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Rochester Americans

Amerks Enter Home Stretch of Regular Season as Playoff Race Heats Up

April 2, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


This Week's Storyline

Amerks Enter Final Month of Regular Season - Three weeks is all that remains on schedule for the 2012-13 American Hockey League regular season, and with just a handful of games left to be played, the race for the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs will be in full throttle as teams near the finish line looking to lock up postseason berths. The Rochester Americans enter the final month in sole possession of fifth place in the all-too-close Western Conference, where seven points is all that separates the Amerks from the six teams below them, all of whom, with the exception of Abbotsford, have games in hand of Rochester. The weeks ahead will certainly be busy ones for the Amerks, who will play their remaining nine games over three straight three-in-three weekends, including an all-important one against North Division opponents to close out the regular season. Looking ahead, though, Rochester, with wins in five of its last seven games, faces its first big test this weekend as the Amerks look to remain unbeaten against Lake Erie before embarking on a two-game swing through the Northeast Division with tilts against intrastate rivals Adirondack and Albany on tap as well.

Last Week's Results

Wednesday, March 27 vs. Syracuse - 1-0

The Amerks may have been outshot 38-14 in the contest, but it was goaltender David Leggio's brilliant 38-save performance that proved to be the deciding factor as Rochester earned a gritty 1-0 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Syracuse Crunch last Wednesday night at The Blue Cross Arena. Leggio was flawless, stopping all 38 shots, including 29 through the final two periods, en route to his league-leading 34th win of the season while matching a career-high with his fourth shutout of the campaign. Although the injury-riddled Amerks entered the game with a short bench, Rick Schofield's lone tally held up to be the difference-maker. Zemgus Girgensons and Alex Biega each earned assists in the win.

Friday, March 29 vs. Toronto - 4-1 L

Despite using a quick start to take an early 1-0 lead, Rochester could not overcome a late game rally by the North Division-leading Toronto Marlies, who used a four-goal run to defeat the Amerks 4-1 Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena. The Marlies scored for unanswered goals, including three in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit, while outshooting Rochester 40-15 in the contest. Cody McCormick scored the lone goal for the Amerks and Leggio made 36 saves in the loss, which snapped Rochester's three-game winning streak. The game also featured the return of two high-scoring forwards Corey Tropp and Evan Rankin back from injury, with Tropp making a sooner-than-expected return after a 64-game absence with a knee injury he sustained in Rochester's home-opener. Tropp finished with an assist over 16:58 of ice time in his first action since Oct. 12.

Saturday, March 30 at Hamilton - 4-2 W

Trailing 2-0 going into the third period, the Amerks scored four unanswered goals, including three in a span of 3:25, to cruise to a 4-2 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs Saturday night at Copps Coliseum. Rankin, playing just his second game back with the Amerks after an injury sidelined him for 23 games, jumpstarted the rally with a pair of goals 2:24 apart while Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and Matt Ellis also scored in the win for Rochester. Nathan Lieuwen and Leggio combined for 34 saves in the victory, with Leggio stopping 22 shots in relief effort en route to his league-leading 35th win of the season. Lieuwen, who got the start in net, made 12 saves before leaving the game following a collision with Hamilton's Joey Tenute behind the cage in the closing minutes of the opening period.

This Week's Opponents

Friday, April 5 vs. Lake Erie - Season Series: 5-0-0-0, 10 points

Rochester looks to stay undefeated against Lake Erie in its final go-around with the Monsters on Friday, April 5 at The Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start with all the action being carried live on Sports 1280 WHTK. The Amerks have claimed all five meetings with Lake Erie this season and have outscored their North Division rivals 26-16 throughout the season series thus far. Rochester defeated Lake Erie 4-2 in the team's most recent get-together back on March 3 at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Amerks scored twice in the second period before Maxime Legault added a pair of his own in the third as Rochester remained unbeaten against the Monsters this season and improved to 10-1-0-0 in its last 11 games against Lake Erie dating back to last season. Leggio has manned the pipes for each game versus the Monsters, boasting a perfect 5-0-0 record to go along with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

