Amerks Edge Rocket in Extra-Frame to Continue Road-Winning Ways with 3-2 Overtime Victory
January 8, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
(Laval, Quebec) - The Rochester Americans (18-6-3-3) tied Friday night's game against the Laval Rocket (11-13-5-2) late in the third period to force overtime before Nick Baptiste scored the game-winning goal with 1:09 left in the extra frame.
With the 3-2 overtime victory, Rochester has notched points in 19 of its last 21 games and 34 points since Nov. 1 while improving 10-1-3-2 while on the road this season. The Amerks remain the only team with one loss in regulation in the AHL and just sit two points behind the first-place Toronto Marlies.
Amerks forward Kyle Criscuolo (2+0) notched his second multi-point performance in the last three outings, and the first multi-goal game of his career, while defenseman Zach Redmond registered his second two-point night in as many games with a pair of helpers. Baptiste scored his sixth goal of the slate along with an assist for his fourth multi-point game of the campaign and shows five points (2+3) in the last six games. Goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 34 of 36 to improve to 11-1-3 in last 15 starts. The Swedish netminder has a league-best 14 wins on the season.
Michael McCarron recorded two assists while Chris Terry and Eric Gelinas scored for the Rocket despite the overtime loss. Netminder Charlie Lindgren, who entered the first game of the back-to-back set with a career record of 6-0-1 versus Rochester in seven starts, made 25 saves and dropped his second straight overtime decision against the Amerks.
Trailing 2-1 with 1:45 left in regulation and a face-off to the left of Lindgren, the Amerks pulled Ullmark for the extra attacker and used their timeout.
Following the timeout, Criscuolo won the draw to Seth Griffith and darted to the front of the Laval net. As Criscuolo made his way towards the net, Redmond blasted a one-time feed from Matt Tennyson from the left point. Criscuolo redirected the puck into the back of the net and tied the game at 2-2, ultimately forcing overtime.
After the two clubs traded chances in the extra session, Baptiste walked from the left half-boards towards Lindgren and rifled a shot to give the Amerks their third straight win against the Rocket in the eight-game head-to-head series. Baptiste's sixth goal of the season was assisted by Kevin Porter and Redmond with just 69 seconds left in the overtime frame.
Criscuolo opened the scoring at the 8:57 mark of the first stanza before Gelinas knotted the score at 1-1 before the end of the first period. Following the Gelinas tally, Laval took a 2-1 lead with Terry's team-leading 15th goal of the season at the 5:16 mark of the second stanza before the Amerks forced the overtime period.
The Amerks go for the weekend sweep of the Rocket as the teams clash for the second straight night with a rematch on Saturday, Dec. 23 at Place Bell in the final game before the Christmas break. The 7:00 p.m. matchup will be the fourth meeting of the season between the North Division rivals and can be heard live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM ESPN Rochester.
Goal Scorers> RCH: Criscuolo (7, 8), Baptiste (6, OT GWG). LAV: Gelinas (4), Terry (15).
Goaltenders> RCH: Ullmark - 34/36 (W). LAV: Lindgren - 25/28 (OTL).
Shots> RCH: 28. LAV: 36.
Special Teams> RCH: PP (0/4) | PK (4/4). LAV: PP (0/4) | PK (4/4).
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from January 8, 2018
- San Antonio Earns 20th Win in 2-1 Shootout over Stockton - San Antonio Rampage
- Iowa Falls 4-3 in Back-And-Forth Affair at Milwaukee - Iowa Wild
- Pirri, Pulkkinen Power Wolves Past Top-Ranked Moose - Chicago Wolves
- Griffins Beat Rockford for Fifth Win in a Row - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Phantoms Secure Standings Point at Toronto in 2018 Opener - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Pack Spoil Bjork's P-Bruins Debut in 3-2 Win - Providence Bruins
- Four Unanswered Goals Launch Comets to Win over Rocket - Utica Comets
- BLUE JACKETS ASSIGN JOONAS KORPISALO TO MONSTERS, RECALL MATISS KIVLENIEKS - Cleveland Monsters
- 'CANES ACTIVATE KRUGER FROM INJURED RESERVE - Charlotte Checkers
- Reign Assign Defenseman Jonathan Racine to Manchester (ECHL) - Ontario Reign
- Cal Petersen Named to 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Roster - Ontario Reign
- Manitoba Moose Moose to be Well Represented at 2018 AHL - Manitoba Moose
- Cal Petersen Named to 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Roster - Ontario Reign
- Rampage Forward Rocco Grimaldi and Defenseman Jordan Schmaltz - San Antonio Rampage
