Tokarski, Amerks overcome poor start to defeat Hartford

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

By any measuring stick – eye test, total saves, quality chances faced – Rochester Americans goalie Dustin Tokarski was not sharp on Wednesday night.

He gave up two goals on the first four shots he faced, then, after the Amerks had moved ahead 4-3, he allowed two more in a span of 83 seconds of the third period as the Hartford Wolf  Pack went back on top 5-4.

But when the Amerks needed him most, in the final few minutes protecting a 6-5 lead, the veteran goalie came up big. He stopped five shots over the final 2:16, four of those with the Wolf Pack in extra-attacker mode, as Rochester held on for the 6-5 victory at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.

“I felt very good in the last three minutes he was going to find a way to keep it where it was and find a way to get a win,” coach Seth Appert said after the Amerks improved to 30-22-6-2. “He drips with those big moments. He’s won a Telus Cup (Under-18 World Championship), Memorial Cup, World Junior, two Calder Cups.

“That’s him. You kind of feel it from him. Maybe not his night, but you get him that lead late, and you feel like he’s going to bring it home for you.”

Tokarski apparently was battling something, whether it was illness or a nagging injury. Appert said he wouldn’t know for sure until he received a report from the medical staff.

But he was nonetheless happy to see his team overcome a poor start as well as 2-0, 3-1 and 5-4 deficits.

“We didn’t play our game in the first period but over the last 40 we showed how good we are when we play our plan,” said center Jiri Kulich, who assisted on goals by Isak Rosen and Ethan Prow before scoring the tying fifth goal at 12:15 of the third period.

Michael Mersch then scored the game-winner 2:02 later, barging to the top of the crease to redirect Zach Metsa’s point shot before sweeping home his own rebound.

“This time of year, it’s hard to get to the net-front area,” Mersch said. “I tried to time it where I could get in there, and was able to get a tip and rebound.”

Tyson Kozak and Brett Murray also scored for the Amerks, who are in third place in the AHL’s North Division at 68 points and have a three-point cushion over Belleville and Toronto.

Kulich, meanwhile, enjoyed his first three-point game since he scored a hat trick in the season’s third game (Oct. 18). He has produced 2-3-5 over his past three games and continues to log key minutes along with his linemates, Rosen and Murray. He and Rosen also are meeting Appert’s expectations.

“I’ve challenged them in the last month or so that they need to be leaders. We have a great group of captains. We don’t need them to be captains, we need them to be leaders in their play: in their competitiveness, in their habits, in the detail to their game, not just in their scoring.”

The game started about as poorly as possible for the Amerks. Riley Nash shook hands with Mersch after the ceremonial faceoff and then, after the puck dropped for real, needed just 11 seconds to score.

He angled to the net through the right circle and had his shot stopped but managed to poke it in during a scramble for the rebound.

Ryder Korczak extended the lead to 2-0 at 2:26, again during a scramble. This time, a rebound skittered straight out into the slot and Korczak sent a backhander past a few skates and between Tokarski’s legs.

The two goals in under three minutes were monumental for the Wolf Pack. Over the previous 16 games, they had scored two or fewer goals in 12 of those outings.

While the Wolf Pack were pleased with their start, Appert said he failed in his duties.

“We were terrible in the first and that’s not acceptable,” Appert said. “I have to do a better job. Obviously I missed something in terms of our preparation.”

There was little improvement for the Amerks over the next 14 minutes. The Amerks didn’t record their first shot until 9:06, were penalized twice in a span of 6:23 for having too many men on the ice and were outshot 11-4 through 16 minutes.

But they did get a boost in the final minute of the period when Kozak, playing his second game after missing eight because of injury, scored at 19:20. He stole the puck near the point, raced in off right wing and fired a wrist shot past the right leg of goalie Dylan Garand for his fifth goal.

“The goal at the end of the first was big,” Appert said. “It makes a horrid period only down one. (Viktor) Neuchev with a great forecheck to force a turnover and then Kozak with a great finish.”