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AHL Rochester Americans

Playoff Picture Beginning to Take Shape as Amerks Face Another Big Weekend

April 11, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


Playoff Picture Beginning To Take Shape - Just two weeks is all that remains on schedule for the 2012-13 American Hockey League regular season, and with less than 10 games to go, the playoff picture has already begun to take shape. Five teams have now crossed the finish line and locked up berths in the postseason, including the Texas Stars, who became the first in the Western Conference to join Providence, Springfield, Syracuse and Binghamton to be guaranteed postseason play. The Rochester Americans, who need just 10 points to secure a spot in the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs, enters the week one of three teams tied for fifth place in the all-too-close Western Conference, where 10 points is all that separates the fourth place team from 12th with plenty of points still up for grabs. After claiming four out of a possible six points this past weekend, one that saw Rochester earn back-to-back shootout wins, the Amerks face yet another busy weekend ahead that features another stretch of three games in three nights. This week, Rochester looks to gain some ground in the standings against in a crucial matchup with Oklahoma city on Friday before closing out the weekend on the road with tilts against intrastate rivals Syracuse and Albany.

Last Week's Results

Friday, April 5 vs. Lake Erie - 3-1 L

The Amerks opened the final stretch of the regular season with a 3-1 loss to the North Division rival Lake Erie Monsters Friday at The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester came within a goal late in the second period, but the Amerks ultimately could not overcome a two-goal deficit. Newcomer Johan Larsson, who was playing in his first game in Rochester after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, scored his first goal as an Amerk while defenseman Nick Bailen also registered his first professional point with an assist in his American Hockey League debut. David Leggio made 21 saves in the loss for the Amerks, who finished the season series with a near-perfect 5-1-0-0 record against the Monsters.

Saturday, April 6 at Adirondack - 5-4 SOW

Four different goal-scorers found the back of the net and rookie forward Colin Jacobs recorded his first professional multi-point game as Rochester outlasted a late-game comeback by the Adirondack Phantoms and earned a 5-4 shootout win over their intrastate rivals Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Patrick Rissmiller, Frederick Roy, Drew Schiestel and Mark Mancari each scored in regulation for the Amerks while Mancari and Jacobs also converted in the shootout. Leggio made 39 saves through 65 minutes before denying four of five Adirondack shooters in the skills competition on his way to claiming his AHL-leading 36th win of the season.

Sunday, April 7 at Albany - 3-2 SOW

The Amerks, led by goaltender Matt Hackett and rookie forward Zemgus Girgensons, defeated the Albany Devils 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday afternoon at the Times Union Center. Trailing 2-0, the Amerks scored twice in the third period to force overtime before ultimately winning in the shootout. With the win, the Amerks improved to 39-27-3-1 on the season and 9-1 in shootouts. Hackett, who was acquired last Wednesday from Minnesota, got his first start as a member of the Amerks and earned first star honors in the win while also notching an assist on Girgensons' goal. After turning aside 30 shots in regulation and nine more in overtime, Hackett stopped all three Albany attempts in the shootout to secure his first victory as an Amerk. Girgensons, meanwhile, assisted on Nick Crawford's third period power-play goal, and then scored a short-handed tally to force overtime. In the shootout, all three Rochester shooters found the back of the net.

This Week's Opponents

Friday, April 12 vs. Oklahoma City - Season Series: 1-0-0-0, 2 points

Rochester will have one final go-around with Oklahoma City on Friday, April 12 as the Barons make their only appearance of the season at The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:05 p.m. contest will be just the second and final meeting between the interconference rivals this season and will be carried live on Sports 1280 WHTK. The game will also be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel 26. The Amerks gained the edge in the season series with a 3-2 come-from-behind shootout win over the Barons in the teams' only other get-together back on March 19 in Oklahoma City. Facing a 2-0 deficit, the Amerks rallied back with a pair of late goals from Adam Pardy and Phil Varone before Alex Biega netted the game-winner in the fifth round of the skills competition. Rochester also maintains a 3-2-0-0 all-time record against the Barons, who joined the AHL prior to the 2011-12 campaign as the top affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.