Saturday, April 6 at Adirondack - Season Series: 2-1-0-0, 4 points

Rochester begins its two-game weekend swing through the Northeast Division on Saturday, April 6 when its travels east down the I-90 to face-off with the Adirondack Phantoms at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The 7:00 p.m. contest will be the fourth and final meeting between the intrastate rivals this season and can be heard live on Sports 1280 WHTK. The Amerks maintain the upper-hand with a 2-1-0-0 record against the Phantoms this season, including a 1-0-0-0 mark on the road. Rochester earned a 3-1 win in its previous matchup with Adirondack on Dec. 7 at The Blue Cross Arena. Kevin Porter scored twice and rookie goaltender Connor Knapp stopped 41 of 42 shots to notch his first professional win. The Amerks are also 26-24-5 all-time against the Philadelphia Flyers' affiliate.

Sunday, April 7 at Albany - Season Series: 1-1-0-0, 2 points

The Amerks wrap up the three-game weekend on Sunday, April 7 as they make their first trip of the season to the Capital District for a 4:00 p.m. matinee with the Albany Devils at the Times Union Center. Fans can tune in for all the live action on Sports 1280 WHTK. The teams last met on March 15 in Rochester, where the Devils came away with a 3-2 win to even the season series at one win apiece. Sunday's game will also be the first of two get-togethers in as many weeks for the cross-town foes, who will square off again the following Sunday in Albany. Rochester is 5-5-0 lifetime against the Baby Devils entering this weekend's matchup.

LEGGIO NAMED TOP GOALTENDER FOR MARCH

The American Hockey League announced today that Leggio has been selected as the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for March. Leggio went 9-4-0 with a 1.86 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and two shutouts, allowing two goals or fewer in 11 of his 13 appearances during the month. Leggio began March by snapping a personal four-game losing streak with a 35-save outing in a 2-1 overtime win at Syracuse on Mar. 2. He made 38 stops in defeating Lake Erie, 4-2, on Mar. 3, and his 44 saves in a 5-0 win over Abbotsford on Mar. 8 were the most in a shutout by any AHL goaltender this season. Leggio won his fifth straight game in a 3-1 decision over Binghamton on Mar. 13, and made at least 36 saves in four consecutive starts from Mar. 22-29, including a 38-save shutout of Syracuse on Mar. 27.

ROLSTON MOVES UP TO NHL

The Buffalo Sabres promoted former Amerks head coach Ron Rolston to serve as their interim head coach for the remainder of the 2012-13 season. Rolston replaced Lindy Ruff, the all-time winningest coach in Sabres history and longest tenured coach in the NHL, who was relieved of his duties after 16 years behind the Buffalo bench. Rolston became the 16th coach in franchise history after compiling a 63-56-5 regular-season record over 1 1/2 seasons with the Amerks, who he led to the Calder Cup Playoffs in just his first season as an American Hockey League coach. He officially made his NHL coaching debut in Buffalo's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 21 at the Air Canada Centre and earned his first win in the Sabres' 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 26. Rolston is 7-8-4 since taking over for Ruff on Feb. 20.

CASSIDY APPOINTED HEAD COACH IN ROCHESTER

The exit of Rolston to Buffalo meant the elevation of Amerks assistant coach Chadd Cassidy as the new bench boss in Rochester. Cassidy, who previously worked alongside Rolston for five seasons at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, became the 30th head coach in Amerks history and the first to take over the position as a midseason replacement since John Van Boxmeer was appointed the title midway through the 1984-85 season when he took over for Jim Schoenfield. Cassidy made his American Hockey League head coaching debut in Rochester's 5-1 loss to the Texas Stars on Feb. 20 and earned his first win in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Syracuse Crunch on March 2. Cassidy is 10-8-1-0 since his promotion to head coach and guided the Amerks to a 10-4-1-0 record through the month of March.

