By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
The hatred between the Rochester Americans and Laval Rocket is quite real.
That’ll happen when you’re playing in-your-face hockey shift after shift, game after game, year after year. And when the team that ended your season the year before – as the Rocket did to the Amerks last spring – acts like they own you.
“They’re pricks,” Amerks winger Jagger Joshua said. “That makes it easier when they’re looking for the battle.”
But also more painful when the Rocket once again found a way to win, this time in front of a big Friday night crowd of 7,483 at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
Defenseman Marc Del Gaizo went end-to-end to score the winning goal 1:23 into overtime, giving Laval a 3-2 victory after the Amerks had rallied to tie the score midway through the third period.
That’s now three consecutive victories for the Rocket (32-14-2-3) against Rochester since Nov. 1 (they lead the season series 3-2) as they maintained their five-point lead over Syracuse in the AHL’s North Division.
The Amerks, meanwhile, are in fourth place with a 24-17-5-3 record and 56 points, eight behind the second-place Crunch and three behind third-place Cleveland. The top three teams avoid the best-of-three play-in mini-round.
“Every year I’ve been here, in the North Division it comes down to the last 20 games if you’re going to be a playoff team,” said winger Isak Rosen, whose team-leading 25th goal tied the score 7:03 into the third period.
One reason the Amers are simply treading water of late: they can’t win at home. Since December, they’re a dismal 3-7-2-2. That’s just 10 of a possible 28 points, which explains why they’re closer to sixth place (Belleville at 50 points) than second.
“There was a great crowd tonight and obviously it’s disappointing that they’re not going home happy,” Joshua said. “It’s something we’re going to have to figure out.”
They did earn a point for getting to overtime on Friday, but an inability to maintain puck possession ultimately cost them the game
Anton Wahlberg took a chance with a long head-man pass for Konsta Helenius – who was 1:09 into a shift – but it missed the mark. Del Gaizo retrieved the puck deep in the Laval zone, circled behind his net and sailed away on left wing, using his speed to create a two-on-one.
He then beat goalie Devon Levi with a perfect shot – high on the short side past the right shoulder.
“Wally gets the puck and then we go stretch pass and you can kinda of see Jonesy (defenseman Zac Jones) telling him to just keep possession,” Amerks coach Michael Leone said.
While the Amerks played well in the first and third periods, they lost yet again.
“We don’t play good for 60 minutes,” Rosen said. “If we play good for 55 minutes and really bad for five, we can lose a game.”
Especially against Laval, which again has an abundance of skill, size, speed and determination.
“They have a lot of swagger, they really do,” Leone said. “They just have a lot of confidence and no matter the score of the game, they always feel like they’re in the game. They just have a really good team.”
Laval took a 1-0 lead 13:05 into the game when Tobie Bisson’s shot from just above the left circle ramped upward off of Amerks winger Trevor Kuntar and past Levi.
Carson Meyer’s power-play goal at 16:21 tied the score. With Joshua creating a screen at the top of the crease, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen never saw Meyer’s wrister from the left point.
Luke Tuch put Laval back on top 31 seconds before the period ended. His bad-angle shot from the left wing caromed in off Levi.
The score didn’t change until Rosen’s third-period goal, a one-timer from above the right circle off a pass from Gavin Bayreuther.
“Jagger had a great screen and I saw the goalie wasn’t ready so it was easy to put it in,” Rosen said.
Really tired of losing with all this talent. 3 straight home games and 3 straight losses. For as good as Levi is..he can’t get it done in OT this season. Always one bad shift one bad decision ends up in the net.
Maybe Sabrefan doesn’t care to hear this but we care a lot about winning here and not so much about so-and-so ‘really playing well’.. Amerks have chased the game against Charlotte and Laval…never taking charge. Home ice is a detriment this season. Winning key face-offs and maintaining possession in OT is non existent.
I don’t know if this coach can fix these guys. There is a totally different vibe this year and it isn’t good.
Home ice continues to kill the Amerks. Just 10-15 on home ice this year, including 2-8 on Wednesday nights. BTW I stopped going on Wednesday because of how predictable on the bad side it has been. Leone says the right things but the overall record for this team is below talent level, even when considering missing a lot of players this year! Now they should be an offensive juggernaut with everyone back but it has not come to fruition. Very disappointing! Only positive is Levi is back to his old self of very solid goaltending!