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AHL Rochester Americans

Rankin, Peters Send Amerks Past Bulldogs in Overtime

March 27, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... Evan Rankin scored the game-winning goal with 4:21 left in overtime to lift the Rochester Americans to a 3-2 win over the North Division rival Hamilton Bulldogs Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena. The goal was Rankin's second of the night in addition to an assist, as the veteran forward finished with three points (2+1) in the victory. With the win, the Amerks snap a four-game winless skid and improve to 26-33-5-1 overall on the season.

Dan Catenacci also scored for the Amerks in the win, while defenseman Jerome Leduc contributed two assists, including the primary assist on the winning goal. Goaltender Anthony Peters, making just his second appearance for Rochester, stopped 36 of Hamilton's 38 shots for his first win at the American Hockey League level.

Charles Hudon and Eric Tangradi scored for the Bulldogs, while Mike Condon made 21 saves.

The Amerks opened the scoring 8:43 into the game when Drew Bagnall's high shot from the blueline was knocked down by Rankin and swatted into the net to put Rochester ahead 1-0.

Rankin added his second point of the night on the game's first power-play, belonging to the Amerks, after collecting the puck in the slot and sliding a back-hand pass to Catenacci at the side of the net. With Condon late in getting across his crease, Catenacci lifted the puck over the Hamilton netminder to give Rochester a 2-0 advantage.

Peters, playing in just his second career AHL game, was at his best during the second period. His most impressive save of the night came late in the middle frame after tracking the puck off a close-in shot and robbing a Hamilton forward with a glove save.

The goaltender would eventually lose his shutout bid, however, 7:20 into the third period after Hudon made a nifty move in the slot before picking the top corner with a back-hand shot.

Down a goal in the late stages of the third period, Hamilton pulled Condon for the extra attacker with 1:23 left. Following an icing call where the Amerks nearly added their third goal of the night to seal the game, Tangradi deflected a shot from the half-wall that slipped through Peters' five-hole to tie the game 2-2 with 1:04 left in regulation, effectively forcing overtime.

The winning goal began with a defensive play in the Amerks zone, when Rankin blocked a shot from the top of the slot into the corner. The Amerks transitioned three-on-two the other way as Leduc carried the puck into Hamilton's zone and dropped a pass to Rankin, who beat Condon on the glove side to deliver the win.

The Amerks hit the road on Saturday, March 28 as they make their way to Syracuse for one final go-around against the first-place Crunch at the War Memorial at Oncenter. The 7:00 p.m. matchup will be the eighth and final meeting between the intrastate rivals this season and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester. The game will also be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel 26.

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