TWICE IS NICE

The goaltending tandem of Lieuwen and Leggio combined to give the Amerks back-to-back shutout wins for the first time in over a decade last week during a shutout streak that kept opponents off the scoreboard for 180:10. After Lieuwen stonewalled the Rampage with 39 saves in San Antonio on March 24, Leggio followed up with an equally impressive outing of his own with a 38-save shutout of Syracuse on March 27. It would mark the first time Rochester earned consecutive shutout victories since the 2002-03 season when former Amerks netminder Mika Noronen single-handedly posted back-to-back shutouts as part of a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 in southern Ohio.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

The end of the NHL lockout may have meant the departure of several key components to Rochester's offense, but the recent flurry of roster moves has certainly been beneficial for the Amerks. Aside from the season-long mainstays in Mark Mancari and Nick Tarnasky, the latest additions of high-end forwards Patrick Rissmiller, Matt Ellis and Cody McCormick give the Amerks five active veterans in the lineup for the first time this season while providing stability and plenty of leadership. Along with established defenseman Adam Pardy, who was recalled earlier today for his third NHL stint with the Sabres, Rochester's veteran class has combined for over 1,200 man games in the NHL, including 329 from McCormick, and has totaled 113 points (46+67) for the Amerks in 2012-13.

LENDING A HAND

The Amerks have had a total of seven players make the 75-mile trek west down Interstate 90 to Buffalo this season with third-year forward Luke Adam being the most recent to join the Sabres on recall. In addition to Adam, Buffalo has also required the services of forwards Marcus Foligno, Cody Hodgson, Kevin Porter and Brian Flynn along with defensemen T.J. Brennan and Mark Pysyk, who all began the season in Rochester. The group has totaled 50 points (21+29) in 116 combined games with the Sabres. Buffalo has also sent reinforcements to Rochester in the form of veteran forwards McCormick and Ellis as well as defenseman Pardy, all of whom have also seen time with the Sabres this season.

MANCARI MAKING HIS MARK

The return to Rochester has been quite the homecoming for Mancari, who is in the midst of what could perhaps be his best season as an Amerk since joining the organization as a rookie for the 2005-06 campaign. Entering this year, the eight-year pro ranked 46th all-time in scoring amongst forwards in franchise history with 156 points (62+94) in 215 career games in the red, white and blue, but has since climbed to 24th on the list, surpassing some notable names like Dane Jackson, Scott Nichol, Jason Pominville and most recently, Wally Boyer, along the way. Mancari added another personal milestone at Toronto on Feb. 27, scoring his 200th pro career goal and recording his 200th point as an Amerk. With two assists at Oklahoma City on March 19, Mancari reached the 57-point mark for the third straight season with the Amerks, a feat he also accomplished during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns in Rochester.

THE STREAK CONTINUES

With the lone goal in the Amerks' 2-1 loss to Texas on March 22, Mancari became the first Amerk this season to net 20 goals on the way to posting his seventh consecutive 20-goal season over his eight-year professional career. In doing so, Mancari continues Rochester's 57-year tradition of having at least one player from each season since the team's inception in 1956 to score 20 or more goals, a streak that was sparked by Bronco Horvath's team-leading 37 tallies during the Amerks' inaugural 1956-57 campaign.

SHOOTOUT SPECIALIST

Over the first two and a half years of his professional career, Biega played in 21 shootout games and was never called on to attempt a shot. That changed earlier last month, and Biega's prowess has brought the Amerks valuable standings points down the stretch. On March 10, Rochester turned to Biega in the bottom of the 10th round of a marathon shootout vs. Abbotsford, and the third-year blueliner snapped a shot home to give Rochester the win. On March 19, Biega got the call in the fifth round and netted the only goal of the shootout, sending the Amerks to victory in Oklahoma City. And on March 23 in Houston, Biega's goal in the last half of the fifth round made Rochester triumphant again - and made him 3-for-3 with three game-winners, putting him behind only Grand Rapids' Chad Billins for tops in the AHL in shootout efficiency, while improving the Amerks to 7-1 in shootouts this season.

