By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
For Tyson Jost, there was a feeling of exuberance when, shift after shift, period after period, Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert kept putting him back on the ice to log key minutes in Friday night’s game against the Hershey Bears.
Relegated to spare-part status for most of the season with the Buffalo Sabres, Jost was once again a go-to player. He joined the Amerks after clearing waivers and being assigned to the AHL earlier in the day.
“It was just nice to play hockey again, to get a regular shift again,” Jost said.
But even in scoring one goal and helping set up another by Linus Weissbach, Jost’s contributions weren’t enough as the Amerks lost 4-2 to the Bears, the AHL’s best team.
Mike Vecchione’s goal with 5:47 to play broke a 2-2 tie and Bogdan Trineyev hit an empty net with 1:35 remaining as the Bears won their seventh in a row, improving to 26-6.
The Amerks, meanwhile, lost for the eighth time in 10 games (2-7-0-1) and fell to 13-12-2-1, failing to score more than three goals for the 11th consecutive game.
Of course, goals were going to be at a premium against the Bears. They’ve allowed just 68 goals in 32 games, by far the best team defense in the league. And yet the Amerks twice erased one-goal deficits and were in a 2-2 tie late in the third period.
“We didn’t outplay Hershey but I think we played toe-to-toe with the best team in the league,” Appert said. “It was an amazing hockey game and it sucks to lose it.”
In a game where mistakes are many, one by Amerks center Mason Jobst was magnified. He tried to swat away a two-zone Vecchione pass at the Amerks blue line but instead essentially fanned. In doing so, it ended up being a perfect pass to Bears winger Garrett Roe. In an instant, a nothing play turned into the winning goal as Vecchione, the trailer on the rush, firing home Roe’s drop pass.
“It’s a really poor play on the winning goal,” Appert said. “They did nothing to earn the play and it was just a play that didn’t need to be made.
“Sometimes if it’s 19-, 18-year-old kids making it, those are learning moments, but you can’t have your older guys making those plays.”
The loss added to mounting frustration for the Amerks. They haven’t won at home since Nov. 18 and haven’t won a game in regulation on home ice since Nov. 10. Sailing along with a 10-4-2 record through 16 games, they’re 3-8-0-1 in the 12 games since.
All of which in at least some small way explains the Jobst play late in the third period. Sometimes, in an attempt to right the ship, in an attempt to win a game, the smart play is trumped by a desire.
“There’s six minutes to play, you need to manage the game,” Appert said. “Sometimes it’s not about making plays, it’s managing the game and taking what’s available.
“You can’t outscore your mistakes because they’re not going to give you that.”
The Amerks never led on Friday but were always within a goal or tied. Lucas Johansen gave Hershey a 1-0 lead 14:20 into the first period but Weissbach tied it on the first shift of the second period, converting a Lukas Rousek pass.
Mike Sgarbossa’s one-timer on a power play at 11:57 of the second period put the Bears back on top but Jost retaliated on an Amerks power play at 8:03 of the third. He attacked on left wing, darted between Jimmy Huntington and Chase Priskie in the left circle, then, from a sharp angle, zipped a shot past the left shoulder of goalie Clay Stevenson and into the top right corner of the net.
“As much as it’s disappointing to be in the American League for a guy like him, it can be very good for his career,” Appert said. “It was very good for Anders Bjork last year, it was very good for Mark Jankowski (who played for the Amerks in 2021-22).
“It’s not good to sit (in the NHL), it’s not good to be a 12th, 13th or 14th forward. For him to get to play 18, 20 minutes a night, be on special teams, it’s great for him.”
Jost agreed. A veteran of 442 NHL games (56 goals, 82 assists), the 25-year-old center said he felt he’d lost a little of his childhood love for the game when he was used sparingly in Buffalo.
“It was so refreshing to be on the power play again and touch the puck,” Jost said.
It would be even more enjoyable to do those things in victory.
“It’s good signs, these last eight games, we’re playing really good hockey,” Appert said. “Our team defense has improved dramatically, so that’s great. But we’re finding ways to lose games instead of finding ways to win games.”
It was finally a bit refreshing to hear the coach calling out the mistakes that cost games. I still though just can’t see him saying ‘these last 8 games we are playing really good hockey’. those kinds of comments are reserved for teams that have won most of those games. When you are losing every night, and not scoring goals, you just aren’t playing ‘really good hockey’ if wins and losses count for anything. Its just disingenuous to even hear those remarks and take them seriously.
If the team were actually making progress to win games, OK. But they aren’t. Consolation points don’t count in pro sports. They don’t win you games let alone championships. I really wish he would stop trying to sell that idea because the fans aren’t buying any of it.
All right. Jost was a breath of fresh air last night. Finally a forward with some fire and enthusiasm. Where has everyone else gone? Rosen has been useless since returning from an unsuccessful cameo in Buffalo. Mersch and Murray look like they are 40 years old. Jobst, Biro–have lost whatever they had in October. Rousek passes up far too many chances to shoot. Weissbach is very inconsistent.
But for these eyes, the biggest thing that is wrong is that the ‘fire’ went out in November and these guys don’t look like they are enjoying their work. There is zero leadership on the ice. (sorry Mersch but we’re not seeing it) We are back to playing WITH each other, not FOR each other. And thats why you see plays like Jobst’s miscue that cost them the game last night. that’s why the team has been collapsing like a house of cards in 3rd periods. Thats why incredibly they haven’t won a game in regulation going on 6 weeks and they were winless at home in December.
Is this a team worthy of being told ‘they are playing really good hockey’?? Cue: Jim Rome’s classic ‘scoreboard baby’. Amerks have been on the wrong side of the scoreboard for quite awhile.
Give the team a mulligan last night. They really weren’t supposed to win; they clearly aren’t as good as the Hershey Machine. But they hung in there until the better team took advantage of the fatal mistake…which really good teams always do.
Where is there hope? In our last Calder Cup season, we were in dead last at this point in the season and fans were calling for coach Tortarella’s head on a platter. By February, the fire was re-lit. Sabres sent reinforcements. Many of the sleeping players awoke. It all came together and by May, the Cup was hoisted in Rochester. If someone like Jost can help light that fire, like he did last night, who knows.
For now, no, in the eyes of the fan the Amerks are NOT playing really good hockey, because they can’t win a game to save their skate blades. We can only hope that the magic of 1995-96 can return. Nothing is impossible.
The positives 1. Finally an entertaining game
2. Despite the standings I can see how these 2 teams could end up in the conference finals again!
3.Jost if he sticks could be a “game changer “ for the trajectory of this season!
The negatives 1.Played a good game but lack any kind of chemistry, and “killer instinct “ that they had in last year’s playoffs run and all good teams have! My examples of this is the awful 3rd period power play that could have snapped the tie late in the third Amerks lacked any kind of chemistry that Hershey has and couldn’t even muster mediocre scoring chances. A few minutes later Jobst has the deadly giveaway that Hershey buries. A perfect ending for 2 teams going in opposite directions at the moment
This all said I left feeling a bit more optimistic than I have of late. They showed even in this current feeble state they can play with Hershey, even put them in compromising positions with the team speed when they use it! That is why I predict tonight in Utica will be the beginning of a big turnaround for this team! But as Ted says, we need our coach to be more honest with our teams play. After all, the bottom line that teams are judged on is wins and losses if not why play the game?