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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Host B-Sens Tonight At The Blue Cross Arena

October 21, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


Tonight, the Rochester Americans kickoff a busy four-game in five-night stretch as the Binghamton Senators come to town for the first time this season. The 7:05 p.m. non-divisional contest will be the first of 10 scheduled meetings between the intra-state rivals this season. The game features the return of goaltender Mike Brodeur, who signed with Ottawa during the offseason after playing the latter part of last season with the Amerks. The matchup will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The game will also be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet Channel 26.

*Head-to-Head: *The contest is the first of 10 between Rochester and Binghamton this season. Rochester was 3-4-0-1 last season against the B-Sens, which included a 3-1-0-0 record on home ice. The Amerks are 22-27-5 all-time against the Ottawa Senators' affiliate.

*Amerks Notes:* Rochester (4-1-0-0, nine points) enters the contest currently tied for second place with the Abbotsford Heat. The Amerks are in the midst of a three-game winning streak after posting victories over Syracuse and a pair over Toronto last week to move within three points of division-leading Manitoba. The Amerks are trying to win four straight games for the first time since the 2007-08 season (November 1st to 9th).

Rochester's three-win week was highlighted by its incredible come-from-behind 4-3 OT win over the Toronto Marlies Saturday afternoon at Ricoh Coliseum. After earning 4-1 and 5-2 wins over Syracuse and Toronto, respectively, the Amerks fell behind early 3-0 before using four unanswered-goals, including two back-to-back shorthanded, to earn the win. The last time the Amerks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win the game was on November 9, 2007 at Hamilton. Down 4-0 late in the second period, the Amerks scored one before the period expired and three in the third to force overtime and ultimately defeat the Bulldogs 5-4 in a shootout.

David Brine found the back of the net just three minutes into overtime to give Rochester its third straight win and first one on the road this season. The game-winner was the second shorthanded tally in as many nights for Brine, who presently leads the American Hockey League in that very category. Brine enters the week presently riding a four-game point streak (3+2). Kenndal McArdle, who skated in his 100th AHL game at Toronto, contributed three assists and finished the game with a plus-two on-ice rating. Tyler Plante made a season-high 40 saves between the pipes to collect his second win this season.

The Amerks, fueled by second-year forward Michal Repik, have outscored their opponents 13-6 in the last three games and have allowed the second fewest amount of goals in the division with 17.

Repik has notched two points in each of Rochester's three wins this past week to establish his first point streak of the season. He enters the week as the Amerks' leader in goals (5) and points (8). He also currently ranks tied for fifth in overall points and tied for second in goals in the AHL.

Teammate Jeff Taffe is tied for third in the league with four goals. Jason Garrison and Jamie Johnson share a team-high four assists, while Garrison and fellow blueliner Clay Wilson remain Rochester's top scoring defensemen with five points each. McArdle is first on the team and tied for first in the league with 36 penalty minutes. Rookie goaltender Alexander Salak shows a flawless

2-0-0 record with 72 saves in just three games. His 2.35 goals-against average and .923 save percentage currently rank him 13th and 12th among league netminders, respectively.

Forward Victor Oreskovich, who signed a two-year two-way contract with the Florida Panthers two weeks ago, is expected to make his American Hockey League debut tonight. The former University of Notre Dame product was forced to return to Canada last week in order to obtain a valid work visa for the United States. Oreskovich, 23, played one season under current Panthers Head Coach Peter DeBoer as a member of the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League in 2006-07.

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*Binghamton Notes:* Binghamton (2-2-2-0, six points), playing in its first of three straight on the road, comes into the matchup presently on a four-game skid after starting the season off with back-to-back wins. Binghamton has been outscored 20-8 in its last four games, which include an 8-1 loss to the defending Calder Cup Hershey Bears on October 10th. The Sens dropped a 3-2 OT decision again to Hershey in their most recent action. The defeat was Binghamton's second OT loss in its last three games. Forwards Josh Hennessy and Cody Bass each scored their first goals of the season as goaltender Andy Chiodo made 41 saves in the losing effort.

Binghamton is led offensively by fifth-year pro Martin St. Pierre with a team-high four goals and eight points through the first six games. Former Amerk Denis Hamel leads the Sens with five assists and a plus-five on-ice rating. Tough-guy forward Jeremy Yablonski is first on the team and eighth in the league with 28 penalty minutes.

Former Amerks goaltender Mike Brodeur makes his first return to The Blue Cross Arena since calling Rochester his home in 2008-09. The 25-year-old netminder finished his service in the Flower City among the league's elite goaltenders, compiling an 18-13-4 record in 38 games. His 2.45 goals-against average and .921 save percentage were 11th and 7th best, respectively, at the conclusion of the regular season. This season with the Binghamton, the former AHL All-Star is 2-1-0 with a 3.71 goals-against average and a .867 save percentage.

*Next Game:* After having Thursday off, the Amerks hit the road on Friday, October 23rd en route to the State capital for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with the East Division Albany River Rats at the Times Union Center. The contest will be the second of four encounters this season between the two teams. Rochester looks to even the season series with the Rats after dropping a 6-1 decision in the first matchup back on October 10th. The Amerks are 0-1-0-0 this season and 46-42-9 all-time against Albany. The game will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk.

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