Amerks Host Moose Tonight
January 23, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
Tonight, the Rochester Americans close out their January home slate as they entertain the Manitoba Moose in a North Division matchup at The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:35 p.m. contest will be the seventh of eight meetings between the two teams this season and will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and AHL Live.
Promotions: The game features the next installment of the Amerks' $7 Fridays, where fans can purchase 200 Upper End and 200 Balcony tickets for just $7. The game also falls on AAA Discount Night. All AAA members can bring their cards to The Blue Cross Arena Box Office to receive 100-End Seating for $12 each (Reg. Price $18.25) or 200-End Seating for $9 each (Reg. Price $14.25).
Head-to-Head: The matchup is the seventh of eight between the divisional rivals this season. The game will be the first reunion of the two teams since Rochester took a two-game sweep over Manitoba on January 2nd and 3rd at the MTS Centre. The Amerks are 2-4-0-0 this season and 17-24-1 all-time against the Moose.
Amerks Notes: Rochester (15-25-0-3, 33 points), the winners in six of its last nine, enters the contest in search of its third straight win over Manitoba this season after suffering a 4-0 whitewash to the Syracuse Crunch last night at The Blue Cross Arena. Goaltender Mike Brodeur made 29 saves in the losing effort in his third consecutive start between the pipes for the Amerks. Rochester is now 10-5-0-1 in its last 16 games. Veteran forward Janis Sprukts, who has 12 points (5+7) in his last seven outings, currently paces Rochester's offense with a team-high 12 goals and 28 points. Rookie defenseman Jason Garrison has a team-best 19 assists and continues to remain Rochester's top scoring defenseman with 22 points overall, good enough for second on the team. Further, his 22 points presently ranks him 14th among American Hockey League blueliners. First-year forward Michael Duco is first on the team with 105 penalty minutes (PIM), with Tanner Glass a close second at 91 PIM. Brodeur, who has started three straight and 18 of the last 20 games for Rochester, boasts a 12-5-1 record in 18 games between the pipes for the Amerks. His 2.18 goals-against average and .929 save percentage presently rank him third among AHL netminders in both goaltending categories. Further, his two shutouts tie him for fourth in the league, while his 12 wins are tied for seventh. Brodeur will join Amerks captain Rory Fitzpatrick at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic on January 25th and 26th in Worcester, Mass.
Manitoba Notes: Manitoba (30-13-0-2, 62 points), playing Game four of a five-game North Division road trip, comes into the matchup on the heels of a four-game winning streak, with the most recent coming in a 4-3 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs Wednesday night at Copps Coliseum. The win was the Moose's 30th win of the season, second most in the AHL. Jason Krog currently reigns as Manitoba's top point-getter with a team-high 31 assists and 46 points, while his plus-16 rating is a team best as well. Further, Krog's 31 assists rank him fourth in the league. Third-year forward Michael Grabner leads the team with 19 goals on the season through 36 games, good enough for 11th in the AHL. He enters the contest on a four-game point streak. Second-year goaltender Cory Schneider is among the elite in terms of AHL netminders this season. His 1.61 goals-against average and .940 save percentage are currently top in the league, while his 16 wins tie him for third. Veteran forward Mike Keane is six games away from his 1500th professional game. Manitoba is presently first in the AHL's North Division, one point ahead of the Grand Rapids Griffins, and only two away from the Hershey Bears for the top spot in the league.
Next Game: Rochester hits the road for its last game before the All-Star break as it travels to the state capital of New York to take on the Albany River Rats at the Times Union Center on Saturday, January 24th. Faceoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and AHL Live. The game will be the third of four meetings as the Amerks look to rebound after suffering a 3-2 loss to the Rats on December 27th. The Amerks are 1-1-0-0 this season and own a 45-40-9 all-time record against the Carolina Hurricanes' affiliate.
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from January 23, 2009
- Monsters Slide Past Admirals - Norfolk Admirals
- Admirals Fall to San Antonio 5-1 - Milwaukee Admirals
- Aeros beat Peoria 5-2, win fourth straight - Houston Aeros
- Houston Downs Rivermen on the Road, 5-2 - Peoria Rivermen
- IceHogs roll to 6-2 win at home - Rockford IceHogs
- Crunch Dismantle Marlies - Syracuse Crunch
- Chops fall in Rockford Friday; Iowa returns home Saturday - Iowa Chops
- Netminder Makes 43 Saves To Lift Phantoms Past Monarchs - Adirondack Phantoms
- Griffins Smother Flames in Shootout, 2-1 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Rampage Sail Past Admirals 5-1 - San Antonio Rampage
- Bulldogs chase off Wolves in 3-2 win - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Munroe Spooks Monarchs - Manchester Monarchs
- Devils top Wolf Pack 3-2 - Albany Devils
- Pens win fourth straight versus Bears - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Moose upset Ameriks in shootout, 3-2 - Manitoba Moose
- Vesce Clips Falcons in OT, 4-3 - Worcester Sharks
- River Rats Out-Muscle Binghamton 4-1 - Albany River Rats
- River Rats Out-Muscle Binghamton 4-1 - Albany River Rats
- Devils Nip Wolf Pack, 3-2 - Albany Devils
- Pirates top Sound Tigers, 1-0 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Quad City Captures Regulation Point Despite Griffins Comeback - Abbotsford Heat
- Three Bulldogs Grads to play in NHL All-Star Game - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Darius Rucker Added to Admirals Concert Series - Milwaukee Admirals
- Purcell Stars Again - Manchester Monarchs
- Griffins' "Puck for Plates" Program Returns Tonight - Grand Rapids Griffins
- AHL All-Star Classic to be carried by My Network Television - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins celebrate Hockey N' Heels March 7th - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Phantoms Game With Hamilton On February 16 Moved To Wachovia Center - Adirondack Phantoms
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins accepting vendor reservations for first Sports Industry Career Fair - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Ross Selected To AHL All-Star Classic - Adirondack Phantoms
- Lake Erie's Tyler Weiman Added to AHL All-Star Roster - Cleveland Monsters
- Center Derek MacKenzie Added to Canadian AHL All-Star Roster - Syracuse Crunch
- Wolf Pack's Anisimov Earns AHL All-Star Classic Berth - Connecticut Whale
- On-Ice Passes for BoDeans on Sale Saturday - Milwaukee Admirals
- Admirals RW Brandon Segal Named to AHL All-Star Squad - Norfolk Admirals
- Five added to rosters for 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications - AHL
- Chaz Johnson And Shawn Weller Assigned To Elmira - Binghamton Senators
- B-Sens Sign Forward Josh Aspenlind - Binghamton Senators
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Goebel Reassigned To Wheeling - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Moose sign Collins to PTO - Manitoba Moose
- Rampage Sign Jeff May to AHL Contract - San Antonio Rampage
- Falcons Ready To Host Sharks Tonight - Springfield Falcons
- Amerks Host Moose Tonight - Rochester Americans
- Griffins Look to Scorch Flames - Grand Rapids Griffins
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.