Saturday, April 13 at Syracuse - Season Series: 7-2-0-0, 14 points

The Amerks wrap up one of their most heated rivalries on Saturday, April 13 as Rochester travels to nearby Syracuse to take on the Crunch at the War Memorial at Oncenter. The 7:30 p.m. matchup will be the 10th and final meeting between the longtime foes this season and can be heard live on Sports 1280 WHTK. Despite Syracuse's surge atop the American Hockey League standings, and being one of just five teams to clinch a playoff berth, the Amerks have fared well against the Crunch this season and maintain the upper-hand with a near-perfect 7-2-0-0 record through the first nine games of the season series. The Amerks are also 4-0-0-0 this season against the Crunch in Syracuse. Rochester was again triumphant in its most recent tilt with Syracuse back on March 27, a 1-0 decision in favor of the Amerks as former Crunch forward Rick Schofield netted the lone goal of the contest and Leggio stopped all 39 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, matching a career-high he set during the 2008-09 campaign. With the win, the Amerks improved to 9-3-0-0 in their last 12 games against Syracuse dating back to last season, a stretch that has produced a win for Rochester in eight of the last 10 meetings between the cross-town foes.

Sunday, April 14 at Albany - Season Series: 2-1-0-0, 4 points

The Amerks will bring the weekend to a close on Sunday, April 14 in the State's Capital District, where for the second straight week, Rochester will take on the intrastate rival Albany Devils in a 3:00 p.m. matinee at the Times Union Center. Fans can tune in for all the live action on Sports 1280 WHTK. The teams last met just two days ago in Albany, where a third period rally helped the Amerks quickly turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 shootout win to take a 2-1-0-0 advantage in the season series. Rochester is 6-5-0 lifetime against the Baby Devils entering this weekend's matchup, the fourth and final meeting of the season.

LEGGIO NAMED TOP GOALTENDER FOR MARCH

Rochester Americans goaltender David Leggio was selected as the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for March. Leggio went 9-4-0 with a 1.86 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and two shutouts, allowing two goals or fewer in 11 of his 13 appearances during the month. Leggio began March by snapping a personal four-game losing streak with a 35-save outing in a 2-1 overtime win at Syracuse on Mar. 2. He made 38 stops in defeating Lake Erie, 4-2, on Mar. 3, and his 44 saves in a 5-0 win over Abbotsford on Mar. 8 were the most in a shutout by any AHL goaltender this season. Leggio won his fifth straight game in a 3-1 decision over Binghamton on Mar. 13, and made at least 36 saves in four consecutive starts from Mar. 22-29, including a 38-save shutout of Syracuse on Mar. 27.

LEGGIO'S CAREER YEAR LEADING THE WAY... AGAIN

A year after single-handedly guiding the Amerks into the postseason, Leggio is again having another big year between the pipes for Rochester and making a strong bid to repeat as team MVP. The 2012-13 campaign has already seen the fifth-year netminder capture his third straight 20-win season, but Leggio has since added some more career achievements to an already impressive resume. The Williamsville, NY, native was nearly flawless in a recent two-game sweep of the Abbotsford Heat, beginning with a 44-save shutout on March 8 that produced his career-high 29th win of the season, besting the 28 victories he set a year ago with the Amerks. Leggio followed that up with another brilliant effort, stopping 35 shots in regulation before denying seven of 10 shooters in a rematch against the Heat two days later that garnered his first career 30-win season. He became the first Amerks netminder to post 30 wins in a single season since Ryan Miller's incredible 41 victories during Rochester's historic 2004-05 campaign. Most recently, though, Leggio turned in yet another memorable performance on March 27 against Syracuse when he steered aside all 38 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, matching the career-high he set during the 2008-09 campaign with the ECHL's Florida Everblades. He enters the week having already set new AHL career-highs in all goaltending categories, including goals-against average (2.56), save percentage (.923), wins (36), saves (1825), shutouts (4), minutes (3555:53) and gamed played (59). Since Feb. 22, 2012, Leggio has started 84 of Rochester's 96 regular-season and playoff games and has earned 49 of the team's 52 wins. With six games remaining, he could challenge the AHL record for saves in a season (2,005), established by Mike O'Neill with the Baltimore Bandits in 1995-96.

