By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
When Gavin Bayreuther was told on Saturday afternoon that he was joining the Rochester Americans, he was one happy hockey player.
He was informed the Buffalo Sabres had sent Amerks winger Viktor Neuchev to the Carolina Hurricanes organization, with Bayreuther leaving the Chicago Wolves to join the Amerks.
“When I got traded here, it felt like I got traded to the NHL with how excited I was for this new opportunity,” the ninth-year veteran defenseman said.
Having played for the Texas Stars in Austin, the Cleveland Monsters and Wolves, the 31-year-old native of Canaan, N.H., said he looks forward to being part of THE game in town.
“There’s no other major sports team in this city so it’s the thing,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve been a part of that in the minor leagues and it’s really cool, the passion is something I’ve already noticed.”
The Amerks hope his experience will help fortify the blue line, although right now they need to find a way to score goals.
They were held to just one on Wednesday night – by Anton Wahlberg – as the Hershey Bears skated to a 3-1 victory at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
Over the past five games, four of which are losses, the Amerks have been held to seven goals and their record has dropped to 20-15-4-2.
The absence of forward Konsta Helenius and defenseman Zac Jones (on recall to Buffalo) and defenseman Jack Rathbone (concussion protocol) is very evident.
The power play is just 1-for-21 in the past six games and 7-for-49 over the past 16. Compounding the lack of power play success: the Amerks gave up the game’s first goal on Wednesday while they had the man advantage.
Grant Cruikshank scored the only goal in the first period, converting on a short-handed breakaway at 9:59 – with a little good fortune.
His shot clanked off the left post but the puck caromed toward the middle of the crease, hit the left skate of Levi and bounced into the net.
“The short-handed goal, you can’t give up; they had no shots to that point,” Amerks coach Michael Leone said.
Even at game’s end, Levi had faced only 20 shots. That’s the fifth time in the past seven games they have held the opponent under 25.
Bayreuther, who has played 122 NHL games, the last coming in 2022-23 with Columbus, will only help in that regard.
“I thought he was outstanding,” Leone said. “His poise with the puck, his ability to defend. I thought he was one of our best players tonight.”
Bayreuther wasn’t necessarily going that far in his self-evaluation of his debut as an Amerk.
“The game of hockey nowadays is played on the wall so much and it’s all about winning your 50/50 battles and making good plays off the wall,” he said. “That’s something that I struggled with tonight; turned pucks over a little too much in the D-zone.”
The Bears moved ahead 2-0 just 24 seconds into the second period when Justin Nachbaur was able to chip an in-tight shot up and in off Levi’s glove.
Wahlberg sliced the lead to 2-1 at 6:55, zipping a wrister past the glove of Clay Stevenson and in off the right post.
While on his knees on the Bears side of center, Carson Meyer pushed the puck ahead to Wahlberg, who sprinted in on right wing and angled into the high slot before firing the shot for his fifth goal.
“That was really a high-end play,” Leone said. “Hopefully that gives him a lot of confidence.”
Henrik Rybinski restored Hershey’s two-goal lead just 1:14 into the third period. Levi stopped – and then thought he had covered – a Brett Leason shot from near the point.
But while on his knees, the puck slithered free behind him and Rybinski poked it into an empty net.
“Those ones … it takes a lot of life out of the group,” Leone said of giving up goals early in a period.
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