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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Earn Season Sweep of Monsters with 5-1 Win

April 9, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Cleveland, OH)... The Rochester Americans scored four times in the third period and rode another stellar 28-save effort from rookie goaltender Andrey Makarov on their way to a convincing 5-1 win over the Lake Erie Monsters tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. The win snaps a four-game skid for the Amerks and completes the season sweep for Rochester, which went 4-0-0-0 and outscored Lake Erie 19-5 throughout the campaign.

Allan McPherson, Evan Rankin, Justin Mercier and Jayden Hart all got the best of Monsters goaltender Calvin Pickard while team captain Drew Bagnall rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter for his career-high third goal of the season. Tim Schaller and Kevin Sundher each chipped in two assists, while newcomer Matt Prapavessis recorded his first professional point with an assist. Jake McCabe and Dan Catenacci also both earned assists in the win. Makarov, who rejoined the Amerks yesterday after making his NHL debut for the Buffalo Sabres over the weekend, posted another impressive performance in his return to the pipes, marking his second straight win while allowing one or fewer goals against.

Tomas Vincour scored the lone goal for Lake Erie and Pickard finished with 25 saves on 29 shots in the loss, which keeps the Monsters five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the AHL's Western Conference standings.

The Monsters carried most of the momentum in the early stages of the contest, keeping the Amerks on their toes while forcing Makarov to make several timely saves throughout the opening period, which saw Rochester get outshot 13-5. Lake Erie nearly broke through on its first power-play opportunity of the night, but Ben Youds' blast from the high slot rang squarely off the left post before the Amerks were able to successfully clear the zone.

Lake Erie's persistence would eventually payoff, though, as Vincour spotted the hosts to a 1-0 lead minutes later when he connected on a one-timer from the left circle for his sixth of the season. After Chris Bigras' initial offering missed wide of the net, Colin Smith collected the rebound in the far corner and spun a quick cross-ice feed to a wide-open Vincour, who blasted it past Makarov before the Rochester netminder could get across his crease.

The Amerks answered just 2:28 later on the power-play as McPherson converted from the top of the crease to knot the score at 1-1. Prapavessis smartly left his post at the blueline to provide support in the Monsters zone, grabbed the puck to the left of Pickard and sent a back-hander through the crease that McPherson tapped home for the equalizer. The assist was Prapavessis' first point of his professional career.

Rochester blew the game wide open in the third period, scoring three times in a span of 2:46 to go up 4-1 on the Monsters. Rankin gave the Amerks their first lead of the night at 7:04 when he swatted a loose puck over the left shoulder of Pickard on the power-play for his eighth of the season.

Mercier doubled Rochester's advantage at 9:25 after he snapped one by Pickard off a nifty set-up from McCabe and Hart put the game out of reach just 25 seconds later when he picked off a Mat Clark clearing attempt to the left of the slot and wristed a shot under the crossbar to make it 4-1.

Bagnall sealed the win for Rochester with 4:18 remaining in the final frame when he spotted a vacant Lake Erie net and buried it from beyond center ice.

Rochester's three-in-three continues on Friday, April 10 when they return home to host the North Division rival Toronto Marlies in the front end of a home-and-home series, beginning with a 7:05 p.m. matchup at The Blue Cross Arena. Following Friday's contest, the Amerks and Marlies will close out the season series on Saturday, April 11 as the action shifts across the border for an afternoon tilt in Toronto. Both games will be carried on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester.

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