AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Look For Two-Game Sweep In Manitoba Tonight

Published on December 2, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Americans look to complete their two-game sweep over the Manitoba Moose tonight in the second leg of the mini-series between the two teams. The North Division contest is slated for an 8:30 p.m. EST from the MTS Centre and will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk.

The Amerks opened their December slate last night with a 4-1 win over the Moose in Game 1 of the two-game set. The Amerks used four straight unanswered goals and converted on two of their six power-play opportunities to grab their first win against Manitoba this season and improve to 2-1-0-0 on their current season-long six-game road trip.

Veteran forward Graham Mink collected his second consecutive two-point game (1+1) and defenseman Clay Wilson (0+2) also tallied two points to pace Rochester's offense. Rookie goaltender Alexander Salak posted 24 saves to garner his league-leading 15th win this season and earn third star honors. Manitoba captain Mike Keane potted the Moose's lone goal of the contest as Corey Schneider made 28 saves in the losing effort between the pipes.

Rochester (18-3-1-0, 37 points) enters the contest currently first overall in the AHL with a three-point lead over the West Division Texas Stars. The Amerks still maintain a four-point lead over the Manchester Monarchs, in addition to a five-point cushion over the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears. The Amerks have won 17 of their last 19 games, including 10 straight at home, and own the league's best winning percentage (.841).

The Amerks, who are tied for third in the AHL with five shorthanded goals, have outscored their opponents 72-42 in the last 18 games and have allowed the second fewest number of goals in their division with 53. Additionally, their 80 goals for are also the most in the division. Rochester currently ranks third in the AHL with a 23.3 power-play percentage and seventh with an 87.4 penalty-killing percentage.

Veteran forwards Jamie Johnson (9+11) and Chris Taylor (6+14) currently share the team lead with 20 points apiece. The duo is presently is tied for seventh in overall point production. Johnson and Taylor each chipped in assists last night against Manitoba. Johnson has now picked up nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in his last 12 games, averaging just under a point per game. The power-play extraordinaire has accumulated five of his 11 helpers on the man advantage, tying him with fellow special teams line mate Jeff Taffe for sixth best in the league in that very category. Further, his nine goals are equal to that of teammate David Brine for the team lead, which are also fourth best in the league.

York and Taylor presently share the team lead and are tied for fifth in the league with 14 assists. York, who has seven assists in his last eight outings, is tied for third in the AHL with eight power-play helpers, while his four goals on the man advantage also tie him for fourth in the AHL.

With Taylor moving ahead of Gamble into the No.4 spot on the all-time assist list and currently tied with Craig Charron for 15th on the all-time goal list, the 18-year pro sits just three goals and three points away from moving ahead of Gordie Clark and Norm "Red' Armstrong for 14th and seventh on the all-time list, respectively. He needs just two games to leapfrog the 390-game benchmark set by Amerk legend Don Cherry. Lastly, Taylor is just five points shy of reaching the 1,000-point plateau and just 33 games away from the 1,200 professional games milestone.

Amerks tough-guy Jimmy Bonneau is first on the team and tied for sixth in the league with a team-high 91 penalty minutes after dropping the gloves 14 times in his last 16 games. Wilson (3+12) stands just three points ahead of fellow blueliner Jason Garrison (3+9) in the fight for Rochester's top scoring defenseman. The duo is currently ranked tied for fifth and eighth in scoring among league blueliners, respectively. Wilson is also tied for second in the AHL with nine power-play assists. Third-year defenseman Jordan Henry owns the team's best on-ice rating with a plus-12.

Despite currently being on recall with the Florida Panthers, Salak boasts a league-best 15-1-0 record with 464 saves in just 17 games. His 2.03 goals-against average and.934 save percentage are currently seventh and fifth among league netminders, respectively, while his 15 wins are presently a league best. Salak has started 14 of the last 15 games for Rochester, posting a 13-1-0 record in that time with 392 saves and 27 goals against. In 17 games, Salak has only allowed 33 goals.

After completing its two-game set with Manitoba tonight, the Amerks head to Canada's western coast for a pair of encounters with the Abbotsford Heat on Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 6th. The games will mark the first-ever meetings between Rochester and Abbotsford, one of three new expansion teams in the AHL. Opening faceoff for both contests are scheduled for 9:00 p.m. EST starts at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre and will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2009


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