By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Since joining the Rochester Americans two years ago to begin his chase of an NHL roster spot, Isak Rosen has always played with a pass-first mentality.
Of course, when you play on a line with Jiri Kulich, passing probably isn’t a bad idea.
“He’s got one of the best shots,” Rosen said. “He’s showing that in the NHL now.”
But with Kulich’s AHL apprenticeship over, Rosen has changed his thinking when the puck is on his stick. If the opportunity to shoot presents itself now, he’s shooting.
“I’m creating a lot of chances and I have a good shot and trust that,” he said.
The scoresheet is proof he has chosen the proper approach. The third-year winger scored two more goals on Wednesday – giving him six in the past five games and 20 in his 38 games this season – as the Amerks rolled past the Utica Comets 7-4 at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
“I feel good, I’m creating lots of chance and thankfully they’re going in,” said Rosen, who along with linemate Brett Murray and goalie Devon Levi will represent the Amerks in the AHL All-Star Classic Sunday and Monday in Palm Desert, Calif.
Newcomer Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Viktor Neuchev, Anton Wahlberg, Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Nikita Novakov also scored goals as the Amerks improved to 25-12-3-1.
While the touchdown worth of goals – the ninth time Rochester has scored six goals or more in their 41 games – says the Amerks were dominant, their coach said otherwise. In fact, he wasn’t pleased at all.
Yes, the Amerks won, and coach Michael Leone acknowledged that. But the style they played will not win games in April and May, and maybe not even in February.
“I didn’t like our game at all,” Leone said. “It’s good to get the win, for sure, but we’ve got to be way better. I thought we played a lot of losing hockey.”
Too many extended shifts. Not enough smart above-the-puck play. Far too little attention to details. His list of be-better-in-this-area was long.
His players didn’t necessarily disagree, either.
“It’s lucky we were good on offense because we gave up way too many odd-man rushes,” Rosen said.
How many? It seemed that during every other Utica possession in the first period, the Comets were two-on-one or three-on-two or four-on-three.
“I was pulling my hair out on the bench,” Leone said. “You can’t give up easy offense.”
Still, the Amerks overcame their un-Amerk like play because they have an abundance of talent up front, and because Comets goalie Nico Daws and his defenders weren’t very good either.
Rosen scored 5:46 into the first period on a power play, his sixth man-advantage goal of the season. The Comets tied the score at 9:04 when Nolan Foote converted a Jack Malone centering pass off a three-on-two rush, but Aube-Kubel restored the lead just 2:42 later.
Sent to the Amerks by the parent Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday after clearing NHL waivers, the 10th-year veteran winger scored his first goal as an Amerk 11:46 into his debut game.
Josh Dunne won a faceoff to the right of Daws, drawing it back to the left point for Zach Metsa. His shot was stopped by Daws but Aube-Kubel was in the deep slot and alone to fire it home.
“I haven’t played much the last month so it feels good to play,” Aube-Kubel said.
A free-agent signee by the Sabres on July 1 after splitting last season with the Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears, the veteran winger appeared in only 19 games with the Sabres and produced one goal and one assist.
Since the Christmas break, he played in just three games, the last being on Jan. 20 in a 6-4 loss at Seattle. Even when he was in the lineup, he wasn’t getting much ice time.
“I played maybe six, seven minutes per game,” he said. “That’s what I played in the first period tonight.”
He said he’s here to try to help the young players but also show he’s still NHL-worthy. In 301 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, Capitals and Sabres, he has 32 goals, 48 assists and 80 points.
“I just have to be strong,” he said. “I’ve been there before (in this situation). It’s always tough; you just have to work harder.”
Just 1:23 after Aube-Kubel scored, Neuchev extended the lead to 3-1 with an unassisted goal at 13:09. Tracking Austin Strand down the right wing boards in the Utica zone, Neuchev stole the defenseman’s, burst into the slot and fired a shot past Daws for his seventh goal.
The second-year winger had missed seven games between Jan. 3 and 19 due to injury before returning to play the first game of last weekend’s road trip to New England.
The lead was gone before the second period was 12 minute old after goals by Nathan Legare at 6:57 – an inexplicable five-hole goal off a long-range wrister – and Adam Back – off an end-boards carom – at 11:15.
But the Amerks again retaliated on the next shift, with Wahlberg driving wide past defenseman Danill Misyul on left wing and to the net for his seventh goal, at 11:39.
The lead ballooned to 6-3 early in the third period. Rosen’s wrister from above the circle along the right wing boards eluded a screened Daws at 1:11, then, with a delayed penalty upcoming on the Comets, Fiddler-Schultz one-timed home a Lukas Rousek centering pass at 3:15.
The Amerks play at home on Friday against the Crunch and then head to Syracuse for a rematch on Saturday night before starting the All-Star break.
I love coach Leone’s candor. Its something you rarely saw here in recent years. I’m glad he feels that you won’t win playoff games when you are that sloppy and giving up the ‘easy goals’.
I believe that all the tinkering the Sabres have done with Levi is coming home to roost. His play of late has been alarming. And it isn’t always how many you give up, its when. I wish Buffalo would just leave him alone here and let UPL see if he is the goods in the NHL.
The two games coming up with Syracuse will be tough ones. The Crunch dismantled us last time out and they are not an easy opponent. Due to the break Amerks will only play once in 9 days after Saturday so they can’t be sitting on losses. Our division is very tight and competitive.