By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
An overload of cuteness is perfectly fine if you’re talking about puppies. Or babies. But not power plays.
Definitely not power plays.
Which is why, according to coach Seth Appert, the Rochester Americans power play has been so powerless in recent weeks.
While they did score with the man advantage on Wednesday night, they also allowed yet another short-handed goal and produced far too few Grade-A chances in a 4-1 loss to the Belleville Senators at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
As a result, the Amerks are in the thick of a dogfight for playoff positioning in the American Hockey League’s North Division. With 24 games remaining, they are third at 54 points, followed by Belleville (53), Toronto (52) and Laval (51).
Part of the reason they have gone just 5-5-2-0 in the past 12 games is a stagnant power play. They have gone 6-for-44 with the man advantage in that span, including 2-for-24 in seven home games.
The problem, Appert said: “Too cute.
“Too cute, that was the message at the end of the first (period). There’s a lot of skilled players on these two units and sometimes skilled players want to be too cute.”
Fancy looks good, until the opponent simply smothers you and forces a giveaway. Razzle-dazzle is great, until a defender pokes the puck free or the penalty killing unit doesn’t allow anyone near the slot.
The Amerks only goal Wednesday actually came because of a mis-fire. Linus Weissbach shot wide right of the net but the puck caromed out on the left side, where Lukas Rousek chipped it into the slot and Mason Jobst fired it home, tying the score 1-1 at 10:25 of the second period.
“More often than not,” Appert said, “power-play goals are scored like we got ours, which is shoot, collect a rebound, shoot again, collect another rebound, keep them in chaos, shoot again, collect another rebound and finally you get rewarded.
“Most power-play goals are not pretty, in spite of what they show on the highlights on the NHL Network. Most power-play goals are shooting-based and then they might end up being a pretty goal because you’ve got them spinning in chaos because of a shot mentality.”
Perhaps a bigger concern is the short-handed goals allowed. Belleville’s first goal – by Rourke Chartier at 16:04 of the first period – was the AHL-worst 10th shortie given up by the Amerks this season and the eighth on home ice (also a league-worst).
Again, Appert said, the reason is the same.
“Too cute,” he said of the power-play unit.
Defensive errors then cost the Amerks in the third period, when the B-Sens scored three times in a span of 6:09 against goalie Devon Levi to pull away. Agnus Crookshank broke the 1-1 tie at 10:08, Josh Currie made it 3-1 at 12:35 and Garret Pilon provided clinching insurance at 16:17.
“The winning goal just shouldn’t happen,” Appert said. “We win the face and then get beat on the jump and then we drifted away from the net-front, which is not what we do in the D-zone,” Appert said.
Leading goal-scorer Jiri Kulich remains out with an upper body injury. He has missed the past three games and is listed as day-to-day.
While the Amerks need him back in the lineup, they need Isak Rosen – who is quite healthy – to start producing. He has scored just one goal in the past 12 games, and just three goals in his past 28 games. That’s hardly Rosen’s M.O.
Appert, however, said he’s still not worried.
“He’s getting chances and he’s playing his best defensive hockey of his career with us,” Appert said. “He’s one of our best penalty killers right now, and all of that is added responsibility, added minutes. Does that tire you a bit from offense? It might; he’s a young kid.
“But these are things that he needs to learn how to do. He’s learning how to be not a support player like he was last year, he’s got to be a go-to guy. He’s playing 18 to 20 minutes a night, he’s one of our most-minute penalty killers, he’s been excellent on the kill, and those are all things he needs to learn: How do you play that many minute and be an elite defensive player and be a great penalty killer and still score?”
Team is a complete mess right now, I’ll repeat the dismal play on home ice and lack of a power play is a recipe for a quick exit in the playoffs. Again, very skilled nucleus of players but new assistants running the power play and penalty units which has been an epic fail so far. In fact it’s amazing Amerks are even in .500 with such dismal special teams and extremely uninspiring awful play on home ice very disappointing were it not for Levi on Monday and Levi and Mersch on Friday Amerks would right now be on a 4 game losing streak I see very few positives right now this team is incredibly disappointing and underachieving with the 2 biggest concerns being the dismal power play and home ice record!
Even Levi couldn’t cover over the inept power play and dismal offense. They held on for 50 minutes before collapsing in a heap. Hard to envision Levi allowing 3 goals in a 6 minute span, but he had zero help.
Coach says ‘too cute’. Well its the end of February and it has been going on for a couple months now. think its time to reshuffle the deck? Nice that he continues to prop up Rosen but did he get selected to be a penalty killer…or a goal scorer?
Amerks save their absolute worst for home games. Very disappointing.