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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Shuffle Off To Buffalo Looking For A Dozen Wins

November 11, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


The Rochester Americans head to Buffalo on Thursday, November 12th for a 7:00 p.m. encounter with the Portland Pirates at HSBC Arena. The Amerks are bidding for their franchise record 12th straight win, as they battle the Pirates for the first time in 10 years since the 1999-00 season. The matchup from the home of the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk.

The contest will be the first of four meetings this season between the two teams. Rochester has an all-time record of 4-5-1 against the Pirates. Rochester won its sixth, and last, Calder Cup with a four games to three series victory against Portland in 1996.

Rochester (12-1-1-0, 25 points) enters the contest currently first overall in the American Hockey League standings with a five-point lead over the Manchester Monarchs, Hershey Bears and the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Amerks are in the midst of a 11-game winning streak, which includes eight straight at home, after defeating Hamilton 4-1 last night at The Blue Cross Arena to tie the franchise record of 11 straight victories set from October 11 to November 2, 1984. The last time the Amerks started the season with 12 wins and 25 points was during the 2006-07 campaign. Rochester earned seven consecutive wins to kickoff the season and were victorious in 14 of the first 15 games.

Defenseman Jordan Henry led the way offensively for the Amerks as he scored his first goal of the season and assisted on two others to finish with a plus-three on-ice rating. Graham Mink also chipped in with two points (1+1) as rookie goaltender Alexander Salak matched his season-high with 38 saves to improve to 9-0-0 on the season.

The Amerks, who are tied for second in the AHL with four shorthanded goals, have outscored their opponents 41-18 in the last 10 games and have allowed the second fewest amount of goals in their division with 29. Rochester currently ranks fifth in the AHL with a 22.4 power play percentage and a 90.1 penalty killing percentage.

Fourth-year forward David Brine leads the club with a team-high seven goals, two of which have been shorthanded. He currently ranks tied for third in the league in that category, while his nine points overall put him in a three-way tie for fifth overall on the team.

Veteran forward Chris Taylor, who netted his fourth goal of the season last night, continues to pace Rochester's offense with a team-high 10 assists and 14 points. Taylor, who has 13 points (4+9) in his last nine outings, is on pace averaging two points per game and is tied for sixth in the league in overall point production. The 18-year pro sits just two assists away of surpassing Dick Gamble into the No.4 spot on the franchise's all-time list. Additionally, Taylor sits just three goals and nine points away from moving ahead of Craig Charron and Norm "Red' Armstrong for 15th and seventh on the all-time list, respectively. The power play extraordinaire has accumulated four of his 10 helpers on the man advantage, tying him with fellow special teams line mate Jason Garrison for fifth best in the league in that very category. Mike York and Clay Wilson sit tied for fourth in the power play assists table, while York's three goals on the man advantage also tie him for fourth.

Amerks tough-guy Jimmy Bonneau is first on the team and 10th in the league with a team-high 59 penalty minutes after dropping the gloves nine times in his last eight games. Wilson and Garrison each have two goals and seven assists for nine points in the fight for Rochester's top scoring defenseman. The duo is currently tied for sixth in scoring among league blueliners.

Salak, who was named the AHL's Reebok/AHL Rookie of the Month for October, shows a flawless 9-0-0 record with 286 saves in just 10 games. His 1.65 goals-against average and.947 save percentage are currently fourth among league netminders, respectively, while his nine wins are presently a league best. Additionally, the Rochester netminder holds the only spotless record in the AHL, among active goaltenders. Salak has started the last seven games for Rochester, posting a perfect 7-0-0 record in that time with 214 saves and just 10 goals against. In 10 games, Salak has only allowed 16 goals.

Portland (5-9-0-0, 10 points) comes into the matchup after dropping two of its last three, with its most recent loss coming in a 2-1 decision last night to the Springfield Falcons. Former Amerk Mark Mancari pilots the Pirates offense with a team-best eight assists and 12 points and has skated in all 14 games for Portland thus far. First-year forward Tyler Ennis leads the team with six goals, three of which have been on the power play, while his 11 points overall presently rank him tied for third among AHL rookies. Forward Travis Turnbull leads the Pirates with 37 penalty minutes, averaging 2.64 per game. Jhonas Enroth has seen the majority of time between the pipes this season in Portland. The 21-year-old netminder boasts a 3-7-0 record with a 3.90 goals-against average and a.872 save percentage in 10 appearances.

The Amerks conclude the weekend on Saturday, November 14th as they travel to Van Andel Arena to battle the Grand Rapids Griffins. Faceoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and can be heard live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The game will be the first of six encounters this season between the North Division rivals. Rochester is 17-20-3 lifetime against Grand Rapids.

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