Comrie shines, Jobst and Neuchev find the net as Amerks upend Cleveland

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

Officially, Friday night’s promotion at the Rochester Americans game featured a winter hat giveaway.

Unofficially, it was welcome night at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.

The Amerks welcomed center Mason Jobst back to the scoresheet. They welcomed rookie left winger Viktor Neuchev to a prominent offensive role. And they welcomed goalie Eric Comrie back to the ice and back to winning.

Jobst and Neuchev scored goals just 1:03 apart in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and Comrie – demoted by the parent Buffalo Sabres on Sunday – made 33 saves in his first action in a month as the Amerks defeated the division-leading Cleveland Monsters 3-1.

“Com’s was great tonight,” Jobst said. “It’s been a while for him. For him to come out and have that game, it was fun to watch. I’m happy for him.”

Jobst surely felt pretty good for himself, too. His breakaway goal at 6:46 of the second period broke the 1-1 tie.

The fifth-year veteran, a key part of the Amerks core leadership group, had gone 12 games without goal. He last found the net on Nov. 24, which was also the last time the Amerks (15-12-2-1) won a home game (0-4 at home in December).

In hopes of jolting Jobst back to his effective self, the coaching staff held him out of last Saturday’s game at Utica, a 3-2 shootout victory. It wasn’t so much a wake-up call, coach Seth Appert said, as a chance to reset.

“It kind of just clears the cobwebs and you come out with a little more purpose and a little more vigor the next game,” Appert said.

Indeed, that’s what happened. But Jobst wasn’t the only Amerk playing with a bit more drive. Neuchev, also a healthy scratch at Utica on Saturday, used his speed to track the puck and force the action, and his creativity to drive the attack.

“We’ve seen so many good things from him the last six to eight weeks in practice every day, in the weight room, how hard he’s working, how much time he’s putting into his craft,” Appert said. “Neuch has bought into the process of what it’s going to take to become a really good hockey player in North America.”

And that work to become better, the dedication Neuchev has shown, earned him a chance to play left wing on a line with Tyson Jost and Isak Rosen.

“It’s an earned reward, it’s not a given,” Appert said. “Iron sharpens iron and competition makes people dig in a work harder and go harder and challenge themselves to be better. You want more ice time, you want to be in the lineup now, go out there in practice and be better than other people, win more puck battles, win more small-ice games, put more time into your game after practice.

“Some of development is giving young players opportunities and some of development is holding their feet to the fire and earning those opportunities.”

Neuchev proved he deserved the vote of confidence by scoring the Amerks third goal, just 63 seconds after Jobst broke the tie. He, too, had gone 12 games without a goal, producing just two assists over that span.

Jobst’s goal was set up a backhanded pass from Lukas Rousek, who was along the left-wing boards. Jobst took the pass and darted in alone at full speed from the blue line before hitting the breaks and tucking the puck around goalie Jet Greaves.

“I was happy it was Rousek who had the puck on his stick,” Jobst said. “That guy can find anybody.”

Neuchev had the crowd of 6,970 back on its feet barely a minute later. Rosen blocked a Bill Sweezey pass up the boards just outside the Cleveland blue line and chipped it ahead to Neuchev.

The rookie winger raced down the slot, froze Greaves with a fake, roofed a backhander for his third goal, and first since Nov. 22.

But before that game-breaking 63-second span, Comrie had made a stop on Trey Fix-Wolansky’s breakaway 2:02 into the period to keep it 1-1. It was one of a half-dozen terrific stops by the veteran goalie, who struggled with the Sabres. He was 1-5 with a .863 save percentage and 4.01 goals-against average, which explains why he hadn’t played since Dec. 5.

Despite the inactivity, it was impossible to detect rust.

“I thought he was really solid; he kept the game simple and therefore he made the game simple for us,” Appert said. “Him being so ready – his first game in a month – is just a credit to his work ethic. That’s the only way you can be ready after being off for so long is to take a lot of pride in your game.”

The Amerks used a giveaway by Greaves, with Brendan Warren hammering the puck into the vacated net just 5:28 into the game.

The Monsters (22-9-1-0) used a power play to tie the score with 2:19 left in the first period. Owen Sillinger fanned on Carson Meyer’s pass to the right edge of the crease but the puck still hit his leg and caromed into the net.

Chaos late after a dirty check

Jobst was very lucky to avoid injury in the final minute when he was pounded into the side boards from behind by Monsters center Jake Gaudet.

The hit drove Jobst head-first into the boards and his neck and face bent awkwardly upon contact.

“My face feels pretty mangled,” Jobst said.

Gaudet was assessed a boarding major and game misconduct, and the American Hockey League will review the incident to determine if a suspension is warranted.

“It was an egregiously dirty hit,” Appert said. “Jobst was vulnerable, away from the wall, driven head-first into the boards.”

Rosen immediately grabbed Gaudet and defenseman Jermey Davies skated about 50 feet to try to get at Gaudet.

“We don’t have a fighter, per se, but we have a team toughness, that a one-go, all-go mentality, that we’re going to be there for each other,” Appert said.

Kulich to return next weekend

Forward Jiri Kulich won a bronze medal with Czechia at the World Junior Championships with an 8-5 victory over Finland. The Amerks top goal-scorer produced two goals and two assists in the bronze medal game and finished the tournament with 12 points.

Kulich will rejoin the Amerks next week for practice. They play at Charlotte Friday and Saturday (the latter of which is to be played outdoors).

“Congrats to Jiri, what an exceptional experience leading the team to a medal for the second year in a row for the first time in more than two decades,” Appert said.

Fridays are hockey night in Rochester

The Amerks have drawn more than 6,200 for nine of their 10 Friday home games, and in seven of those have drawn 6,700 or better.

That includes 9,092 on Dec. 29, the largest regular-season crowd since Feb. 2, 2018, when Rochester native Brian Gionta played his only game in an Amerks sweater.