By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
On an evening when winning would have meant staying in contention for home ice advantage in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, the Rochester Americans instead find themselves staring at a date in the play-in mini-round.
In other words, Saturday couldn’t have gone any worse for the Amerks.
They squandered a lead and lost on the ice, 4-3 to the visiting Cleveland Monsters, and in the process lost another key offensive weapon.
Jiri Kulich, the Amerks leading goal-scorer, suffered a lower body injury early in the second period and is likely out for an indefinite period of time. Kulich joins an already overcrowded injury list that includes team MVP Brandon Biro and role-filling forwards Brendan Warren and Tyson Kozak.
And a further slap in the face was delivered later Saturday night when the Utica Comets rallied from a 4-2 late third-period deficit to defeat the Syracuse Crunch 5-4 in overtime.
That means the Amerks must win at Cleveland in Sunday’s regular-season finale, otherwise they will be relegated to play the reinforced Laval Rocket in the best-of-three play-in mini-round.
“Cleveland, Belleville and Laval might have three of the best lineups in the league right now,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said. “A lot of it is when you play teams. That’s a really strong group that they (Cleveland) had tonight.
“We had a great run (7-2-2-1 in the past 12 games), we’ve played really good hockey. We just have to find a way.”
If the Amerks don’t win Sunday, they will be the fourth seed in the North Division and must play fifth-place Laval. Game 1 would be Wednesday in Quebec, with Games 2 and, if necessary 3, in Rochester on Friday and Sunday.
If the Amerks do win Sunday, they’ll leap-frog Utica into third and play the Crunch in the best-of-five North Division semifinals starting Friday and Saturday at Syracuse.
Indeed, Saturday’s loss to the Monsters was devastating. While rookie Filip Cederqvist scored his first pro hat trick – and first in probably five years, he said – goalie Michael Houser allowed two bad goals at the worst times.
His misplay behind the net led to the tying goal by Roman Ahcan with just 52 seconds remaining in the second period, then Cole Clayton somehow managed to slip a shot from the left circle past Houser at 9:32 of the third period.
“Houser and (Malcolm) Subban have been excellent for us (but) I think both would say they gave up quite a few goals the last two games that are not ones they want to give up,” Appert said. “A lot of times it’s not about the big saves, it’s about the ones you give up, not giving up free ones.
“But again, I have all the faith in the world in those two guys.”
Cederqvist scored his three goals in a span of just 4:45. He converted a Linus Weissbach pass at 16:14 of the first period to cut Cleveland’s lead to 2-1.
Then he scored just nine seconds apart in the first minute of the second period. At :50 seconds he tipped in Ethan Prow’s point shot.
On the next shift, he delivered a solid check on defenseman Samuel Knazko on the boards just inside the Monsters blue line. The hit caused a turnover and subsequent two-on-zero fastbreak, with Weissbach again setting up Cederqvist in the deep slot.
After scoring just five goals in his first 53 games, the outburst was validation of what he’s capable of doing and also perhaps a springboard heading into the playoffs.
“I’ve been struggling a little bit this year on the scoresheet so this is good for my confidence,” he said. “Confidence-wise it’s been a little hard this year too.”
The second-period goals were very much Cederqvist’s projected game in a microcosm.
“I think that’s him at his best, when he’s being physical, when he’s going to the hard areas,” Appert said. “The second goal, he scores right in the blue paint, something he’s getting better and better at. And then the third goal he just destroys their defenseman, forces a turnover and then gets rewarded in transition.”
But after the Amerks killed off a five-on-three Cleveland power play late in the second period, the Monsters took advantage of Houser’s giveaway to tie the score. He went behind the net to play the puck but turned it over and paid the price.
“We had such a great second, we fought back to get the lead, and that’s a big goal to give up for free,” Appert said. “And then it’s just a dogfight. One of their shots slipped through Houser and we had a bunch of looks at the front of the net that didn’t slip through the other way.”
Injury update
Warren was hurt on Friday night and is “week to week, but it’s probably multiple weeks unfortunately,” Appert said.
Biro and Kozak also are week-to-week and Appert said he doesn’t expect either back anytime soon.
Bah. The team is toast. The injuries, no help from Buffalo, and the miserable home ice performances that have plagued this outfit all season long…only an outworldly reset could prevent these guys from going out quickly whoever they play. That 10 game ‘streak’ with no regulation losses was a mere mirage, where the team was more lucky than good.
Yesterday despite what Coach Pollyanna says, the team was terrible. Only Cederqvists 3 goal outburst was worth watching. Houser was bad and the team basically chased Cleveland around the rink for the final 2 periods. They brought nothing at all in the 3rd. Not one thing. Good looks? Where? Sustained pressure? None. Monsters met the Amerks at the blueline for heavens sake during their 3rd period power play. Amerks couldn’t even penetrate the zone. They lost every battle against the boards.
It was awful. Deciding who you’d rather play first between Laval or Syracuse is like asking the executioner whether you want hanging or lethal injection.
Its so darned disappointing. Falling apart like this at the worst time…and losing key players to injury to boot. Sabres have done the Amerks very little favors and it reinforces that winning here is only an afterthought…no matter what they try and tell us. Our coach just doesn’t inspire me at all. He just doesn’t say the things a fan wants to hear when it comes to winning. I’m sure the organization loves him. Kevin, you probably do too because he seems to be very accessible. But I’ll take a Torts or a Boxie anyday. A coach that needs to be tough when it counts.
Oh well, this is total frustration talking. Ive watched too much poor, disappointing hockey this season. Friday and Saturday were just the limit. Two winnable games. And out of 6 periods, Amerks showed up, barely for one or in a stretch 2.
Last year they lost two to Cleveland at the end, but by the grace of the hockey gods, Toronto opened up the last playoff spot and we snuck in. I see the same thing happening this weekend…two ugly losses to Cleveland…except probably a much earlier exit from post season. Fans deserve better. 1996 was decades ago.
Yesterdays poor poor performance said it all about this team.
So, prove me wrong Amerks. Make me eat this post. Go out and do something worthy of the Crest you wear.
Ted there was much more truth in what you said then the coach that’s for sure not surprised a weak goal snuck in the net in the 3rd Cleveland was very aggressively shooting and more often then not that buys you a break Amerks meanwhile went the first almost 13 minutes of the third period without putting a single shot on goal you’d think Cleveland was the team that needed a win for better playoff standings not the team playing a meaningless game but ultimately this will all prove to not matter thanks to the key injuries and Buffalo providing zero depth or help despite being eliminated themselves which is virtually unprecedented from what I can remember ! Amerks have very little chance to win even 1 round and quite possibly not even 1 game if they have to play the well stocked Laval Rocket thanks Buffalo for treating the fans of Rochester like garbage they have proven despite big crowds in Rochester that the playoffs have proven to bring they truly couldn’t care less about winning in Rochester.