MANCARI MAKING HIS MARK

The return to Rochester has been quite the homecoming for Mancari, who is in the midst of what could perhaps be his best season as an Amerk since joining the organization as a rookie for the 2005-06 campaign. Entering this year, the eight-year pro ranked 46th all-time in scoring amongst forwards in franchise history with 156 points (62+94) in 215 career games in the red, white and blue, but has since climbed to 24th on the list, surpassing some notable names like Dane Jackson, Scott Nichol, Jason Pominville and most recently, Wally Boyer, along the way. Mancari added another personal milestone at Toronto on Feb. 27, scoring his 200th pro career goal and recording his 200th point as an Amerk. With two assists at Oklahoma City on March 19, Mancari reached the 57-point mark for the third straight season with the Amerks, a feat he also accomplished during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns in Rochester.

THE STREAK CONTINUES

With the lone goal in the Amerks' 2-1 loss to Texas on March 22, Mancari became the first Amerk this season to net 20 goals on the way to posting his seventh consecutive 20-goal season over his eight-year professional career. In doing so, Mancari continues Rochester's 57-year tradition of having at least one player from each season since the team's inception in 1956 to score 20 or more goals, a streak that was sparked by Bronco Horvath's team-leading 37 tallies during the Amerks' inaugural 1956-57 campaign.

SHOOTOUT SPECIALIST

Over the first two and a half years of his professional career, Biega played in 21 shootout games and was never called on to attempt a shot. That changed earlier last month, and Biega's prowess has brought the Amerks valuable standings points down the stretch. On March 10, Rochester turned to Biega in the bottom of the 10th round of a marathon shootout vs. Abbotsford, and the third-year blueliner snapped a shot home to give Rochester the win. On March 19, Biega got the call in the fifth round and netted the only goal of the shootout, sending the Amerks to victory in Oklahoma City. And on March 23 in Houston, Biega's goal in the last half of the fifth round made Rochester triumphant again - and made him 3-for-3 with three game-winners, putting him sixth in the AHL in shootout efficiency, while helping the Amerks improve to 9-1 in shootouts this season.

TWICE IS NICE

The goaltending tandem of Nathan Lieuwen and Leggio combined to give the Amerks back-to-back shutout wins for the first time in over a decade during a shutout streak in late March that kept opponents off the scoreboard for 180:10. After Lieuwen stonewalled the Rampage with 39 saves in San Antonio on March 24, Leggio followed up with an equally impressive outing of his own with a 38-save shutout of Syracuse on March 27. It would mark the first time Rochester earned consecutive shutout victories since the 2002-03 season when former Amerks netminder Mika Noronen single-handedly posted back-to-back shutouts as part of a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 in southern Ohio.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

The end of the NHL lockout may have meant the departure of several key components to Rochester's offense, but the recent flurry of roster moves has certainly been beneficial for the Amerks. Aside from the season-long mainstays in Mark Mancari and Nick Tarnasky, the latest additions of high-end forwards Patrick Rissmiller, Matt Ellis and Cody McCormick give the Amerks five active veterans in the lineup for the first time this season while providing stability and plenty of leadership. Along with established defenseman Adam Pardy, who is currently on NHL recall with the Buffalo Sabres, Rochester's veteran class has combined for over 1,200 man games in the NHL, including 329 from McCormick, and has totaled 115 points (48+67) for the Amerks in 2012-13.

LENDING A HAND

The Amerks have had a total of seven players make the 75-mile trek west down Interstate 90 to Buffalo this season with third-year forward Luke Adam being the most recent to join the Sabres on recall. In addition to Adam, Buffalo has also required the services of forwards Marcus Foligno, Cody Hodgson, Kevin Porter and Brian Flynn along with defensemen T.J. Brennan and Mark Pysyk, who all began the season in Rochester. The group has totaled 58 points (24+34) in 136 combined games with the Sabres. Buffalo has also sent reinforcements to Rochester in the form of veteran forwards McCormick and Ellis as well as defenseman Pardy, all of whom have also seen time with the Sabres this season.

