AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Look To Snap Three-Game Skid In Lake Erie Tonight

December 22, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Americans look to snap a season-high three-game losing streak tonight as they travel to Quicken Loans Arena for a 7:00 p.m. North Division showdown with the Lake Erie Monsters. Fans can listen to the live broadcast on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk.

Re-joining the team tonight will be goaltender Ryan Mior, who returned for a second stint with the Amerks on his second professional tryout contract. Mior made his AHL debut with the Amerks earlier this month, posting a 1-1-0 record with a 1.51 goals-against average and a.945 save percentage.

A native of St. John's, Newfoundland, Mior has compiled an 8-5-3 record with a 2.86 goals-against average and.905 save percentage in 17 games this season with Dayton Gems of the International Hockey League. The 5-foot-11, 181-pound netminder attended Rochester's 2009 training camp and appeared in one preseason game for the Amerks. Mior played for current Amerks head coach Benoit Groulx for two seasons (2006-08) with the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.

The game will be the third of eight scheduled meetings between the two teams this season, with Rochester earning a 5-2 win in the previous encounter back on October 9th. The Amerks are 1-0-1-0 this season and 7-6-1 all-time against the Colorado Avalanche's affiliate.

Rochester (20-9-2-0, 42 points) enters the contest currently second in the North Division and fourth overall in the American Hockey League just three points behind the league-leading Manchester Monarchs. The Amerks have won 19 of their last 28 games, including 11 of the last 14 at home, and have the league's fourth best winning percentage (.677).

The Amerks, who are tied for third in the AHL with six shorthanded goals, have outscored their opponents 94-75 in the last 27 games and have allowed the second fewest number of goals in their division with 86. Additionally, their 102 goals for are also the most in the division. Rochester is second in the AHL with a 21.3 power-play percentage and is 15th with an 83.2 penalty-killing percentage.

Forward Jamie Johnson, in his seventh season of professional hockey, currently paces Rochester's offense with a team-high 13 goals and 30 points after tallying three more points in the Amerks' 5-4 OT loss to Hamilton Sunday night. Averaging just under a point per game, Johnson is tied for fifth in the AHL in overall point production after collecting 26 points (13+13) in his last 20 outings. His 13 goals also rank him tied for third in the league. Veteran centerman Chris Taylor, who recorded his 1,000th career professional point over the weekend, remains at a close second with 27 points (8+19) and continues to be the team's top playmaker with 19 assists. His 25 points and 19 helpers presently rank him tied for seventh and fifth in the league, respectively.

Amerks tough-guy Jimmy Bonneau is first on the team and fifth in the league with a team-high 116 penalty minutes after dropping the gloves 17 times in his last 24 games. Defenseman *Clay Wilson* (3+17) stands just six points ahead of fellow blueliner *Jason Garrison* (3+11) in the fight for Rochester's top scoring defenseman. The duo is currently ranked tied for fourth and ninth in scoring among league blueliners, respectively. Wilson is also second in the AHL with 12 power-play assists, while Garrison, despite presently being on recall with the Florida Panthers, still owns the team's best on-ice rating with a plus-11.

First-year goaltender Alexander Salak boasts a league-best 16-4-0 record with 583 saves in 22 games. His 2.33 goals-against average and.927 save percentage are currently 11th and fifth among league netminders, respectively, while his 16 wins are presently a league best. In 22 games, Salak has only allowed 46 goals.

Lake Erie (10-17-0-3, 23 points) comes into the matchup the winners in two of its last three, with the most recent win coming in a 3-2 decision in the second leg of a two-game road set with the Manitoba Moose Saturday night at the MTS Centre. The Monsters return to home ice fueled by former two-time Calder Cup winner Darren Haydar, who leads the team in all offensive categories in goals (10), assists (13) and points (23) in 29 games. The power-play extraordinaire has potted five of 10 tallies this season on the man advantage, tying him for fifth overall in the AHL in that very category. Second-year winger Patrick Bordeleau paces the Monsters with a team-high 66 penalty minutes, averaging roughly 2.64 minutes per game. Fifth-year goaltender Tyler Weiman has seen the majority of time between the pipes this season for the Monsters, posting a 7-10-2 record with a 2.54 goals-against average and.906 save percentage in 19 appearances.

Lake Erie goaltender Billy Sauer and defenseman Kevin Montgomery have traces back to Rochester. The pair of Rochester natives each started their careers in the Rochester Youth Hockey program. Sauer, a former McQuaid Jesuit netminder, tended goal for the University of Michigan the past four seasons. Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the seventh round (201st overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Sauer posted his best season for the Wolverines in 2007-08, boasting a 1.95 goals-against average and.924 save percentage. Sauer made his AHL debut with the Monsters this season, compiling a 1-2-0 with a 2.90 goals-against average along with a.899 save percentage in four games.

A former member of the U.S. National U-18 Team, Montgomery has registered one goal and two assists for three points and 12 penalty minutes in 25 games with Lake Erie this season. He has 35 games of professional experience under his belt, all with the Monsters.

The Amerks return home on Saturday, December 26th as the Hamilton Bulldogs make their second trip within in a six-day span back to The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will be the fourth of 10 this season between the North Division rivals and will be carried live on Sports Radio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. Fans can tune in live to watch Friday's game on Time Warner Cable SportsNet Channel 26. Rochester owns a 2-0-1-0 record this season and is 65-51-9 lifetime against Hamilton.

Beginning that night, and during each Friday night home game in January, fans can take part in the "Dollar Dogs 'N' Drafts" promotion. Fans will be able to purchase Zweigle's Hot Dogs and 14oz. Draft Beers for just $1 each! Along with the Saturday, December 26th game against Hamilton, other Dollar Dogs 'N Drafts games include Friday, January 8th vs. Grand Rapids; Friday, January 22nd vs. Hamilton and Friday, January 29th vs. Albany.

Consumers will have the opportunity to purchase Zweigle's Hot Dogs and 14 oz. Draft beers for just one dollar. Locations for the promotion will be the upper atrium bar, in addition to the concession stands located directly behind sections 102 and 128 in The Blue Cross Arena. All sales specific to "Dollar Dogs 'N Drafts" will be conducted between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. only on the select dates with a limit of two 14oz. draft beers and four hot dogs per sales transaction.

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