By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
When it comes to style of play and strategy, there are no secrets any time the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch play.
There’s not much free space on the ice, either.
With a dozen regular season games against each other – nearly 17 percent of the entire season – and, in the case of last season, a five-game playoff series, the teams know each other very well.
“It’s hard to play against Syracuse,” Amerks winger Lukas Rousek said. “It’s always about details.”
On Friday night, it wasn’t just details it was also execution, which is why a 2-0 first-period lead turned into a 3-2 overtime loss in front of 6,491 fans at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
Waltteri Mereia, given far too much time and space and a neutral-zone turnover, scored just 38 seconds into overtime in the first post All-Star break game for both teams.
Goals by Brandon Biro and Mason Jobst midway through the first period staked the Amerks (21-16-4-1, 47 points) to the early lead, but the Crunch tied the score on second-period goals by Daniel Walcott and Devante Stephens.
Mereia then won it for the Crunch (25-14-3-2, 55 points), methodically moving in on left wing on a two-on-one rush before snapping a shot from the left circle past the glove of goalie Devon Levi (22 saves).
What may have been a Grade C or maybe B chance turned into a Grade A opportunity as defenseman Kale Clague opted to retreat into a defensive posture rather than force Mereia earlier.
“He’s got to make it more uncomfortable,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said. “I think he could have made it more uncomfortable in the neutral zone. It was only a two-on-one if you give up the blue line. He probably could have surfed over and just pushed him wider. That’s too much good real estate to give up there.”
The Amerks were very good in the first period, the Crunch took control in the second period after a horrendous, fruitless four-minute Rochester power play, then the third period was basically a stalemate.
Unproductive power plays have become a familiar theme. The Amerks were 0-for-18 in the previous six games, and just 10-73 over the previous 25 games (13.7 percent). Jobst did connect at 13:16 of the first period on the Amerks first power play on Friday night, but they did nothing on the next three.
That included the four minutes between 7:57 and 11:57 of the second period, after Crunch winger Maxim Groshev clipped Linus Weissbach in the face with a high stick. Over the four minutes, they had one harmless shot on goal and couldn’t build on a 2-1 lead.
“That was a great opportunity for us but we ended up giving them momentum,” Jobst said. “That was pretty lackluster. They may have had more opportunities than we did.”
Syracuse then used a lucky bounce – no, make that two lucky bounces – to score the tying goal at 15:53.
A point shot by Amerks defenseman Zach Metsa hit Jobst in the high slot and caromed to Groshev, who started away on what became a three-on-two fast break.
Joe Carroll then shot from the left circle in the Amerks zone – and not with any sort of accuracy – but it hit Stephens at the top of the crease and banked in past Levi.
“The tying goal is probably going three feet wide and it ricochets off the shin,” Appert said.
Kulich sits out
While All-Star winger Isak Rosen played on Friday, fellow second-year All-Star winger Jiri Kulich did not.
Appert termed Kulich day-to-day with “some nagging things he’s dealing with.” He’s questionable to play in Saturday’s rematch at Syracuse.
From Appert’s explanation, part of the thought process obviously is about giving Kulich some time off.
Since returning from the World Junior Championship in early January, he has gone 10 games without a goal, the longest stretch of his young career, and hasn’t been all that dangerous in many of those games.
While everyone not participating in the All-Star game at San Jose had off until Thursday’s 5 p.m. practice, Kulich has been on the go for what seems like two years, Appert said.
“Last year I think he played 110 games between summer World Junior, winter World Junior, our season, rookie camp, training camp, playoffs right to early June,” Appert said. “This year training camp, rookie camp, our season, World Junior. And then the set up for the All-Star Game, you’re set up to crush these guys.”
Those making travel arrangements for Rosen and Kulich couldn’t book convenient flights out of Montreal last Sunday (the Amerks played in Laval last Friday and Saturday), so both bused back to Rochester with the team after Saturday’s game.
They were to fly out early Sunday morning but their flight was canceled due to a mechanical issue. They finally got to San Jose – by way of Atlanta – after midnight on Sunday night, played in Monday’s All-Star event, then traveled back to Rochester.
file this game under yech. Hard to watch. Hard to digest yet another blown home game because the team completely took off 20 minutes and then when it counted in OT, they took off those 38 seconds too. The loss against these guys was predictable and this late in the season the Amerks just haven’t found their way.
Sabrefan keeps whining for Kulich. Clearly all they see are the 16 goals he scored a light year ago. It is going on 2 months and no AHL goals for the young prospect. Have the Sabres let this kid do too much and now they expect too much? I’m a huge non-fan of having pros play in tournaments (including Olympics—yeah go ahead and flog me…I think its wrong) during the season. Clearly Kulich playing in the junior tournament sure hasn’t enchanced his pro career, nor should it have. Then send him 3,000 miles away for more fun and games…and what do we get? A mixed up kid.
I wish they wouldn’t do that stuff.
But back to the main point. This Amerk team is stuck in a rut. Too many losses look the same. And their division is too tightly bunched 3rd thru 7th to keep tossing these games away. There was nothing redeeming about this loss, save a decent 1st period and a good effort from Levi. Crunch have our number right now. Amerks can;t figure them out.
Honestly I don’t think they have figured themselves out yet either. But its starting to get late.
Absolutely horrendous effort on home ice. The power play is absolutely awful, they have no grit along the boards, way too many soft passengers on this team. I question the coaching staff on the style of play I believe they are playing to an identity that they cannot be successfull in, team is way too small and soft to win in grinding defensive games, maybe occasionally but not consistently! If they play to their strength, a fast transitional game and get good goaltending I believe the sky is the limit to how far they can go as they may be the fastest team in this conference! That said, this coaching staff has them playing a tentative defensive style and it’s painful to watch! Destined for failure against a team like Syracuse! If you look at the roster on paper with the amount of returning players from last years very successful team who should be as good or better the results have been very disappointing. Fourth place in the middle of the pack is very much underachieving for this group! What’s changed? For one the power play has been a huge strength the past 2 years but this year it is now below average! Not moving the puck quick enough, not enough point shots, this all shows with Murray and especially Mersch uncharacteristically having almost zero power play success this year unlike the last 2 years! Is our new assistant coach Vinny prospel to blame? As for the defense it’s offensive minded without nearly enough offensive production and just about the leagues worst penalty kill! I believe the coaching staff has a lot of adjustments to make if this team is to have any chance at matching or exceeding last years success! That said I do believe the talent is capable but not with this current defensive style of play ! By the way the going for the tie move behind the net with over 25 seconds left was a huge embarrassment on home ice and completely inexcusable!
no need to write anything about Saturdays game. It was a total clone of Friday. 2 goal lead, squandered, and a quick loss in OT.
Two wasted performances. Two pretty ugly games to watch. Two games that have exposed all the flaws.
The only laughable thing is Kulich’s ‘lower body injury’. Yeah explain that one.
Spin, spin spin (as the Lightfoot song goes)
Right now Sabres and Amerks are the same team. They are getting good goaltending…wasted.
Just a total mess right now. Gotta admit it first before it can be fixed. Amerks staff appear to be more in denial than Sabres staff. Sabres are really out of the playoff hunt…Amerks are getting very close.