AHL Rochester Americans

Holiday Week Is Going To Be A Busy One For The Amerks

Published on November 23, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The holiday week will not be a typical one for the Rochester Americans. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, a time where many enjoy the leisure that accompanies any holiday, the surging Amerks will be busy as the team continues its chase against the Texas Stars atop the American Hockey League standings. Rochester kicks off a demanding schedule this week, one that includes back-to-back four-game weeks, and a single home game before taking to the road for a season-long six-game road trip.

Rochester's busy weeks kicks off on Tuesday, November 24th as the Amerks head north of the border to battle the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum. The 7:30 p.m. midweek tilt will be the first in Hamilton this season and the second of 10 meetings between the North Division rivals. Veteran forward Jeff Taffe will skate in his 500th professional game that night. The matchup will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The Amerks defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 in the previous matchup between the two teams on November 10th. Rochester is 1-0-0-0 this season and 64-50-9 all-time against the Montreal Canadiens' affiliate.

The Amerks return home on Friday, November 27th as they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to town for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The 7:05 p.m. Black Friday contest will be the first of four meetings this season with the Baby Pens and can be heard live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The matchup will also be televised live on Channel 98. Rochester is 10-6-6 lifetime against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The following night, the Amerks hit the road for a season-long six-game road trip starting on Saturday, November 28th with a 7:05 p.m. matchup with the Binghamton Senators at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. From there, Rochester will head to the War Memorial at Oncenter on Sunday, November 29th to close out its weekend with a 3:00 p.m. matinee with the Syracuse Crunch. Both contests will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk.

Rochester (14-2-1-0, 29 points) enters the week currently second overall in the AHL and trail the West Division Texas Stars by three points. Texas, however, has played five more games than Rochester. The Amerks still maintain a two-point lead over the Manchester Monarchs, Lowell Devils and Hershey Bears, in addition to a three-point cushion over the Hamilton Bulldogs.

The Amerks have won 13 of their last 14 games, which includes nine straight at home, and own the league's best winning percentage (.853). The last time the Amerks started the season with 14 wins and 29 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.

The Amerks come into the holiday week after earning a 5-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena. Second-year defenseman Keaton Ellerby notched his first career hat trick, scoring a goal in each period, including two on the power-play. He became the first player to net three goals in a game on home ice since Stefan Meyer did it in December of 2006. The former first-round draft pick entered the night without a goal in his first 16 games this season, and in one night, matched the three goals he scored in 75 games as a rookie for Rochester last season.

The Amerks, who are tied for third in the AHL with four shorthanded goals, have outscored their opponents 52-27 in the last 13 games and have allowed the fewest number of goals in their division with 38. Their 60 goals for are also the second most in the division. Rochester currently ranks second in the AHL with a 25.0 power-play percentage and seventh with an 88.3 penalty-killing percentage.

Sixth-year pro Jamie Johnson, coming off a three-game point streak, remains Rochester's top point-getter with a team-high 16 points. Johnson currently ranks tied for 10th in overall point production, while his seven goals are equal to that of teammate David Brine for the team best. Johnson has picked up seven goals and five assists for 12 points in his last nine games, averaging just under a point per game. The power-play extraordinaire has accumulated five of his nine helpers on the man advantage, while fellow special teams line mate Clay Wilson is tied for fourth best in the league in that very category.

Mike York, currently on a three-game assist streak (0+4), paces the Amerks offense with a team-high 11 assists and continues to be the team's frontrunner in the power-play assists table with seven. A veteran of 579 NHL games, York is tied for third in the AHL with seven power play helpers, while his three goals on the man advantage also tie him for fifth in the AHL. Further, his 11 assists tie him for eighth in the league.

Veteran forward Chris Taylor, whose 15 points are tied for second best on the team, 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 two goals and eight points away from moving ahead of Craig Charron and Norm "Red' Armstrong for 15th and seventh on the all-time list, respectively. He needs just seven games to leapfrog the 390-game benchmark set by Amerk legend Don Cherry.

Amerks tough-guy Jimmy Bonneau is first on the team and tied for 12th in the league with a team-high 71 penalty minutes after dropping the gloves 11 times in his last 11 games. Wilson (2+9) stands just one point ahead of fellow blueliner Jason Garrison (2+8) in the fight for Rochester's top scoring defenseman. The duo is currently tied for seventh and eighth in scoring among league blueliners, respectively. Garrison also has the team's best on-ice rating with a plus-eight.

Salak, who was named the AHL's Reebok/AHL Rookie of the Month for October, shows an 11-1-0 record with 345 saves in just 13 games. His 1.88 goals-against average and .938 save percentage are currently sixth and fourth among league netminders, respectively, while his 11 wins are presently a league best. Additionally, despite tabbing his first loss of the season two weeks ago, the Rochester netminder still holds the best record in the AHL among active goaltenders. Salak has started the last 10 games for Rochester, posting an 9-1-0 record in that time with 273 saves and just 17 goals against. In 13 games, Salak has only allowed 23 goals.

Second-year forward Shawn Matthias remains on recall with the Florida Panthers and will skate in his 100th professional game tonight as the Panthers host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the BankAtlantic Center. Opening faceoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 23, 2009


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