By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
SYRACUSE – You know it’s a bad night when the opposition moves into victory formation as the clock winds down to zero.
Especially when it happens in the waning seconds of the first period, which is just what the Syracuse Crunch did on Saturday night. Rather than attack, they played catch in their own end for virtually the final 20 seconds of a lopsided opening 20 minutes.
And now you know just how overmatched the Rochester Americans were in a 3-0 loss to the Syracuse Crunch at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
The Amerks didn’t even have a shot on goal in the first period, when it was truly the Boy Scouts versus the Marines as the Crunch built a 2-0 lead that felt like 6-0. As a result, the Amerks face elimination, down 2-0 in the best-of-five Calder Cup North Division semifinals.
“They were mean, fast, physical, tenacious on the puck,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said of the Crunch.
All of which led to chaos for the Amerks, who mounted virtually no sustained offensive zone pressure and often were lucky just to clear the puck out of their own zone. That’s why they didn’t have a shot on goalie Max Lagace in the first 20 minutes, finally registering one 59 seconds into the second period.
At best, the 0-shot period tied a franchise record for futility. At worst, it set a record, but the team doesn’t have exhaustive historical stats, so there is no database to consult.
Meanwhile, the Crunch scored twice on 14 shots, starting just 1:52 into the game when former Amerk Ryan Jones drove home a slap shot from the left point with a screen set up in front of Malcolm Subban.
Gage Goncalves extended the lead to 2-0 at 11:29, firing home a shot from the left circle after Subban was forced to commit to Alex Barre-Boulet, who was moving across the top of the slot with the puck.
The Amerks’ one high-quality scoring chance of the period came about eight minutes in but Linus Weissbach, with an uncontested shot from the middle of the slot, missed the net.
And yet despite domination by the Crunch, it was only 2-0.
“That’s the bright side when it’s 2-0 after the first, there’s still 40 minutes left,” center Mason Jobst said.
While the Amerks were better over the final two periods, they never did have the Crunch on the ropes.
“I thought they played a really good game; structured, really complete,” Amerks captain Michael Mersch said. “But whether they score or we score, you have to have the same mentality throughout the series.”
That’s the approach Appert will take this week. Win Friday in Game 3 at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial and the mind can start to take over.
“The funny thing about a series, you win one game and it completely flips the pressure,” he said.
The Amerks never could reverse the momentum on Saturday, even with great chances to do so. A dirty knee-to-knee hit by Gabriel Dumont on Filip Cederqvist at 6:01 of the second period gave the Amerks a five-minute power play.
Dumont was assessed a kneeing major and game misconduct. Cederqvist was helped off the ice but returned within the first minute of the power play and was available for the remainder of the game.
The five-minute man advantage was clearly their chance to crawl back into contention, but their four shots on goal were stopped by Lagace and they failed to create anything resembling sustained pressure. That’s also what happened on another power play at 13:48.
“That was the turning point,” center Mason Jobst said of the failed five-minute power play. “We never really got set up at all.”
And that’s really the only way to break down the hounding, aggressive pressure of the Syracuse penalty killers.
“You get set up and work it around and wear them out,” Jobst said. “I’m not sure we ever got to that point in this game.”
The Amerks clearly miss Brandon Biro’s playmaking and finish, and Jiri Kulich’s one-timer and razzle-dazzle ability. Both players, key components on the power play, are on the injured list.
“But there’s a lot of guys on it (now) that have been key components,” Appert said. “Guys have to step up. Guys want these opportunities. You want these opportunities, you have to deliver. Some of those guys have to step up their game.”
The power play is 0-for-7 in the series while the Crunch are 2-for-8.
“That’s an issue right now,” Appert said. “If our power play was better, we probably win both games.”
Metsa makes pro debut
Appert made one lineup change on defense, taking out the physical presence Peter Tischke can bring for the possibility of creating more offense off the rush by inserting newcomer Zach Metsa.
Metsa produced 9-28-37 in 40 games while helping Quinnipiac win the NCAA championship. He signed a two-year AHL contract with the Amerks the following week, coupled with a pro tryout contract covering the remainder of this season.
“I didn’t think our D-corps transitioned the puck well enough (on Friday),” Appert said. “That’s supposed to be a strength of this D-corps and we weren’t good enough. Five-on-five I thought he looked very good.”
Notes: The Amerks hadn’t been shut out in a playoff game since May 1, 2014, a 4-0 loss at Chicago. … Jones played the COVID-shortened season of 2020-21 with the Amerks, producing 1-6-7 in 29 games. … The last team held without a shot in a period of a Calder Cup playoff game: Utica, by Albany, in the second period on April 22, 2016.