ROAD WARRIORS

Coming off their 3-2 shootout win over Albany on Sunday, the Amerks have won five straight and 10 of their last 15 games away from Western New York, making them the seventh-best road team in the AHL with a 19-13-3-0 record. Conversely, Rochester boasts a 20-14-0-1 mark at home and has outscored the opposition 104-93 in 35 total games at The Blue Cross Arena.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

The Amerks have seen 12 of their last 19 games decided by one goal dating back to a 3-2 setback at Hamilton on Feb 22. Rochester is 15-11-3-1 in 30 one-goal games this season after finishing the 2011-12 campaign with 42 such outings. Of those 30 one-goal decisions, 14 have been determined in overtime or via the shootout, for a 10-0-3-1 mark.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Amerks are 19-11-1-1 (40 points) this season against North Division rivals, but show a 20-15-2-0 (42 points) mark versus non-divisional foes. The Amerks have scored the first goal in 42 of the first 70 games of the campaign and show a 30-10-2-0 record when doing so, including a 16-4-0-0 mark at home. Rochester is also 30-1-1-0 when leading after two periods, a streak that also shows an unblemished 17-0-0-0 mark at home.

ROLSTON MOVES UP TO NHL

The Buffalo Sabres promoted former Amerks head coach Ron Rolston to serve as their interim head coach for the remainder of the 2012-13 season. Rolston replaced Lindy Ruff, the all-time winningest coach in Sabres history and longest tenured coach in the NHL, who was relieved of his duties after 16 years behind the Buffalo bench. Rolston became the 16th coach in franchise history after compiling a 63-56-5 regular-season record over 1 1/2 seasons with the Amerks, who he led to the Calder Cup Playoffs in just his first season as an American Hockey League coach. He officially made his NHL coaching debut in Buffalo's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 21 at the Air Canada Centre and earned his first win in the Sabres' 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 26. His biggest win as Sabres head coach came in last Tuesday's 4-1 defeat of the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins, who came into the game with the NHL's second-longest winning streak of 15 straight victories. Rolston is 10-9-4 since taking over for Ruff on Feb. 20 and has won three of his last four games to bring the Sabres within four points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

CASSIDY APPOINTED HEAD COACH IN ROCHESTER

The exit of Rolston to Buffalo meant the elevation of Amerks assistant coach Chadd Cassidy as the new bench boss in Rochester. Cassidy, who previously worked alongside Rolston for five seasons at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, became the 30th head coach in Amerks history and the first to take over the position as a midseason replacement since John Van Boxmeer was appointed the title midway through the 1984-85 season when he took over for Jim Schoenfield. Cassidy made his American Hockey League head coaching debut in Rochester's 5-1 loss to the Texas Stars on Feb. 20 and earned his first win in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Syracuse Crunch on March 2. Cassidy is 12-9-1-0 since his promotion to head coach and guided the Amerks to a 12-5-1-0 record since March 2.

Where They Stand

RECORDS

Home: 20-14-0-1, 41 points

Away: 19-13-3-0, 41 points

Overall: 39-27-3-1, 82 points

STANDINGS

Overall: T-10th

Western Conference: T-5th

North Division: 2nd

LAST 10...

7-3-0-0

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This Week's Schedule*

Monday, April 8

Off-Ice Workouts, Blue Cross Arena

Tuesday, April 9

DAY OFF - NO PRACTICE

Wednesday, April 10

10:30 a.m.: Practice, Blue Cross Arena

Thursday, April 11

10:30 a.m.: Practice, Blue Cross Arena

Friday, April 12

10:00 a.m.: Morning Skate, Blue Cross Arena

7:05 p.m.: Rochester vs. Oklahoma City, Blue Cross Arena

Saturday, April 13

7:30 p.m. Rochester at Syracuse,

War Memorial at Oncenter

Leave for Albany following game

Sunday, April 14

3:00 p.m., Rochester at Albany, Times Union Center

*Schedule is subject to change

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Follow @AmerksHockey on Twitter for all the updates regarding the team!

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Amerks Statistical Leaders

Goals : Mark Mancari (21)

Assists: Mark Mancari (38)

Points: Mark Mancari (59)

Power-Play Goals : Mark Mancari (6), Brian Flynn (6)

Power-Play Assists : Mark Mancari (18)

Shorthanded Goals: Maxime Legault (2)

Shorthanded Assists: Phil Varone (4)

Plus/Minus : Mark Pysyk (+8), Kevin Porter (+8)

Shots: Mark Mancari (261)

Penalty Minutes : Nick Tarnasky (131)

Games Played: Mark Mancari (70)

Wins : David Leggio (36)

Losses: David Leggio (22)

GAA: David Leggio (2.56)