- WOLF PACK DEFENSEMAN JOHN GILMOUR EARNS ATLANTIC DIVISION ALL-STAR CLASSIC NOD - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Lorito and Puempel Named 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Participants - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Andy Welinski Named to 2018 AHL All-Star Classic - San Diego Gulls
- NEWS Zykov Selected to AHL All-Star Classic - Charlotte Checkers
- F Danick Martel and D T.J. Brennan Named to 2018 AHL All-Star - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Pirri Picked for 2018 AHL All-Star Classic - Chicago Wolves
- Penguins' Sprong and DeSmith Named to AHL All-Star - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Matthew Peca Named 2018 AHL All-Star - Syracuse Crunch
- Forward Luke Kunin Named Central Division All-Star - Iowa Wild
- C.J. SMITH, LINUS ULLMARK NAMED TO AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE ALL-STAR ROSTER - Rochester Americans
- Thatcher Demko and Reid Boucher Named to AHL All-Star Classic Roster - Utica Comets
- Danforth Named to Team Central All-Star Team - Rochester Americans
- CLEVELAND MONSTERS: Blue Jackets Assign Gaunce, Schroeder, and Motte to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Griffins Fall in Shootout, 3-2 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Svedberg Shootout Slapper Downs Griffins - Rockford IceHogs
- Crunch Edged by Comets, 2-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Rampage Reassign Joe Cannata, Michael Joly and Brady Shaw to Colorado Eagles - San Antonio Rampage
- Monsters Clipped by Admirals, 5-3 - Cleveland Monsters
- Admirals Get 2nd Straight over Cleveland - Milwaukee Admirals
- Jfk Powers P-Bruins over Thunderbirds in a Shootout - Providence Bruins
- Molino Leads Comets Past Crunch - Utica Comets
- POSTGAME: San Diego 4 at Ontario 3 - San Diego Gulls
- Sound Tigers 5, Wolf Pack 1 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Phantoms Rally in 3rd at Wilkes-Barre - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Blueger Stays Hot, But Penguins Fall to Phantoms, 3-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5, Hartford Wolf Pack 1 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- HOGS CAP WEEKEND SERIES vs. GRIFFINS - Rockford IceHogs
- Syracuse Crunch Release Defenseman Mathieu Brodeur from PTO - Syracuse Crunch
- Coyotes Recall Campbell, Assign Hanley and Merkley to Tucson - Tucson Roadrunners
- Calgary Flames Re-Assign Rasmus Andersson - Stockton Heat
- POSTGAME NOTES & QUOTES: December 22, 2017, San Diego 4 vs. Ontario 3 OT - San Diego Gulls
- Raddysh Rallies Rockford Past Wolves in OT - Rockford IceHogs
- Griffins Win in Shootout, 3-2 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- San Antonio 1 at Manitoba 3 - Manitoba Moose
- Amerks Edge Rocket in Extra-Frame to Continue Road-Winning Ways with 3-2 Overtime Victory - Rochester Americans
- Amerks Edge Rocket in Extra-Frame to Continue Road-Winning Ways with 3-2 Overtime Victory - Rochester Americans
- Wild Falls to Griffins 3-2 in the Shootout - Iowa Wild
- San Antonio Falls Short in Manitoba 3-1 - San Antonio Rampage
- Wolves Fall in OT, Earn Point in Seventh Straight - Chicago Wolves
- Thunderbirds 5, Sound Tigers 2 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Hartford Wolf Pack 6, Providence Bruins 4 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- RECAP: Blueger, Burton Both Score Twice in Pens' OT Win over Devils - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Crunch Dominate Senators, 8-2 - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals Offense Explodes for Five in Win over Cleveland - Milwaukee Admirals
- Hickman's Two Goals Not Enough as P-Bruins Fall 6-4 to the Pack - Providence Bruins
- Monsters Upended by Admirals, 5-2 - Cleveland Monsters
- Comets Drop Hard Fought Battle to Marlies - Utica Comets
- Blue Jackets Recall Forwards Motte, Schroeder from Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Comets Release Forward Joel Lowry - Utica Comets
- Dienes Reassigned to Jacksonville - Manitoba Moose
- Flames Recall Rasmus Andersson - Stockton Heat
- Comets Sign Forward Vincent Arseneau to PTO - Utica Comets
- Blue Jackets Assign Left Wing Sonny Milano to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Two Key Rivalries Cap Pre-Holiday Slate - Bridgeport Islanders
- Kings Recall Defenseman Kevin Gravel from Ontario - Ontario Reign
- Currie Hat Trick Gets Condors 4-3 Win over San Jose - Bakersfield Condors
- San Antonio 2 at Manitoba 7 - Manitoba Moose
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Rochester Americans Stories
- Kulich, Levi Leads Amerks To Blowout Win Over Senators
- Amerks Clinch Playoff Berth Despite Seeing Win Streak Snapped
- Zach Metsa Named Amerks' 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year
- Amerks Partner with Foodlink for Community Food Drive
- Join the Amerks for a ROC the Rink Night Celebration on April 13 against Belleville