They were mean fast physical and tenacious on the puck, unfortunately it,s not something that comes naturally to our team
yeah Kevin, you were very kind in your write-up. At the water cooler I’m betting you would have other things to say!Truth was, this game and this series has been one huge disaster. The players know it; the coach knows it; the Sabres brass know it (and they don’t care)
I don’t feel Appert had his team ready to play this series. During the year Biro has been out a lot and so has Kulich missed several games. But the PP has NEVER been this impotent, disorganized and useless. Also Amerks had no answer for the Crunch;s smothering forecheck and their intensity from the opening whistle.
There was zero adjusting after game 1. Amerks had NO sustained pressure for the entire game and actually for both games.
Syracuse is a lot better than Rochester. Its a fiction that the two teams were evenly matched during the season. Crunch owned us second half. Still no excuse to roll over like the entire team has done. They couldn’t complete one pass in the O-Zone for most the game. Pucks were bouncing off sticks; players were whiffing; missing nets and getting crushed against the boards at every turn.
Sabres are SO concerned about their prospects..have they tied the hands of the coach, or maybe he isn’t the right guy for the job. The key veterans have been MIA. We got nothing from the 3 M’s, Weissbach and Rousek. Last night they just flat out didn’t show up. All 60 minutes. Can Kulich play? Or is he another Samuelsson from last year…he’s close, he’s close (but thats code for he’s not gonna play) It’s playoff time. You bust your tail to play.
It has been noted that last year the guys played FOR each other. This year they are merely playing WITH each other. There is no cohesiveness on the ice. You get 9 minutes of PP in period 2 and absolutely nothing happened. They couldn’t even penetrate the Crunch zone. So no, they didn’t play better in the 2nd period. They just wasted time off the clock. Legace didn’t make one tough save. He would tell you that (at the water cooler, after Crunch dispose of us Friday)
We all say our good byes Friday. I was expecting a huge crowd but maybe a few thousand will not bother to come and watch this clown show. This team doesn’t deserve a large crowd because they aren’t playing hard enough to earn it.
I’m sure the Sabres are merely ‘happy’ the team made the playoffs and will crow about that. But since winning in the playoffs is not their ‘thing’ here in Rochester, this is what we get. Two miserable hockey games where only the goalie earned his paycheck. The low scores IN NO WAY reflect how poor the Amerks have played. How many of us were scratching our heads after the 1st period wondering, what did we just see? A scrimmage? From our captain on down, they ought to be real ashamed of what they didn’t do.
I’m not taking anything away from Syracuse. They were prepared. They knew exactly how to stop the Amerks and Amerks were completely unable or unwilling to make any adjustments. I don’t expect things to change Friday. Yeah they might luck out and somehow catch the Crunch in a moment of over confidence. But I think the Tampa Bay organization doesn’t stand for that. As for the Sabres…meh. We have put up with their indifference here in Rochester for a long time.
So–we have just witnessed two of the most distressing hockey games of the season. Total failures. And for us fans, complete disappointment. Outside of Subban trying to keep us in both games, there were NO positive take-aways. (No matter what the Sabres feed Appert to say publicly)
What a sorry mess
They were mean, fast, physical and tenacious on the puck. Unfortunately our team doesn’t have those things come naturally to them. They just don’t play that way, and when you lose the offense they lost to injury it’s tough to counteract.
Ted great post agree 100 percent with what you said, you are correct second half of the year crunch owned us the first half of the year our roster was completely different (in a good way) except with all our departures Sheehan, Hinostroza, Priskie etc we have gotten no or an inferior replacement Sean Malone is a shadow of what he was it is clear he has had to compromise his game due to chronic injuries and though he is able to finally stay healthy he is not the offensive weapon he was last year (game 5 winning goal in Utica) Mersch is a one trick pony and when he lacks the surrounding cast of offensive talent he had last year (Ruitsoliannon , Peterka, Quinn, Jankowski) he is not effective and as for Murray big and slow I see no progression this year he may be 6’5” but plays like he’s 5’5” no physical presence despite towering over most of the opposition guys if Mason Jobst played like that he wouldn’t even be in pro hockey! So not only are our young prospects at 19 years old expected to compete with a veteran talented team like Syracuse that is built for winning but our veterans are completely outclassed by Syracuse veteran players nobody in their right minds could have expected the Amerks would have any chance in this series but of course Appert will say this series was a success because the prospects learned about playoff hockey etc etc blah blah blah I hope he is challenged by someone when he makes that predictable statement after the series ends to me it was blatantly obvious the likes of Rosen, Rousek, Cedarquist, were not ready to be in such prominent roles against a team like Syracuse at this level how much more they could have learned with half the ice time surrounded by a few elite veteran players that could have put them in positions to succceed! So the way Buffalo has decided to run things we have virtually zero chance of playoff success with this current model it will continue to breed a losing culture in this organization what a shame they don’t value giving the prospects a chance of playoff success with a realistic amount of EARNED ice time not by necessity and of course who cares that we have proven we can sellout playoff games in even the early rounds I don’t get Buffalo! All this said to not get 1 shot on goal in an entire period of a pro hockey game is inexcusable Appert needs to address this with the media that kind of performance deserves no fan support Friday in my opinion