SV%: David Leggio (.923)

Saves: David Leggio (1825)

Minutes: David Leggio (3555:53)

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RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Apr. 9, 2013 - Michael Wilson (D), ADD Signed to PTO

Apr. 5, 2013 - Jason Beattie (D), ADD Signed to ATO

Apr. 5, 2013 - Justin Kea (C), ADD Signed to ATO

Apr. 4, 2013 - Connor Knapp (G), DEL Reassigned by Buffalo to Greenville

Apr. 4, 2013 - Corey Fienhage (D), DEL Returned on loan to Gwinnett

Apr. 3, 2013 - Johan Larsson (C), ADD Loaned from Buffalo

Apr. 3, 2013 - Matt Hackett (G), ADD Loaned from Buffalo

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PLAYOFF PICTURE

Magic Number - The Amerks, currently tied for fifth place in the Western Conference, need just 10 points to clinch a playoff spot. With just six games remaining and with 82 points to date, Rochester can potentially finish with a maximum of 94 points in the regular season. The top eight teams from each Conference earn a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs, while the top teams in each of the six Divisions will be seeded first, second and third (based on overall points and wins) in the final Conference standings.

PLAYOFFS - BY THE NUMBERS

All-Time Playoffs: 42

All-Time Series: 80 (44-36)

Games Played: 403 (210-193)

Home Games: 202 (125-77)

Road Games: 201 (87-114)

Calder Cups: 6

Calder Cup Runners-Up: 10

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UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

Donate Life Night - The Amerks will host Donate Life Night on Friday, April 12 when the Amerks host the Oklahoma City Barons at 7:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. The Amerks are partnering with the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (FLDRN) and the Amerks Alumni Association, including Hall of Famer Gates Orlando, the region's first person to receive a total artificial heart and then a heart transplant, to raise awareness for organ donation.

Eats & Seats - The Distillery "Eats & Seats" promotion returns for another season, where for just $20, fans can purchase one ticket (best-available) and a $10 gift card to The Distillery.

Hockey Night in Rochester - Friday nights are Hockey Night in Rochester, and fans who wear an Amerks or Sabres jersey to a Friday game can purchase a best-available seat for just $17.

Ditch the Dorms - Ditch the Dorms Nights are back this season again on Fridays, where students who present their College ID at The Blue cross Arena Box Office can purchase a best available ticket for just $12.

Amerks Happy Hour - Prior to every Friday night home game this season, there will be an Amerks Happy Hour from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Atrium Bar featuring live music and $2 Molson and Coors Light drafts for fans age 21 and over.

Zweigle's Family 4-Pack - For just $48, fans can purchase four lower level tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for the final three remaining homes games of the 2012-13 regular season, including this Friday against the Oklahoma City Barons.

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THIS MONTH IN AMERKS HISTORY

April 1, 1972 - Rochester sets a franchise record for the most goals scored in a road game with 10 against the old Springfield Kings at the Eastern States Coliseum.

April 3, 1983 - Hall of Famer Geordie Robertson records his second career four-goal game as an Amerk. Robertson posted the finest season of his 10-year professional career during the 1982-83 season, registering a career-best 46 goals, 73 assists and 119 points and establishing single-season individual ecords along the way. In addition to leading the Amerks in every offensive category, Robertson set franchise records for most assists (73) and points (119) in a single season, along with the most assists and points scored by a centerman - all of which are still intact today. He also finished the campaign as the recipient of the John B. Sollenberger Trophy, given to the AHL's leading scorer.

April 4, 1982 - Former Amerk Chris Halyk scores the game-winning goal in a 7-6 overtime win over the Erie Blades to give Rochester its 9,000th victory in franchise history.

April 7, 1985 - The Amerks collectively set franchise records for most assists (25) and points (38) in a single game against the St. Catharines Saints at the downtown War Memorial.

April 14, 1996 - The Amerks win their first of 14 straight home games, including all 10 playoff contests, en route to capturing their sixth and most recent Calder Cup.

April 19, 1996 - The Amerks embark on a memorable postseason run with a 4-1 win over the Adirondack Red Wings in their playoff opener. Rochester would win nine of its first 10 playoff games, including back-to-back sweeps of Adirondack and Cornwall, before going on to defeat the Portland Pirates in seven games to win the Calder Cup. The Amerks also finished the historic postseason dash with an unprecedented 10-0-0 record at home during the playoffs, a mark that has remained unmatched over the years.

