Rochester Americans Game Preview: Friday, October 28 at Laval
October 28, 2022 – American Hockey League (AHL) – Rochester Americans News Release
The Amerks claimed the first three meetings in 2021-22, but the Rocket
responded with points in each of the next five, posting a 4-0-1-0 record
over that span. Rochester finished the season-series with a 4-3-1-0 mark.
Rochester enters tonight’s matchup with a 17-6-1-0 record all-time versus
the Rocket, which includes a 9-2-1-0 mark at Place Bell. Despite being
outscored last season 36-27, the Amerks have outscored Laval 80-69
overall and 41-31 in Laval.
Michael Mersch, who missed all three postseason contests against the
Rocket last spring, led all Amerks skaters with eight points in six games
against Laval in 2021-22. He had a team-leading five goals while also
adding three assists foe eight points.
Sean Malone netted a combined five goals and three assists in 10 games
during the season-series and playoffs against the Rocket. The Buffalo native
also recorded a goal in each of the last five regular season games against
then logged an assist in two of the three postseason games versus Laval.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES SNAPSHOT AGAINST LAVAL
The Rochester Americans (3-2-0-0) continue their three-game road swing
north of the border with the first of back-to-back meetings tonight against
the Laval Rocket at Place Bell. Game time is slated for a 7 p.m. start and will
be carried live on 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Following this weekend’s matchups with the Rocket, who eliminated
Rochester in the North Division Finals this past Spring, the Amerks will not
face Laval until January 11 following the New Year.
Seven of the Amerks 15 goals this season have come on the power-play,
which are tied for second-most among any team in the AHL. By going 7-for-
23 while on the man-advantage, Rochester is fourth in the league with a
30.4% conversion rate.
The Amerks’ six power-play goals at home are tied for the most this season,
going for 6-for-16 through their first three home matchups.
LAST TIME OUT
A four-goal third-period by the Syracuse Crunch was too much for the
Amerks to overcome in a 6-2 loss in last Saturday’s rematch between the
North Division rivals at Upstate Medical University Arena.
Defenseman Kale Clague recorded his first multi-point effort as an Amerk
as he recorded a pair of assists. Forward
Sean Malone notched his second
goal of the season during the middle frame from
Linus Weissbach and
Clague to open the scoring for Rochester. In the third period, defenseman
Mitch Eliot, who made his season debut, notched his first goal of the
season from
Mason Jobst and Clague.
Goaltender
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (3-2-0), who entered the contest
leading the AHL in wins, saves and games played, made a season-high 28
saves in his fifth straight start to begin the campaign. Dating back to the
2021-22 campaign, Luukkonen boasts a 9-4-5 record in his last 18 starts.
The Finnish netminder is the first Amerks goaltender to start the first five
games of the season since
David Leggio started the first nine games of the
2012-13 campaign.
With four points on two goals and two assists through his first five games of
the season,
Lukas Rousek is two points shy of the team lead.
Rousek, Buffalo’s sixth-round selection (160th overall) in the 2019 NHL
Draft, notched his first career multi-point game last Wednesday against
Belleville with a goal and assist. He appeared in only 19 games in his first
season in 2021-22 after recovering from an offseason injury, finishing with
four points on one goal and three assists. Following the regular-season, he
ranked second among all Amerk rookies with two goals and finished third
among all first-year players with six points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff contests
during the Amerks’ run to the North Division Finals.
Isak Rosen paces all Amerks rookies with four points (1+3) while being
tied for eighth in the AHL amongst all first-year skaters through the first five
games. Rosen, the Sabres’ first-round selection in 2021 (14th overall), spent
the 2021-22 season with Leksands in Sweden, where he made his debut in
the Swedish Hockey League. He led all 17-year-olds with the Leksands U20
as he posted 35 points (21+14) in 38 games.
At age 18, Jiri Kulich, Buffalo’s first-round selection (28th overall) in 2022,
is among the youngest players in the American Hockey League. He shows
three assists in his first five games of the young season, tying him for sixth
in the league among AHL rookies in that category with Rosen.
On Wednesday morning, the Amerks announced the signing of veteran
defenseman
Brandon Davidson to a professional tryout. He’s expected to
meet the team in Laval.
Davidson returns for his third season with the organization after appearing
in 25 games with the team since the start of the 2020-21 season. In addition
to recording one goal and five assists in 2021-22, Davidson skated in six
Calder Cup Playoff contests during the Amerks’ run to the North Division
Finals.
He has totaled 23 points (9+14) in 183 career NHL games with Buffalo,
Calgary, Chicago, Edmonton, Montreal, New York Islanders, and San Jose
while also adding 55 points (16+39) over 215 AHL contests with Rochester,
Stockton, Rockford and Oklahoma City.
During the 2012-13 season, he received the AHL’s Fred T. Hunt Award in
recognition of his sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to the
game of hockey.
Laval, playing its second game of a season-long six-game homestand,
enters tonight with a 1-4-1-0 record and a 0-3-0-0 winless mark on the road.
The Rocket, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2022
Calder Cup Playoffs, are in their sixth season in the AHL.
Back for his third season with Laval, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (2+1) is tied
for second among all Rocket scorers with three points (2+1) in six games.
He paced Laval’s offense in 2021-22 with a career-high 35 assists and 56
points, including four goals and seven helpers during the season-series last
year versus Rochester.
He also tallied five goals and five assists in 15 games during Laval’s run to
the Conference Finals, which was tied for third-most on the team.
The Amerks current roster features nine forwards, five defensemen and
two goaltenders who appeared in at least one game of the 2022 Calder
Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, Laval has 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two
goaltenders.
Laval’s goaltending duo of Kevin Poluin and Cayden Primeau have a
combined 7-6-1 record in 13 career games versus Rochester whereas
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 2-1-1 in his career against the Rocket. Michael
Houser has never faced Laval during the regular season but appeared in
two games during last year’s playoff run.
Malcolm Subban also has never
appeared in a contest against the Rocket.
Rocket goaltender Cayden Primeau is the nephew of former Amerk Wayne
Primeau, who was a member of the 1996 Calder Cup-winning team.
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