandric became the 15th different defensemen to appear in at least one game for Rochester this season and 14th to record a point … It’s the second consecutive season the Amerks have both at least 15 blueliners and 14 to have at least one point.
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