Rochester Americans Game Preview: Friday, December 27, 2019 vs. Belleville Senators
December 27, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW
- The Rochester Americans (19-6-2-2) return from the Christmas break tonight as they host the Belleville Senators (18-11-1-0) for the first time this season at 7:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. The game will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV. The North Division matchup is also the AHL's Game of The Week, available for viewing on FaceBookWatch.
LAST TIME OUT
- Despite a pair of power-play goals and a shorthanded tally, the Amerks saw the Utica Comets score late and steal a 4-3 win last Saturday at The Blue Cross Arena. It was the first get-together between the two teams in Rochester after playing the first three games of the season series in Utica.
- The Amerks went into the annual break showing a 14-3-1-1 record over their last 19 games dating back to Nov. 1, earning points in 16 games over that span, and holding a three-point cushion atop the AHL's North Division standings. Additionally, Rochester has picked up points in 21 of the last 26 contests overall, going 17-5-2-2, while also earning 42 out of a possible 58 points through its first 29 contests of the season.
- Forward Taylor Leier booked his first two-point outing of the season with two goals while blueliner John Gilmour scored for the third time in his last four contests. Goaltender Andrew Hammond (10-4-2) suffered his second straight regulation loss of the campaign despite making 22 saves.
ROAD AHEAD FOR ROCHESTER
- The Amerks hit the road for the final two games of the calendar year beginning on Saturday, Dec. 28 with their third trip of the season to the southern tier for a North Division showdown with the Binghamton Devils at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. After the 7:05 p.m. contest, Rochester will visit the Adirondack Bank Center to finish off 2019 as they face-off with the Utica Comets at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Both games will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.
MITTELSTADT JOINS AMERKS
- Rochester's offense received a significant boost prior to the Christmas break with the reassignment of forward Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres. Mittelstadt, a former first-round pick of the Sabres (8th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, has nine points (4+5) in 31 games this season with Buffalo after skating in a career-high 77 contests last season as a rookie. In 114 career games with Buffalo, Mittelstadt has notched 39 points on 17 goals and 22 assists. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native has since made highly anticipated AHL debut, recording five shots through three games with the Amerks.
TEAM AND LEAGUE LEADERS
- After an injury-riddled rookie season limited him to just 28 games, Andrew Oglevie has certainly made up for lost time this season. In just a little over two months' time, Oglevie has already surpassed his goal (5), assist (5) and point (10) total from last season and currently shares the team lead in goals (10). His 19 points are second to only Jean-Sebastien Dea coming into tonight. Oglevie, who prior to missing last Saturday's contest was one of two Rochester skaters to appear in all 28 games this season, has 14 points (8+5) over his last 14 games, a stretch which included a career-long seven-game point streak.
- Rookie forward Brett Murray comes into the matchup with two goals, seven assists and a pair of multi-point efforts over his last 14 games. He ranks 15th in scoring among all AHL rookies with 16 points (4+12) in 24 games.
DYNAMIC DUO IN THE CREASE
- Anchored by the elite goaltending tandem of veteran Andrew Hammond and third-year pro Jonas Johansson, the Amerks own the top defense in the league, having allowed only 66 goals through the first 29 games of the season, the fewest in the AHL coming into the weekend. The duo has also combined for six shutouts this season.
- Hammond (10-4-2) comes into the matchup second among all netminders after notching his fourth shutout of the season on Dec. 14 in a 5-0 win over Laval, a new career-high. In his last 11 games, Hammond boasts a remarkable 7-3-1 record with four shutouts, a 1.64 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. With four shutouts through just 17 games this season, he's on pace to match the franchise record for most shutouts in a season (8) set by Ryan Miller during the 2004-05 campaign. His 10 wins tie him for eighth-most in the AHL.
- Having won seven straight appearances, Johansson shows an AHL career-best 9-2-2 record this season. Entering tonight, he has the second-best goal-against average in the league (1.92) and ranks third among all netminders with a .935 save percentage in 14 games. Dating back to Nov. 13, the third-year goaltender boasts a remarkable 7-0-0 record with two shutouts, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.
THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE
- Rochester owns three of the AHL's top point-producing defensemen in Zach Redmond, Casey Nelson and Lawrence Pilut, all of whom have been mainstays on Rochester's blueline this season.
- The start of the 2019-20 season is just a different chapter in the same story for the 31-year-old Redmond, who's averaged nearly a point-per-game through his first 26 games of the season. The reigning Eddie Shore Award winner and two-time AHL All-Star is currently tied for eighth in scoring among all defensemen with 19 points and ranks 10th with a team-high 14 assists.
- Since returning from Buffalo on Nov. 3, Pilut has 11 points (2+9) over his last 16 games dating back to Nov. 15.
QUICK HITS
- In Rochester's last eight home games dating back to Nov. 22, the club has outscored its opponents 25-12 while recording four shutouts.
- The Amerks have claimed at least one point in eight of the first 12 meetings with the Senators dating back to the 2017-18 season. Rochester holds a record of 4-0-2-0 in the all-time road portion of the head-to-head series.
- Tonight is just the 13th all-time meeting between the North Division rivals. In eight of the first 12 contests, the team who has scored the first goal of the game has gone on to come away with the victory.
- The Senators lineup features two former Amerk defensemen in Jack Dougherty and Stuart Percy.
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