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Rochester Americans Game Preview: Friday, December 6, 2019 vs. Charlotte Checkers

December 6, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW

- The red-hot Rochester Americans (14-3-2-2) continue their four-game homestand tonight when they host the defending Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers at 7:05 p.m. in the first of back-to-back meetings at The Blue Cross Arena. Tonight's matchup will be the first of four meetings between the two teams this season and will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

LAST TIME OUT

- With a pair of quick first-period goals and a 20-save effort from veteran goaltender Andrew Hammond, the Amerks opened the final month of the calendar year on Wednesday with a 4-0 shutout win over the Toronto Marlies at The Blue Cross Arena. The matchup was the first of a season-long four-game homestand and second between Rochester and Toronto in a five-day span.

- The win pushed Rochester's point streak to 11 games (9-0-1-1) their first since an 11-game run from Oct. 12 to Nov. 10 during the 2009-10 season. Additionally, Rochester has now picked up points in 16 of the last 18 contests overall, going 12-2-2-2 over that span, while also earning 32 out of a possible 42 points through their first 21 contests of the campaign.

- Curtis Lazar and Casey Fitzgerald both recorded their second and third multi-point games of the season, respectively, with a goal and an assist each. Zach Redmond opened the scoring on the night with his third of year while second-year forward Pascal Aquin netted his first career AHL goal. Hammond (8-1-2), who appeared in his 200th pro game, picked up his first point as an Amerk with an assist on the game-winning goal while also earning his third shutout of the season.

ROAD AHEAD FOR ROCHESTER

- After a quick turnaround, the same two teams are right back at it again for another go-around on Saturday, Dec. 7 at The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

STREAKING INTO DECEMBER

- The Amerks come into the weekend riding an 11-game point streak, showing a 9-0-1-1 record over that span dating back to a 4-2 win over Binghamton on Nov. 1. Rochester began the month of November with back-to-back wins before reeling off five straight victories between Nov. 13 and Nov. 23, marking the team's longest stretch since a five-game win streak from Oct. 10 to Oct. 19 of last season. Coming off Wednesday's win, the Amerks extended the point streak to 11 games, their first since Oct. 12 to Nov. 10 during the 2009-10 season. Rochester's longest point streak is 14 games, which was set between Jan. 16 and Feb. 11 during the 2004-05 season.

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 in his second season with the Amerks. In just two months' time, Oglevie has already surpassed his goal (5), assist (5) and point (10) total from last season and now paces the Amerks with nine goals and 16 points while tied for third in assists. Oglevie, who's one of just three skaters to appear in all 21 games this season, enters the weekend with 10 points (7+3) over his last eight games after seeing his career-long seven-game point streak halted on Wednesday.

- Rookie forward Brett Murray enters the weekend with one goal, six assists and a pair of multi-point efforts over his last six games. He begins the first weekend of December tied for seventh in scoring among all AHL rookies with 14 points (3+11) in 16 games while being held off the scoresheet only five times this season.

- Rookie defenseman Jacob Bryson leads all AHL first-year players with a plus-12 on-ice rating.

DYNAMIC DUO IN THE CREASE

- Anchored by the goaltending duo of veteran Andrew Hammond and second-year pro Jonas Johansson, the Amerks enter the weekend having allowed 53 goals through first 21 games of the season, the fewest in the AHL. In addition to showing 2.52 goals-against average, the club has also allowed the fewest amount of shots in the Eastern Conference (583).

- Wednesday's shutout against Toronto was Hammond's third in his last six appearances, matching his season total with the Iowa Wild last season. The netminder boasts an 8-1-2 record on the campaign while his eight wins are tied for seventh among all netminders. In his last six games, Hammond has posted five wins, three shutouts, a 1.32 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.

- In last Saturday's 3-2 victory in Cleveland, goaltender Jonas Johansson improved his record to an AHL-best 6-2-2 while also upping his personal win streak to four games as he made 24 saves.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE

- Coming into the matchup, 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 18 games of the season. The reigning Eddie Shore Award winner and two-time AHL All-Star is currently tied for ninth in scoring among all defensemen with 14 points and is tied for 10th while his 11 assists. Redmond is also tied for 18th for goals by a defenseman while Casey Nelson ranks fourth among all active blueliners with a team-best plus-13 on-ice rating. Since returning from the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 3, Pilut has registered eight points (1+7) over his last eight games dating back to Nov. 15.

SERIES NOTABLES

- Tonight is just the eighth all-time meeting between the Amerks and Checkers. The Amerks have earned at least one point in three of the last eight contests.

- The Amerks led the AHL with 29 games that were decided beyond regulation last season, while the Checkers had a league-low seven contests that went to the extra session.

- The Amerks have allowed 53 goals this season through the first 21 games while the Checkers have scored 57 times in 22 games this season.

- Seven of Charlotte's nine wins this season have come against North Division opponents.

- The Checkers come to the Flower City led by second-year blueliner Jake Bean, who has 14 points (4+10) through 21 games. In Charlotte's 5-1 win at Syracuse on Wednesday, Bean tallied his first-career three-assist game.

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