April 30, 1965 - Rochester earns its first Calder Cup, defeating the Hershey Bears in five games with a 6-2 win in front of 7,556 fans at the War Memorial.

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AMERKS POINTS OF INTEREST

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Rochester set a new franchise attendance record by playing in front of a capacity crowd of 19,070 fans on Friday, Dec. 28 against Lake Erie at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The record-setting attendance also represented the ninth-largest crowd for a single game in American Hockey League history and the fifth-largest for an AHL game played indoors. The previous Amerks record for the largest crowd in the 57-year history of the franchise was 17,898, which was set eight years prior to the day on Dec. 28, 2004, when the Amerks defeated the Edmonton Roadrunners at the then-HSBC Arena in Buffalo.

CROWD-PLEASING PERFORMANCES

More than a dozen different crowds of 7,500+ fans in attendance have taken in an Amerks game this season, including eight in the Flower City's downtown hockey barn. The number is a vast improvement from the 2011-12 season, when only three crowds of 7,500 or more were on hand. Rochester is 10th in the AHL in total attendance to date and is averaging 6,298 fans per game through the first 35 home games of the 2012-13 campaign.

2013 ALL-STAR CLASSIC RECAP

Amerks defenseman Brayden McNabb became just the fifth AHL player ever to crack triple digits in the CCM Hardest Shot contest, winning the event with a blast of 101.8 miles per hour as the Western Conference All-Stars earned a 12-11 win over their Eastern Conference counterparts in the 2013 AHL All-Star Skills Competition. McNabb also became just the second Amerk to top 100 miles per hour in the event, finishing behind current teammate Mark Mancari, whose blast of 102.8 during in 2008 is still an AHL record.

2012 IN REVIEW

Several Amerks players finished atop the AHL's regular-season scoring leaders during the 2012 calendar year, including McNabb, who finished 10th in scoring among league blueliners with 37 points (6+31). Leggio, who played in a combined 62 games for the Amerks in 2012, including the final 23 of the 2011-12 season, led all netminders with 34 wins while totaling three shutouts throughout the year.

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2013 BOWMAN CUP

The ninth annual Scotty Bowman Cup Showcase will take place on Monday, April 15 at First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo. The Scotty Bowman Showcase consists of three all-star hockey games between high school aged players from the Buffalo and Rochester areas. Tickets for the event are $5. The first game begins at 6:00 p.m. and pits all-star squads from each city made up of players in their junior year of high school against one another, competing for the Tim Horton Memorial Cup. Following the junior game, the senior teams from each city will square off in a 7:30 p.m. contest to decide who will be awarded the Bowman Cup. After the senior game, junior- and senior-aged players from Buffalo and Rochester who play prep school or junior hockey will face off at 9:00 p.m. for the Rick Martin Memorial Cup. All three games will consist of two 22-minute halves. The event is named after the legendary Scotty Bowman, the winningest head coach in NHL history. Bowman will be in attendance to present the Bowman Cup to the victorious senior team.

AMERKS QUICK HITS

With 48 goals through their last 18 games, including 41 in their last 15, the Amerks are currently seventh in the AHL in goals for with 217, 12 shy of Syracuse's league-leading 229 tallies. Rochester is also seventh in the league in goals-per-game, averaging 3.10.

Amerks Rochester's power-play has been one of the most effective in the league over the last 35 games as the Amerks have converted on 28 of their 146 man-advantage opportunities. The Amerks currently rank fourth in the AHL with 60 power-play goals and have the fourth-best power-play unit in the AHL with a 20.4% efficiency rate. Rochester has scored at least one power-play goal in 44 of the first 70 games this season.

Amerks The Amerks also own the top penalty kill in the AHL, successfully killing off 244 of 279 short-handed situations for an 87.5% efficiency rate, including 118 of 131 at home for a league-best 90.1% success rate. Rochester is 19-for-21 on the penalty kill over its last seven games and has also allowed a league-low 35 power-play goals against.