LEGGIO'S CAREER YEAR LEADING THE WAY... AGAIN

A year after single-handedly guiding the Amerks into the postseason, Leggio is again having another big year between the pipes for Rochester and making a strong bid to repeat as team MVP. The 2012-13 campaign has already seen the fifth-year netminder capture his third straight 20-win season, but Leggio has since added some more career achievements to an already impressive resume. The Williamsville, NY, native was nearly flawless in a recent two-game sweep of the Abbotsford Heat, beginning with a 44-save shutout on March 8 that produced his career-high 29th win of the season, besting the 28 victories he set a year ago with the Amerks. Leggio followed that up with another brilliant effort, stopping 35 shots in regulation before denying seven of 10 shooters in a rematch against the Heat two days later that garnered his first career 30-win season. He became the first Amerks netminder to post 30 wins in a single season since Ryan Miller's incredible 41 victories during Rochester's historic 2004-05 campaign. Leggio yet again turned in another memorable performance last Wednesday against Syracuse when he steered aside all 38 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, matching the career-high he set during the 2008-09 campaign with the ECHL's Florida Everblades. Most recently, he became just the seventh goaltender in franchise history to record 35 wins after a making 22 saves in relief effort at Hamilton on Saturday. He enters the week having already set new AHL career-highs in all goaltending categories, including goals-against average (2.53), save percentage (.924), wins (35), saves (1765), shutouts (4), minutes (3433:09) and gamed played (57). With nine games remaining, he could challenge the AHL record for saves in a season (2,005), established by Mike O'Neill with the Baltimore Bandits in 1995-96.

HOME, SWEET HOME

Home-ice advantage has certainly been beneficial this season for the Amerks, who have won 13 of their last 21 games within the friendly confines of The Blue Cross Arena, outscoring their opponents 103-90 in 34 total games. Rochester boasts a 20-13-0-1 record in their downtown venue, making them the 13th-best home team in the AHL. Conversely, Rochester is 17-13-3-0 on the road and has won three straight and eight of its last 13 games away from Western New York.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

The Amerks have seen 10 of their last 17 games decided by one goal dating back to a 3-2 setback at Hamilton on Feb 22. Rochester is 13-11-3-1 in 28 one-goal games this season after finishing the 2011-12 campaign with 42 such outings. Of those 28 one-goal decisions, 12 have been determined in overtime or via the shootout, for an 8-0-3-1 mark.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Amerks are 19-11-1-1 (40 points) this season against North Division rivals, but show an 18-15-2-0 (38 points) mark versus non-divisional foes. The Amerks have scored the first goal in 41 of the first 67 games of the campaign and show a 29-10-2-0 record when doing so, including a 16-4-0-0 mark at home. Rochester is also 29-1-1-0 when leading after two periods, a streak that also shows an unblemished 17-0-0-0 mark at home. Where They Stand

RECORDS

Home: 20-13-0-1, 41 points

Away: 17-13-3-0, 37 points

Overall: 37-26-3-1, 78 points

STANDINGS

Overall: 10th

Western Conference: 5th

North Division: 2nd

LAST 10...

6-4-0-0

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This Week's Schedule*

Monday, April 1

Off-Ice Workouts, Blue Cross Arena

Tuesday, April 2

DAY OFF - NO PRACTICE

Wednesday, April 3

9:00 a.m.: Morning Skate, Sports Centre at MCC

Thursday, April 4

9:00 a.m.: Morning Skate, Sports Centre at MCC

Friday, April 5

10:00 a.m.: Morning Skate, Blue Cross Arena

7:05 p.m.: Rochester vs. Lake Erie, Blue Cross Arena

Leave for Adirondack following game

Saturday, April 6

7:00 p.m. Rochester at Adirondack, Glens Falls Civic Center

Leave for Albany following game

Sunday, April 7

4:00 p.m., Rochester at Albany, Times Union Center

*Schedule is subject to change

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Follow @AmerksHockey on Twitter for all the updates regarding the team!

