By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Clinching a playoff berth is usually worthy of celebration, but it would have looked a little weird for the Rochester Americans to be sharing a toast or high-fiving on the ice of Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial after Friday’s 6-3 loss to the Belleville Senators.
So, they instead somewhat passively saluted the accomplishment, knowing full well that a post-season berth for the third consecutive spring was definitely earned. Utica’s loss at Providence assured the Amerks a trip to the Calder Cup playoffs.
“You want to clinch with a win, but this division is just an absolute death march,” said Amerks coach Seth Appert, whose third-place club is 36-23-6-3 and has 81 points. “To get in is not easy. Look at how well we’ve played over the last 25 games, and we’re only clinching with four games left.”
Still, they’re still very much within striking distance of a regular season division title, something the franchise hasn’t won since 2004-05. Heading into Saturday’s 5 p.m. rematch with the Senators, the Amerks trail first-place Syracuse by two points and second-place Cleveland by one, and are up three points on fourth-place Toronto. All have four games remaining.
“It’s great to know (a playoff berth is locked up) but we still have work to do,” center Jiri Kulich said.
Had the Amerks won on Friday, they’d be tied for first. But Belleville goalie Mads Sogaard was terrific, making at least five stops on Grade-A scoring chances, if not more. The Amerks outshot the Senators 41-24, including 17-2 through the first 10:09 of the second period.
Yet in that span the Amerks scored just twice, erasing a 2-0 deficit on goals by Graham Slaggert and Mason Jobst while failing to build a lead of their own.
“Their goalie played well, he’s obviously a big boy (6-foot-7, 212 pounds),” Jobst said. “We did a good job of testing him and he stepped up in some big moments.”
Kulich tested Sogaard more than anyone. The second-year sniper fired a career-high 11 shots on goal but none found the net.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” Kulich said, “but tomorrow’s a new day, a new game.”
Said Appert: “I think some nights that’s a six-goal game for us. But sometimes you have to tip your hat.”
While the Amerks were trying to find a way to score against a hot goalie, Belleville ended up with a 2-0 lead on two shots that were hardly prime quality. The first goal was scored by Zach Ostapchuk with a wrister from the right circle 10:30 into the game. The second was a nothing mid-air wrister from the right point that somehow found its way past goalie Devon Levi.
“The first two goals are goals that Devon would want back,” Appert said. “He’s been excellent for us but those are two that were barely scoring chances.”
The Amerks battled back, however. Slaggert darted across the top of the crease to tip in a Brandon Biro shot on the first shift of the second period. Then Jobst one-timed home a Biro pass on a power play at 7:16 and it was 2-2.
But those were the only goals despite 22 shots in the period and when the Senators scored twice in the first 4:03 of the third period, the Amerks were deflated.
Defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo’s wrist from the right point wasn’t even on goal but it hit the shin of Amerks defenseman Nikita Novikov and caromed in at 2:20.
“The go-ahead goal was a knuckle-puck going four feet wide and it hit a D’s shin guard and ricocheted in,” Appert said. “That stinks because I think there’s times we deserved a better fate tonight, but sometimes bounces are part of hockey and goaltending is part of hockey and their goalie was excellent tonight.”
Josh Currie then zipped home a wrister from above the right circle – clanking it in off the post – and Belleville had a 4-2 lead at 4:03.
They used their size on defense to protect that lead the rest of the way before scoring a pair of empty net goals in the final 1:25 to inflate the score.
But while the Senators will continue to chase a playoff berth on Saturday, the Amerks will know they’re already in.
“Obviously you’d like to do it on a win and make you feel a little better,” Jobst said, “but clinching feels good, we earned it.”
Its not often that Levi is outplayed by the opponent’s goalie but last night was one of those times. Levi was off and their guy was certainly on as Amerks lost a disappointing game 6-3 to a team that has pretty much owned them the last two seasons.
So getting a split of these two games won’t be easy. But they must find a way to win Saturday to get back on track. I suspect Levi will want to redeem himself so I hope he plays. Amerks are off till Wednesday so there is no reason why he wouldn’t get the net in this important game.
The game was lost in the early minutes of the 3rd period and once the Sens scored two quick ones, Amerks mostly lost their drive. It would be kind of unfair to dump on them for one loss, given how they have been playing lately, but we are greedy and want to finish as high as possible. Plus its pretty clear that they have trouble with big teams like Belleville so they have to find a way to beat them.
I do expect a much better game Saturday. A modest crowd of just over 6,000 looked on.