AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Play Three

November 17, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


On The Ice: The Rochester Americans (6-4-3-1, 16 points) will play three games against North Division opponents this weekend, including two home games. On Friday, the Amerks will travel down the New York State Thruway to battle the Syracuse Crunch at 7:30 p.m. The team will then return to Rochester for a Saturday night clash against the Toronto Roadrunners at 7:35 p.m, and a Sunday evening game against the Hamilton Bulldogs at 6:05 p.m. To find all the statistics on your favorite Amerks players or the rest of the AHL, check out the League's Official Website at www.theahl.com.

Friday, November 21, 2003 7:30 p.m.
Rochester Americans at Syracuse Crunch
Onondaga War Memorial, Syracuse, NY

The Amerks will look to take control of the season series against the Crunch (7-6-2-0, 16 points) on Friday night. The Amerks and Crunch have each won one game on their home ice, with the Amerks capturing a 5-2 win at The Blue Cross Arena on October 26th. Overall, this will be the 103rd time the Crunch and Amerks have faced each other. The Amerks lead the all-time series with a 51-38-13 record. Amerks forwards Derek Roy (2+2) and Paul Gaustad (2+0) each have two goals and goaltender Ryan Miller has a 2.00 goals-against average against the Crunch this season. Forward Brad Moran has led Syracuse in scoring with 14 points (5+9). Forward Brandon Sugden is fourth in the AHL with 74 penalty minutes already in the young season. Goaltender Pascal LeClaire has been solid in goal for the Crunch, with a 2.17 goals-against average. In the first meeting between these two clubs, LeClaire made 39 stops to earn a 2-0 shutout win. Syracuse currently owns the AHL's top power-play unit at 24.3%, going 17 for 70. The Syracuse penalty-killing unit is 18th in the league with an 83.9% success rate, giving up 14 goals on 87 opportunities. Overall, the team is averaging 2.20 goals per game, which is good for the 23rd spot in the league.

Saturday, November 22, 2003 7:35 p.m.
Toronto Roadrunners at Rochester Americans
The Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY

The Toronto Roadrunners (4-9-2-0, 10 points) will return to The Blue Cross Arena for the third time this season on Saturday night. The Amerks have a 2-0-1 record against the Roadrunners this season. The two teams skated to a 1-1 tie on November 1st at the Ricoh Coliseum. Amerks goaltender Ryan Miller has a 0.65 goals-against average against the ‘Runners in three games this season, allowing only two goals on 95 shots. The Roadrunners are led by forward Jamie Wright, who has 12 points (6+6) on the season. Goaltender Steven Valiquette has a 2.84 GAA to lead the goaltending core. Toronto is 4-8-1 on the road. Toronto is in the middle of the AHL in both special teams rankings. The team is 14th in the power-play column with 16.7% (11 for 67), and 16th in penalty-killing with an 84.9% (62 of 73).

Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:00 p.m.
Hamilton Bulldogs at Rochester Americans
The Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY

The Amerks will look to even up the season series against Hamilton (9-5-1-1, 20 points) on Sunday night. The Bulldogs are 2-1-0 against the Amerks this season, including victories in the last two meetings. Bulldog goaltender Eric Fichaud made 29 stops to earn a 2-0 shutout win over the Amerks on November 15th. The Amerks still hold the edge in the all-time series with a 33-29-6-1 mark. The Bulldogs have three forwards among the top 15 scorers in the AHL. Forward Benoit Gratton (7+10) is tied for second in scoring with 17 points. Pierre Dagenais (8+7) and Tomas Plekanec (7+8) are both tied for 10th with 15 points. Goaltenders J.F. Damphousse and Eric Fichaud have shared the goaltending load this season in Hamilton. Damphousse (3-3-1-1) has collected a 2.40 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Fichaud (6-3-0-1) has posted a 2.72 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Overall, the Bulldogs are fourth in the AHL in scoring, averaging 3.06 goals per game, and 15th in the league in goals-against with a 2.63 average.

Around the Boards:

- The Amerks are the AHL's top defensive team allowing only 1.64 goals per game, but are 27th in goal scoring averaging 1.93 goals per game.

- Goaltender Ryan Miller is currently tied for 1st among AHL goaltenders with a .956 save percentage. Miller is also ranked second in the AHL with a 1.25 goals-against average.

- The Amerks are 5-1-1-0 on home ice this season and 1-3-2-1 away from The Blue Cross Arena.

- The American Hockey League announced today that Philadelphia Phantoms goaltender Antero Niittymaki has been named the Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week for the period ending November 16, 2003.

MORGAN STANLEY "3-Star Investment Award": The Rochester Americans and Morgan Stanley will team up to bring a yearlong promotion to the fans at the Blue Cross Arena. The Morgan Stanley "3-Star investment Award" will be given to the player that accumulates the most points during the 2003-04 season. Through seven home games forward Derek Roy (9 points) leads forward Paul Gaustad (8 points) and goaltender Ryan Miller (8 points) with the most three star nominations.