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Amerks Statistical Leaders

Goals : Mark Mancari (20)

Assists: Mark Mancari (38)

Points: Mark Mancari (58)

Power-Play Goals : Mark Mancari (6)

Power-Play Assists : Mark Mancari (18)

Shorthanded Goals: Maxime Legault (2)

Shorthanded Assists: Phil Varone (4)

Plus/Minus : Mark Pysyk (+8), Kevin Porter (+8)

Shots: Mark Mancari (246)

Penalty Minutes : Nick Tarnasky (131)

Games Played: Mark Mancari (67)

Wins : David Leggio (35)

Losses: David Leggio (21)

GAA: David Leggio (2.53)

SV%: David Leggio (.924)

Saves: David Leggio (1765)

Minutes: David Leggio (3433:09)

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RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Apr. 1, 2013 - Adam Pardy (D), DEL Recalled from loan by Buffalo

Apr. 1, 2013 - Connor Knapp (G), ADD Reassigned by Buffalo from Greenville

Apr. 1, 2013 - Luke Adam (C), DEL Recalled from loan by Buffalo

Mar. 30, 2013 - Shawn Szydlowski (RW), DEL Reassigned by Buffalo to Fort Worth

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PLAYOFF PICTURE

Magic Number - The Amerks, currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, need 18 points to clinch a playoff spot. With just nine games remaining and with 78 points to date, Rochester can potentially finish with a maximum of 96 points in the regular season. The top eight teams from each Conference earn a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs, while the top teams in each of the six Divisions will be seeded first, second and third (based on overall points and wins) in the final Conference standings.

PLAYOFFS - BY THE NUMBERS

All-Time Playoffs: 42

All-Time Series: 80 (44-36)

Games Played: 403 (210-193)

Home Games: 202 (125-77)

Road Games: 201 (87-114)

Calder Cups: 6

Calder Cup Runners-Up: 10

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UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

Eats & Seats - The Distillery "Eats & Seats" promotion returns for another season, where for just $20, fans can purchase one ticket (best-available) and a $10 gift card to The Distillery.

Hockey Night in Rochester - Friday nights are Hockey Night in Rochester, and fans who wear an Amerks or Sabres jersey to a Friday game can purchase a best-available seat for just $17.

Ditch the Dorms - Ditch the Dorms Nights are back this season again on Fridays, where students who present their College ID at The Blue cross Arena Box Office can purchase a best available ticket for just $12.

Amerks Happy Hour - Prior to every Friday night home game this season, there will be an Amerks Happy Hour from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Atrium Bar featuring live music and $2 Molson and Coors Light drafts for fans age 21 and over.

Zweigle's Family 4-Pack - For just $48, fans can purchase four lower level tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for the final three remaining homes games of the 2012-13 regular season, including this Friday against the Lake Erie Monsters.

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THIS MONTH IN AMERKS HISTORY

April 1, 1972 - Rochester sets a franchise record for the most goals scored in a road game with 10 against the old Springfield Kings at the Eastern States Coliseum.

April 3, 1983 - Hall of Famer Geordie Robertson records his second career four-goal game as an Amerk. Robertson posted the finest season of his 10-year professional career during the 1982-83 season, registering a career-best 46 goals, 73 assists and 119 points and establishing single-season individual records along the way. In addition to leading the Amerks in every offensive category, Robertson set franchise records for most assists (73) and points (119) in a single season, along with the most assists and points scored by a centerman - all of which are still intact today. He also finished the campaign as the recipient of the John B. Sollenberger Trophy, given to the AHL's leading scorer.

April 4, 1982 - Former Amerk Chris Halyk scores the game-winning goal in a 7-6 overtime win over the Erie Blades to give Rochester its 9,000th victory in franchise history.

April 7, 1985 - The Amerks collectively set franchise records for most assists (25) and points (38) in a single game against the St. Catharines Saints at the downtown War Memorial.

April 14, 1996 - The Amerks win their first of 14 straight home games, including all 10 playoff contests, en route to capturing their sixth and most recent Calder Cup.

April 19, 1996 - The Amerks embark on a memorable postseason run with a 4-1 win over the Adirondack Red Wings in their playoff opener. Rochester would win nine of its first 10 playoff games, including back-to-back sweeps of Adirondack and Cornwall, before going on to defeat the Portland Pirates in seven games to win the Calder Cup. The Amerks also finished the historic postseason dash with an unprecedented 10-0-0 record at home during the playoffs, a mark that has remained unmatched over the years.

