By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
They had already scored four goals, all on the power play, and there was no doubt the Rochester Americans were well on their way to victory.
Yet when Ryan Johnson zipped home a wrist shot from the left circle off the rush to give the Amerks a 5-1 lead just 49 seconds into the third period on Friday night, you’d have thought he’d just scored a sudden-death, Game 7, game-winner.
“It almost felt like we won in overtime in a playoff game, just how excited guys were,” coach Michael Leone said.
Indeed, it was difficult to determine who was happier: Johnson, who had finally scored his first professional goal in his 116th game, or his teammates, who understand the energy he expends and the tenacity with which he plays the game.
Even Johnson wasn’t sure who was happier, and he was on cloud nine.
“That was wild; I’ve never seen a reaction like that before,” the second-year defenseman said after the 6-3 victory over the Belleville Senators. “That sums up the whole goal and even this year, too, just seeing the support from the guys and even our culture, the way guys are playing so selflessly.”
It wasn’t just immediately after the goal, either. After Johnson took the first-star curtain call and entered the dressing room, well after the rest of his teammates, he was given the 15-bottle Gatorade bath.
“I’m super happy for him,” said winger Isak Rosen, who set up the goal, one of his three assists in the game. “It’s hard to get the first one.”
Said Leone: “I’m so happy for him and proud of him. He drives us; defends so hard, he competes so hard.”
So just how did Johnson celebrate goal No. 1 after 72 games as an Amerk and 44 with the parent Buffalo Sabres? By taking a tripping penalty 21 seconds later.
“The goal wasn’t too special as far as it was just a shot that squeezed through the five-hole,” he said, “but the way the teammates rallied around, that just made me smile in the penalty box. Not that you’re supposed to smile in there.”
He had nothing to worry about. The Amerks killed off the penalty, something the Senators couldn’t do on Friday. The Amerks power play was lethal, going five-for-six, with goals from five different players: Mason Jobst, Brett Murray, Josh Dunne, Zach Metsa and Konsta Helenius.
“Probably the last 10 to 15 games, they’re really moving the puck, supporting each other, finishing their routes; I think we’re really doing a good job winning races,” Leone said. “We have really skilled players and they were fantastic.
“But it’s going to be really important that we turn the page and be really good again tomorrow (in a 5:05 p.m. home game against the Toronto Marlies). I think the last time we played Toronto we had a chance to win a game and were 0-for-7 on the power play.”
Helenius scored the final Amerks goal, extending the lead to 6-1 with 9:42 remaining. That was after his perfect passes set up the breakaway goal by Jobst to open the scoring and a tip-in goal by Dunne to cap the three-goal first period burst.
It gave the rookie his first three-point game as a pro and pushed his totals to 8 goals, 15 assists and 23 points in 44 games.
And he also seemed to play with a target, drawing the ire of more than one Belleville player over the course of the game.
“When he’s skating, when he’s competitive, when he’s hunting down pucks, when he’s physically engaged in the battle, that’s when he’s at his best,” Leone said.
Metsa scored the only goal in the second period to push the Amerks lead to 4-1, then Johnson connected before the third period was a minute old. He took Rosen’s pass on the left wing, sped into the circle and fired a shot that eluded a diving Jan Jenik as well as defenseman Maxence Guenette before sneaking past goalie Malcolm Subban.
Johnson is actually following his scoring trajectory from college. He played his entire freshman year at the University of Minnesota without scoring a goal, and didn’t find the net until the last game of his sophomore season.
“It builds your hunger to score, to contribute to the team,” Johnson said. “Not for myself to score a goal but to help the team win.”
He said the puck will likely stay with him throughout the season.
“I’ll probably put it in my travel bag, where I put my tape,” he said.” It definitely will be a good reminder. I’m definitely keeping this one, this one’s special.”
Notes: The Amerks hadn’t scored five power-play goals in a game since their six-pack against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 12-3 victory on Feb. 16, 2018. … Metsa and Jack Rathbone both needed medical attention but returned to the game. Metsa was hit in the face by an inadvertent high stick from Guenette in the fifth minute of the first perod. He was back before the period ended wearing a full facemask. … Rathbone was hit by a point shot while defending in front of the Amerks net 7:05 into the second period. He immediately went to the dressing room but returned for the third period. … Winger Viktor Neuchev is out long term due to an upper body injury.
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