By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
If the Rochester Americans ever develop a killer instinct, watch out.
But until that happens, then it’s wise to watch every game to the very end because who knows what may happen.
Like Friday night, when the Amerks couldn’t add to a 1-0 lead for a period and a half, allowed the tying goal with 3:11 remaining and then lost in a four-round shootout as the Belleville Senators left Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial as 2-1 victors.
Protecting a lead and scoring insurance goals remain prime deficiencies.
“We’ve had trouble getting the next one,” coach Seth Appert said after Belleville pulled into a tie for third place with the Amerks at 55 points in the American Hockey League’s North Division. “We should have won tonight. We played a great game. We put ourselves in position to win.”
Instead, they settled for the loser point while allowing a divisional rival to gain by giving up the tying goal in the waning minutes and then failing to score with a minute of power play in overtime.
Zach MacEwen’s bad-hop single deflection of a Jacob Larsson point shot eluded goalie Dustin Tokarski (33 saves) at 16:49 and forced overtime.
“It’s just super disappointing,” said Amerks center Mason Jobst, who scored the Amerks goal at 9:10 of the second period. “Every point is so important. We played good for 55 minutes. ‘Tikker’ played incredible tonight; I feel bad for him.”
The Amerks had a great chance to go ahead 2-0 with 5:52 remaining but Belleville relief goalie Kevin Mandolese darted across his crease to deny Graham Slaggert’s one-timer off a Justin Richards’ set-up off a two-on-one. Mandolese entered after starter Mads Sogard was injured moving across the crease when Jobst scored.
“At the end of the day, we need to finish that chance,” Appert said.
Both teams had great chances in overtime. Tokarski stopped Angus Crookshank’s one-timer off a two-on-one fastbreak at 1:10. Mandolese returned the favor by robbing Biro on a carbon-copy play with 1:15 remaining.
The Amerks then had a four-on-three man advantage for the final 57.8 seconds of overtime after MacEwen clipped Biro with a high stick, but they couldn’t find the net despite good pressure.
The best chance came from Isak Rosen, whose slap shot from the high slot clanked off the mask of Mandolese with 21 seconds left.
Rorke Chartier, Belleville’s first shooter, and Matthew Highmore, the fourth and final shooter, scored for the Senators in the shootout.
Kisakov was the Amerks first shooter in the shootout and confidently buried a backhander. He’s 2-for-3 in shootouts this year and 4-for-6 in his career.
“He’s automatic,” Jobst said. “He’s got it figured out.”
But Isak Rosen, Lukas Rousek and Brandon Biro all were stopped by Mandolese.
For Rosen, the night was merely an extension of his streak of frustration. He has gone eight games without a goal and has produced just one in his past 13 games.
“We all go through it,” Jobst said, “unless you’re (Nikita) Kucherov or (Nathan) McKinnon. He’s probably harder on himself than anyone on the outside could be.”
Why was Neuchev a healthy scratch, when this team is starving for scoring, with Kulich out?
A great game with incredible goaltending on both sides, Biro was robbed in overtime on the power play and Tokarski was unbelievable all game kept the Amerks in it in the first period. I don’t like how slow the Amerks shooters went in the shootout less intimidating for the goalie for Belleville it was just the opposite in the shootout and it paid dividends. Definitely wouldn’t have chosen Rosen as the second shooter he’s snakebit right now and his lack of confidence translated into the shootout, I also think a goal scorer in the game is feeling good and has the confidence probably less tight and that’s everything which is why I would have chosen Jobst as the second shooter. As for Kisakov he’s always been good in the shootout. Power play looked somewhat better but still fruitless and once again until it becomes proficient it will be hard for the Amerks to win on a regular basis, if it doesn’t improve I don’t think even making the last 2 playoff spots is an automatic.
I’ll preface this with I’m sick of watching this team lose. I don’t care if the coach thinks they ‘played great’. Actually in the 1st period, they were disgraceful. It looked like a 20 minute Sens power play. We picked up a bit in the 2nd but then fell back again in the 3rd. Amerks continually let Belleville dominate. They were the aggressors and Amerks just can’t get out of their own way at home this year.
I feel real bad for Tokarski who probably played his best game this year. He was nails in the 3rd and in OT. Meanwhile our supposed ‘big guns’ were brutally weak in the shootout, barely testing the goalie at all. Belleville just let it all out and blasted lasers at Tokarski.
With March looming, results are all that matter now. Loser point be damned you have to start winning games. Our offense has disappeared. All the returning players have regressed from last year. Scoring goals has become an unbearable chore and it isn’t all because the opponents goalies are that special. The power play is still a hot mess. The passing is tentative. Our play at home is gruesome.
Coach says we should have won last night. Well then why didn’t they? Did anyone think one goal was enough? Belleville wanted these 2 games more and it showed. Walking out of the BCA, yet again, with a sour taste is getting real old.
We don’t want one of our supposed scorers to be our best penalty killer. We don’t want one guy who has played pretty well to be a healthy scratch. We don’t want high praise heaped on the opponent when we are failing to do the basics.
NO, last nights game was not fun. Why? Because we lost. On merit. Our only star was the goalie. Everyone else needs a reset….quickly, or this season will not end well. Hard to feel even remotely good about the last 2 games. Sorry