April 30, 1965 - Rochester earns its first Calder Cup, defeating the Hershey Bears in five games with a 6-2 win in front of 7,556 fans at the War Memorial.

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AMERKS POINTS OF INTEREST

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Rochester set a new franchise attendance record by playing in front of a capacity crowd of 19,070 fans on Friday, Dec. 28 against Lake Erie at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The record-setting attendance also represented the ninth-largest crowd for a single game in American Hockey League history and the fifth-largest for an AHL game played indoors. The previous Amerks record for the largest crowd in the 57-year history of the franchise was 17,898, which was set eight years prior to the day on Dec. 28, 2004, when the Amerks defeated the Edmonton Roadrunners at the then-HSBC Arena in Buffalo.

CROWD-PLEASING PERFORMANCES

More than a dozen different crowds of 7,500+ fans in attendance have taken in an Amerks game this season, including eight in the Flower City's downtown hockey barn. The number is a vast improvement from the 2011-12 season, when only three crowds of 7,500 or more were on hand. Rochester is 10th in the AHL in total attendance to date and is averaging 6,317 fans per game through the first 33 home games of the 2012-13 campaign.

2013 ALL-STAR CLASSIC RECAP

Amerks defenseman Brayden McNabb became just the fifth AHL player ever to crack triple digits in the CCM Hardest Shot contest, winning the event with a blast of 101.8 miles per hour as the Western Conference All-Stars earned a 12-11 win over their Eastern Conference counterparts in the 2013 AHL All-Star Skills Competition. McNabb also became just the second Amerk to top 100 miles per hour in the event, finishing behind current teammate Mark Mancari, whose blast of 102.8 during in 2008 is still an AHL record.

2012 IN REVIEW

Several Amerks players finished atop the AHL's regular-season scoring leaders during the 2012 calendar year, including McNabb, who finished 10th in scoring among league blueliners with 37 points (6+31). Leggio, who played in a combined 62 games for the Amerks in 2012, including the final 23 of the 2011-12 season, led all netminders with 34 wins while totaling three shutouts throughout the year.

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2013 BOWMAN CUP

The ninth annual Scotty Bowman Cup Showcase will take place on Monday, April 15 at First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo. The Scotty Bowman Showcase consists of three all-star hockey games between high school aged players from the Buffalo and Rochester areas. Tickets for the event are $5. The first game begins at 6:00 p.m. and pits all-star squads from each city made up of players in their junior year of high school against one another, competing for the Tim Horton Memorial Cup. Following the junior game, the senior teams from each city will square off in a 7:30 p.m. contest to decide who will be awarded the Bowman Cup. After the senior game, junior- and senior-aged players from Buffalo and Rochester who play prep school or junior hockey will face off at 9:00 p.m. for the Rick Martin Memorial Cup. All three games will consist of two 22-minute halves. The event is named after the legendary Scotty Bowman, the winningest head coach in NHL history. Bowman will be in attendance to present the Bowman Cup to the victorious senior team.

AMERKS QUICK HITS

With 39 goals through their last 15 games, including 33 in their last 12, the Amerks are currently fifth in the AHL in goals for with 208, 14 shy of Syracuse's league-leading 222 tallies. Rochester is also fifth in the league in goals-per-game, averaging 3.10.

Rochester's power-play has been one of the most effective in the league over the last 32 games as the Amerks have converted on 26 of their 135 man-advantage opportunities. The Amerks currently rank fourth in the AHL with 58 power-play goals and have the fourth-best power-play unit in the AHL with a 20.5% efficiency rate. Rochester has scored at least one power-play goal in 42 of the first 67 games this season.

The Amerks also own the top penalty kill in the AHL, successfully killing off 235 of 268 short-handed situations for an 87.7% efficiency rate, including 116 of 128 at home for a league-best 90.6% success rate. Rochester is 10-for-10 on the penalty kill over its last four games and has also allowed a league-low 33 power-play goals against.

With 15 points (5+10) through his last 16 games, Mancari leads the Amerks in all offensive categories in goals (20), assists (38) and points (58) and enters the week tied for sixth in scoring among the AHL's top point-getters. Mancari also ranks fifth among league leaders in assists, including the second-most on the power-play with 18. His 246 shots on goal are also tops in the AHL, 26 more than the next closest player.

