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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Mount Second-Period Comeback, But Fall in Overtime to Bulldogs

November 16, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Hamilton, ON)... The Rochester Americans scored three goals in the second period to overcome a 4-1 deficit, but it was T.J. Hensick's third goal of the season 2:28 into overtime that lifted the North Division rival Hamilton Bulldogs to a 5-4 win over the Amerks Sunday afternoon at FirstOntario Centre. Rochester gains a point in the loss, going 1-1-1-0 over its first three-in-three weekend of the season, while dropping to 7-8-1-0 on the season.

Matt Ellis (1+1), Luke Adam (1+1) and Johan Larsson (0+2) led the Amerks with two points each while Andrey Makarov stopped 31 of 36 shots he faced in the defeat. Chad Ruhwedel also scored a goal to extend his point streak to three games and rookie defenseman Jake McCabe rounded out the scoring with his first professional goal that completed Rochester's comeback. Phil Varone pushed his assist streak to a league-best five games, recording nine assists over that span, and with two more points tonight, Adam has now scored six goals and nine points over his last five games.

Rene Bourque and Hensick both finished with a goal and an assist, with each factoring in on Hensick's game-winner, and Sven Adrigehtto recorded a team-high three assists, all of which came in the first period. Jacob de la Rose, Greg Pateryn and Gabriel Dumont also scored during the first period in front of a 39-save performance from starting goaltender Mike Condon.

The Amerks opened the scoring midway through the first period with the hot hand of Adam, whose team-leading seventh goal of the season gave the Amerks 1-0 lead at 9:18. Ellis grabbed a loose puck off the right wing boards and swung a back-door pass to Adam that he was able knock past Condon for his first of two points on the night.

Rochester's lead would be short-lived, though, as the Bulldogs quickly wiped out the deficit with four straight goals over the next 8:25, including back-to-back tallies in a span of 30 seconds. Bourque, who was assigned to Hamilton earlier in the week from Montreal, began the flurry as he converted a centering feed from Hensick and de la Rose answered a half-minute later when he tucked a loose puck inside the left following a goal-mouth scramble to make it a 2-1 game.

Hamilton added a pair of power-play goals later in the frame with the first coming courtesy of Pateryn at the 14:22 mark. The Bulldog defenseman floated a wrist shot from the right point that made its way through traffic and found the upper corner on the short side for his first of the season.

Dumont then capped of the four-goal surge for the hosts when he finished off a nifty give-and-go with Andrighetto to put the Bulldogs up 4-1 heading into the first intermission. Dumont gained the Rochester zone along the right wing boards and left it for Andrighetto, who returned the pass to a wide-open Dumont and the Hamilton captain snapped the offer past Makarov with 13 seconds remaining in the first period.

The game's momentum finally tilted to the opposite end of the ice as the Amerks came out firing on all cylinders in the second, eventually knotting the contest at 4-4 thanks to three unanswered goals of their own.

Ellis, who entered the game with points in each of his last two contests, sparked the comeback as he swept in Joel Armia's rebound to cut the deficit in half. Armia's close range shot from the low slot found its way to a screened Condon, who made the first save, but could not corral the rebound as Ellis finished his fourth goal of the season. Mikhail Grigorenko had the other assist on the play for the Amerks, snapping a personal four-game scoreless spell.

Ruhwedel pulled the Amerks to within a goal less than five minutes later as he took a return pass from Larsson and blasted a one-timer over the left shoulder of Condon from just inside the blueline. Rochester worked the puck nicely with the man-advantage as Ruhwedel sent a cross-ice pass to Larsson, who was stationed at the top of the right circle. Larsson then moved off the half-wall and slid the puck back toward the high slot, where Ruhwedel stepped into a slap-shot that hit nothing but twine as it sailed past a screened Condon.

The Amerks completed the comeback at 16:34 when a collaborative effort between Larsson and Varone helped set up McCabe's first pro goal. The two forwards won a loose puck battle deep in the Hamilton zone and spotted McCabe, who drifted into the low slot from his post at the blueline, and snapped a shot past an unsuspecting Condon to knot the contest at 4-4.

The second period also featured some timely saves from Makarov, who thwarted two Hamilton breakaway opportunities, including a shorthanded attempt from Hamilton forward Eric Tangradi.

After an intense third period produced several scoring chances but no actual goals, the game went to overtime, which started with Hamilton on a 4-on-3 man-advantage while Rochester's Mark Pysyk was serving the second of a high-sticking double minor. The Amerks were able to successfully kill off the penalty, but seconds after the teams returned to full strength, Bourque found Hensick open between the hash marks and the two-time AHL All-Star ended the 5-4 contest with a wrist shot over the glove of Makarov.

The Amerks return to action on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:05 p.m. when they host the North Division rival Utica Comets at The Blue Cross Arena for the second of 10 matchups between the clubs this season. The Amerks will be hosting a Food Drive to benefit Foodlink that night, as fans are encouraged to donate food items outside the Box Office. Any fan that donates two unopened, non-perishable food items in the Foodlink bins prior to the game will be eligible to purchase "Buy One-Get One Free" tickets to that night's game. The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester.

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