Rosen scores in OT for Amerks then learns of callup to Sabres

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

There was a time when three-on-three overtime in pro hockey was five minutes of nothing but pure pandemonium.

A chance at one end, followed by an even better chance at the other end, followed by a much, much better chance going back the other way. And so it went, unless someone scored.

Now, however, overtime is best described as controlled chaos. The frenetic pace occurs only in spurts because possession of the puck has become paramount.

That willingness to display patience amid urgency worked perfectly for the Rochester Americans on Friday night, when they defeated the Laval Rocket in overtime for the second time in three nights.

Isak Rosen scored on a breakaway with just 6.7 seconds remaining, capping a play that began 180 feet away with a pass from defenseman Kyle Clague behind the Amerks net.

Mason Jobst took Clague’s stretch pass at the Laval blue line and saucered the puck to the high slot, where Rosen skated into it in full stride, faked goalie Stauss Mann out of position and then roofed a backhander for his eighth goal (in 16 games).

“That was a really good play by Clague, a great pass by Jobst and a heck of a finish by Rosen,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said.

The OT goal sent a season-high crowd of 7,034 fans at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial home happy, and helped send Rosen to the parent Buffalo Sabres. He’s expected to play his first NHL game during a four-game road trip that begins Saturday at New Jersey.

Rosen’s goal came after both teams had their chances to score, and was a prime example of today’s OT strategy. Even though just 17 seconds remained when Clague gained possession in the neutral zone and, rather than attack, skated all the way back behind his own net.

As he was circling the net, Jobst had posted up along the left wing boards at the Laval blue line and was doing jumping jacks or some variation thereof, trying to ensure Clague saw him.

“I’m not very tall and there was a guy in front of me so I was trying to let him know I was there for a stretch pass and there was an urgency to get me the puck,” Jobst said.

While Clague was making the perfect 120-foot pass, Rosen was streaking up the middle of the ice.

“I saw Rosen beat his guy up the ice so then it was just getting the puck to a space,” Jobst said of his pass.

The circle back and regroup strategy shown by Clague was used at least four other times by the Amerks in the overtime. Laval, too, employed the same strategy often, pulling out of the offensive zone when there was a risk of losing the puck.

“It’s all about possession,” defenseman Jeremy Davies said.

Said Jobst: “It kind of turns to common sense. You start to see what works. It’s really turned into a possession game because it’s just so hard to get the puck back.”

There’s a common refrain that coaches have coached the fun out of the three-on-three OT. Appert scoffs at the thought.

“The players are smart, the players figure it out,” Appert said. “They don’t want to turn pucks over and lose the puck. They know when they give up the puck that it’s hard to get it back in three-on-three.

“It’s much less that coaches are coaching that and it’s more that players are incredibly intelligent and skilled and they want to keep the puck and keep probing for opportunities to attack and not just give it away.”

Davies and Jobst also scored for the Amerks, who improved to 10-4-2, including 4-2 in games decided in overtime (one other has gone to a shootout).

Goalie Devin Cooley stopped 32 shots as the Amerks outshot the high-powered Rocket 35-34.

Murray returns

Right winger Brett Murray played his first game since Nov. 1. He missed the previous seven because of injury.

He had two great chances to score on late third-period power play but was denied by Mann.

“He’s such a good hockey player,” Appert said. “He’s strong on the puck, strong on the wall and strong in the blue paint.”

Richards showing faceoff tenacity

Fourth-year center Justin Richards is in his first season with the Amerks and his earning more responsibilities, namely on the faceoff and penalty killing unit.

He took the opening draw for overtime on Wednesday and Friday and is being used more often on key faceoffs.

“I think he’s starting to find his rhythm, his groove,” Appert said. “Penalty kill and faceoffs earn you a lot of playing time, and then you start getting more playing time and you get confidence. At this level and above, little things like that are how you earn extra playing time.”