Brayden McNabb ranks fourth and sixth among AHL defensemen in assists (31) and points (36), respectively, and has since set new career-highs in each category. McNabb also paces all blueliners with three short-handed assists.

The duo of Mancari and Porter, who is currently on recall with the Sabres, has combined for 30 multi-point outings between the two of them since the puck dropped in October. More impressively, the duo has also recorded at least one point in the same game in 23 of 67 outings this season, including eight different occasions where they have each posted multiple points in the same game. Rochester is 19-3-1-0 when Porter and Mancari register a point in the same game.

Also presently on recall with the big club is rookie forward Flynn, who enters the week ranked among the AHL's top scoring rookies with 32 points (16+16) in 45 games. The Amerks are 11-2-0-0 this season when Flynn scores a goal.

Leggio, who's won three of his last four starts, continues to lead all AHL netminders in wins (35), saves (1765), minutes played (3433:09), shots faced (1910), while placing seventh with a .924 save percentage. He also boasts the second-best shootout record (7-1) among goaltenders, having stopped 35 of 45 shooters for a .778 save percentage. Leggio is 18-3 all-time in AHL shootouts and has won 11 of his last 13, including a pair of shootout victories over Rochester's recent five-game road trip.

WHO'S HOT

Ellis has been Rochester's most consistent performer as of late, scoring a goal in six of his last 12 games and collecting four points (2+2) over his last five... Tropp, who made his much anticipated return to the lineup over the weekend, made an immediate impact by notching two assists and has registered points in each of his first three games (2+2) this season... Mancari, who recently strung together an eight-game point streak, comes into the week with 15 points (5+10) over his last 16 games and has collected 45 points (17+28) over his last 45 games... The same stretch featured an additional five-game point streak from Dec. 19 to Dec. 28 and his first hat trick of the season against Toronto on Feb. 1... Flynn has collected 15 points (7+8) through his last 20 games and hasn't gone longer than five games this season without a point... Rissmiller, who signed an AHL contract with the Amerks last Wednesday, has collected five assists over his last eight games and shows 11 points (2+9) and a pair of multi-point performances since re-joining the Amerks on Feb. 2... Porter, though presently being on recall with Buffalo, has 31 points (10+21) over his last 29 outings, including 14 points (4+10) in his last 11, and has been held scoreless just six times in his last 16 showings... Rankin, who also returned to action over the weekend from a 23-game absence, scored twice in a span of 2:24 at Hamilton on Saturday to help the Amerks rally from a two-goal deficit... Coming off his game-winning goal last Wednesday against Syracuse, Rick Schofield has two points (1+1) in his last three games and Tarnasky, meanwhile, has four points (2+2) in his last five games, including goals in back-to-back outings.

MILESTONE WATCH

Lieuwen earned his first AHL victory and shutout when he stopped all 39 shots in Rochester's 3-0 win at San Antonio on March 24... The same game also saw Tarnasky set a new career-high for goals in a season with his 15th of the campaign... Pysyk made his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals on March 17, recording one shot and 14:55 ice time... Ellis skated in his 700th professional game at Toronto on March 16 and is a mere two points shy of the 300-mark for his pro career... Mancari, who is the only player to appear in every game thus far this season, is slated to dress in his 600th professional game Sunday at Albany and needs another 10 more points to reach the 500-point benchmark ... Porter registered his first point as a Sabre with an assist at Philadelphia on 3/10... He also needs just another two assists to reach the century mark for his pro career... Rankin needs another five games to reach 300 for his pro career... McNabb appeared in his 100th game as an Amerk at Binghamton on March 9... Adam registered the 100th point of his AHL career with a goal at Lake Erie on March 3... Flynn made his NHL debut in the Sabres' 4-3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils on March 2, earning 8:50 of ice time... The same game also represented the 400th professional appearance for Pardy... Mancari scored the 200th goal of his pro career at Toronto on Feb. 27, becoming the 30th player in franchise history to record 200 points with the Amerks.

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