Amerks With 16 points (6+10) through his last 19 games, Mancari leads the Amerks in all offensive categories in goals (21), assists (38) and points (59) and enters the week tied for ninth in scoring among the AHL's top point-getters. Mancari also ranks eighth among league leaders in assists, including the fifth-most on the power-play with 18. His 261 shots on goal are also tops in the AHL, 29 more than the next closest player.

AmerksBrayden McNabb ranks fourth and 10th among AHL defensemen in assists (31) and points (36), respectively, and has since set new career-highs in each category. McNabb also paces all blueliners with three short-handed assists.

Amerks The duo of Mancari and Porter, who is currently on recall with the Sabres, has combined for 30 multi-point outings between the two of them since the puck dropped in October. More impressively, the pair has also recorded at least one point in the same game in 23 of 70 outings this season, including eight different occasions where they have each posted multiple points in the same game. Rochester is 19-3-1-0 when Porter and Mancari register a point in the same game.

Amerks Also presently on recall with the big club is rookie forward Flynn, who enters the week ranked among the AHL's top scoring rookies with 32 points (16+16) in 45 games. The Amerks are 11-2-0-0 this season when Flynn scores a goal.

Amerks Leggio, who's won three of his last five starts, continues to lead all AHL netminders in wins (36), saves (1825), minutes played (3555:53), shots faced (1977), while placing sixth with a .923 save percentage. He also boasts the second-best shootout record (8-1) among goaltenders, having stopped 39 of 50 shooters for a .780 save percentage. Leggio is 19-3 all-time in AHL shootouts and has won 12 of his last 14, including this past Saturday in Adirondack.

WHO'S HOT

Larsson enters the week riding a three-game point streak (1+2), recording a point in each of his first three games with the Amerks since being acquired by Buffalo last week in a trade that sent for Amerk Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild... Corey Tropp, who missed 64 games with a knee injury he sustained on opening night, made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup last weekend with assists in back-to-back games and has totaled four points (2+2) in just five games this season... Evan Rankin, who also returned to action last weekend from a 23-game absence, has four points (2+2) in as many games, including a pair of goals at Hamilton on March 30 to help the Amerks rally from a two-goal deficit... Mancari comes into the week with 16 points (6+10) over his last 19 outings and has collected 46 points (18+28) over his last 48 games... Rissmiller, who signed an AHL contract with the Amerks last on March 27, has collected six points (1+5) over his last 11 showings and shows 12 points (3+9) and a pair of multi-point performances since re-joining the Amerks on Feb. 2... Coming off his game-winning goal against Syracuse on March 27, Schofield has two points (1+1) in his last four games... Crawford has a goal and two assists in his last four games, while fellow defenseman Schiestel has notched two points (1+1) in his last three appearances... Ellis, meanwhile, has scored a goal in six of his last 15 games and has collected four points (2+2) over his last eight tilts.

MILESTONE WATCH

Mancari, who is the only player to appear in every game thus far this season, will skate in his 600th professional game Friday against the Oklahoma City Barons and needs another nine points to reach the 500-point benchmark for his pro career... Rankin needs another two games to reach 300 for his pro career... Larsson scored his first goal as an Amerk in his Rochester debut against Lake Erie on April 5... The same game also featured the professional debut of defenseman Bailen, who also earned his first pro point with an assist in the win... Hackett, who was also acquired with Larsson from Minnesota, had a memorable Amerks debut Sunday at Albany, stopping 39 of 41 shots while also assisting on the game-tying goal in Rochester's 3-2 shootout win over the Devils... Lieuwen earned his first AHL victory and shutout when he stopped all 39 shots in Rochester's 3-0 win at San Antonio on March 24... The same game also saw Tarnasky set a new career-high for goals in a season with his 15th of the campaign... Rookie forward Colin Jacobs made his AHL debut at Texas on March 22 and scored his first pro goal the following night in Houston... Pysyk made his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals on March 17, recording one shot and 14:55 ice time... Ellis appeared in his 700th professional game at Toronto on March 16 and is a mere two points shy of the 300-mark for his pro career... Porter needs one more assist to reach the century mark for his pro career... Flynn made his NHL debut in the Sabres' 4-3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils on March 2, earning 8:50 of ice time... The same game also represented the 400th professional appearance for Pardy... Mancari scored the 200th goal of his pro career at Toronto on Feb. 27, becoming the 30th player in franchise history to record 200 points with the Amerks.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 11, 2013


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