Shooting Stars:

After 14 games, the following players lead the Amerks in statistical categories:
Skaters: Goals- Jason Pominville (7); Assists- Derek Roy (7), Jason Pominville (7); Points- Jason Pominville (14); Shots- Milan Bartovic (49); Penalty Minutes- Paul Gaustad (44)
Goaltending: Wins- Ryan Miller (5); Minutes- Ryan Miller (673:54); Saves- Ryan Miller (306); Goals-Against Average- Ryan Miller (1.25); Save Percentage- Ryan Miller (.956)

Amerks on the Dials:

Television- Saturday night's game against Toronto will be televised live on the WB16 at 7:35 p.m.

Radio and Webcast- Friday and Sunday's games this weekend will be on WHTK 1280-AM and webcast on the Official Website of the Rochester Americans at www.amerks.com. On Saturday night, the Amerks will be on WHAM 1180-AM and webcast on the Official Website of the Rochester Americans at www.amerks.com.

Faceoff- Catch the latest episode of "Faceoff", the Amerks and Knighthawks weekly highlight and talk show this Saturday, November 22nd at midnight and on Sunday, November 23rd at noon only on the WB16. "Faceoff" will be taping this Wednesday at Bill Gray's on Jefferson Road in Henrietta from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Come on out and support the show!

AMERKS GAME SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE:

Friday, November 21 at Syracuse Crunch 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 22 TORONTO ROADRUNNERS 7:35 p.m.
Sunday, November 23 HAMILTON BULLDOGS 6:05 p.m.
Wednesday, November 26 HOUSTON AEROS 7:05 p.m.
Friday, November 28 BINGHAMTON SENATORS 7:35 p.m.

***Home Games in Caps

At the Box Office:

2003-04 Season Ticket packages are still available! Full season ticket packages start at $99 per seat! Flexible ticket packages, including voucher packs, start at $92.50 per pack! Call 454-5335 to order your season ticket package. If you don't see a package that fits your schedule, please contact us and we can create one for you. For all ticket information, check out www.amerks.com.

Weekly Ticket Discounts and Groups:

FOODLINK Free Ticket Offer: During the month of November, if you bring a non-perishable food item to the box office, you will receive a buy one, get one free coupon good for any game in November.

Emergency Services Night: On Saturday November 22nd, all police officers, fireman and EMS workers can save $5.00 on each $10.25 ticket by contacting the Amerks sales office at (585) 454-5335.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield Members: On Saturday, November 22nd, Blue Cross/Blue Shield members can save $3.00 on all tickets by contacting the Amerks sales office at (585) 454-5335.

AAA Night: On Saturday, November 22nd, show your AAA card at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office and save $3.00 on tickets purchased.

Amerks Family Four Pack: On Sunday, November 23rd, the special Amerks Family Four Pack will be available. The Family Four Pack contains four 200-Level end seats, four regular hot dogs, four 16-ounce sodas, and two Amerk Programs for $44. Additional tickets are $11.00 each. The Family Four Pack is available for specific games during the season. To get your Amerks Family Four Pack, stop by The Blue Cross Arena Box Office or call (585)-454-5335 for more details.

Union Night: On Sunday, November 23rd, all union members in the Rochester Area can save $5.00 on each ticket by contacting the Amerks sales office at (585) 454-5335.

Amerks Weekly Schedule:

Monday, November 17 10:00 a.m. practice at ESL

Tuesday, November 18 9:00 a.m. Workout at World Gym

Wednesday, November 19 10:00 a.m. practice at ESL

Thursday, November 20 10:00 a.m. practice at ESL

Friday, November 21 10:00 game-day skate at ESL 7:30 p.m. game at Syracuse WHTK 1280-AM & amerks.com

Saturday, November 22 10:00 game-day skate at BCA 7:35 p.m. game vs Toronto WHAM 1180-AM & amerks.com Live Telecast on WB-16

Sunday, November 23 6:00 p.m. game vs Hamilton WHTK 1280-AM & amerks.com

SABRE TALK:

Sabres Slump: The Buffalo Sabres continue to battle through the early part of the season. The Sabres are 2-2-1-1 during the month of November so far. The Sabres are currently tied for third place in the Northeast Division with 17 points (7-7-2-1). The team has only scored 10 goals in six games during the month of November.

Leader Board: The Sabres are led by forward Chris Drury in points with 13 points (3+10). Drury also leads the team in assists (10). Forward Taylor Pyatt leads the team in goal scoring with six. Biron leads the goaltending crew, posting an overall record of 4-3-2. Mika Noronen leads the team with a 2.19 GAA and a .912 save percentage.

Upcoming Games: The Sabres will play five of their next six games on the road. Buffalo will face the Ottawa Senators (November 17th) and the New Jersey Devils (November 19th) before returning to home ice on Friday, November 21st to face the Carolina Hurricanes. Team travel picks up the next day for the sun of Florida, where the team will play the Tampa Bay Lightning (November 22nd) and the Florida Panthers (November 24th).

Check out the Rochester Americans Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from November 17, 2003


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