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Rochester Americans Game Preview: Friday, May 6 at Belleville: North Division Play-In Round - Game 2

May 6, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


Goaltender Aaron Dell has had nothing but success against Belleville this season, boasting a flawless 4-0-0 record along with 112 saves between the regular season and playoffs.

In three games opposite Belleville during the regular season, Dell posted a 3-0-0 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.

He hasn't allowed more than three goals-against while averaging 30 shots- against through four total appearances against Belleville.

By way of Rochester's thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory over Belleville in Wednesday's playoff opener, it marks the team's first win beyond regulation in the postseason since a 4-3 Game 7 win in the Amerks' first-round series against Syracuse on May 1, 2004.

It was the first playoff victory since the team's 7-2 win in Game 4 of the opening round series against Chicago on May 2, 2014.

It was also exactly 17 years to the day of Rochester's first series-opening win since a 4-2 victory over Manitoba to kick-off the second round in 2005.

CLOSING THE SEASON

The Amerks closed out the regular season with an 8-1 rout over first-place Utica, ultimately capping the year with a fifth-place finish in the AHL's North Division and eighth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 37-29-7-3 record and 84 points.

With the win over Utica in last Friday's regular-season finale, Rochester closed out its 66th AHL season by earning points in 15 of its final 21 games overall as well as 20 wins on home ice.

The Rochester Americans (1-0) can advance to the second round of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs tonight with a win over the Belleville Senators (0- 1) as the best-of-three play-in series shifts north of the border for Game 2 at CAA Arena. Opening face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.

Rochester hasn't won a playoff series since 2005, a squad that featured former NHL stars like Jason Pominville and Ryan Miller as well as former Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill and previous Amerks head coach Chris Taylor, when they swept Hamilton to advance to the second round.

Rochester has been a part of 84 playoff series over the years, in which it has compiled a 213-205 record in 418 games during that time. The Amerks are looking for their first playoff series win since the 2005 postseason when they swept the Hamilton Bulldogs in four games before dropping a five-game series to Manitoba in the second round.

Since then, the Amerks have only made seven playoff appearances, losing first-round matchups to Hamilton in 2007, Abbotsford in 2010, Toronto in 2012 and 2013, Chicago in 2014, Syracuse in 2018 and the Marlies in 2019.

PLAYOFFS OVER THE YEARS

AMERKS CALDER CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

1995-96 vs. Portland

1986-87 vs. Sherbrooke

1982-83 vs. Maine

1967-68 vs. Quebec

1965-66 vs. Cleveland

1964-65 vs. Hershey

Rochester's power-play went 65-for-277 with a 23.5% conversion rate that was third-best in the AHL. The Amerks' 65 goals on the man-advantage were most among all North Division teams and finished seven shy of the AHL lead behind Ontario.

The Amerks scored at least one power-play goal in 41 of their 76 games this season and registered multiple power-play tallies in 16 overall, including a season-high four goals in the 7-3 win over Hershey back on Nov. 26 and in the 6-2 victory against Belleville on April 9.

Rookie forwards JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn were among the three forwards named to the six-player 2021-22 AHL All-Rookie Team. They became the first set of Amerks rookies to earn the honors in the same season since former goaltender Mika Noronen and defenseman Dmitri Kalinin in 1999- 2000. It's also the first time in team history two forwards were selected to the same All-Rookie Team.

With 16 points to close out the final month of the regular season, which included four multi-goal efforts, Peterka became the first Amerk this season and the first AHL rookie to reach the 60-point mark. With Quinn adding two points in the 8-1 in over Utica, it marked the first time in franchise history the Amerks had two rookies reach the benchmark in the same season.

This season also marked the first time in nearly 30 years the Amerks have had multiple rookies record more than 50 points in the same season since 1992-93 when the club had five: Todd Simon (93), Scott Thomas (59), Doug MacDonald (58), Jozef Cierny (54) and Mike McLaughin (54).

Rochester was a perfect 8-0-0-0 this season when both players record multi-point outings in the same contest. The Amerks were 16-1-2-0 when Quinn produced at least two points and 14-3-0-0 when Peterka recorded more than one point.

With tonight's Game 2 marking the 10th meeting overall in 2021-22, the Amerks and Senators have been fairly acquainted all season long. The Amerks finished with a 3-3-1-1 record against Belleville during the regular season, claiming points in five of the eight matchups.

After allowing six first-period goals versus Belleville in the first four games, the Amerks allowed four in the final four opening periods. The Amerks scored 13 times in the last 20 minutes of regulation, which included markers in seven of the eight games this season.

In the three contests that went beyond regulation, both teams registered eight shots apiece. During Belleville's 4-3 shootout win on Jan. 14, the Amerks recorded three shots in overtime while the Senators produced six.

Forward Jack Quinn (8+4) posted a team-best 12 points in the eight games against the Senators this season. Quinn, who notched a pair of four-point games this season, logged a career-high four-goal night - including his first-career hat trick, in the final seconds of regulation and had a team-high seven shots in Rochester's 6-5 overtime loss versus Belleville on Jan. 15.

Belleville forward Jake Lucchini paced all Senators in scoring with 10 points on three goals and seven assists in eight games against Rochester. He was one of five Belleville players to appear in all eight games against Rochester.

PETERKA FLOURISHED IN SECOND HALF

After scoring just four times through the first three months of the season, Peterka notched 48 points (24+24) in 47 games to begin 2022, including goals in back-to-back games on five different occasions over that span.

Peterka, who was taken 34th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Sabres, closed out the regular season leading all rookies in scoring with 68 points in 70 games. He also ranked first among rookies and fifth overall with 223 shots on goal. He only went two games all season without recording at least one shot on goal.

Peterka made his highly anticipated NHL debut on Dec. 28 as Buffalo hosted New Jersey before visiting the New York Islanders the very next day.

Following his return to the Amerks, he totaled five points on two goals and three assists in two games before being honored as the AHL's Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 2, 2022.

Peterka was held scoreless just 19 times since Dec. 19 and had not gone more than two games without recording a point during that same span.

More impressively, the Amerks were 14-3-0-0 this season when Peterka registers a multi-point game, including 7-0-0-0 on home ice.

With a team-high 68 points (28+40) through 70 games, Peterka was the first Amerks rookie to reach the 60-point mark since Thomas Vanek had 68 points (42+26) in 74 games during the 2004-05 season.

Peterka, who was one of only five AHL rookies led his team in scoring, also led all rookies in goals (28) and finished third in assists (40).

In addition to being one of two Amerks named to this year's AHL All- Rookie Team, Quinn was tabbed the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding rookie for the 2021-22 season.

He becomes the first Amerk player to earn Rookie of the Year honors since Mika Noronen in 1999-2000.

Quinn became the first AHL player this season and just the 17th player in Amerks franchise history to score four goals in a game in the 6-5 overtime loss to Belleville on Jan. 15. More impressively, he scored all four goals consecutively, including the game-tying tally with 3.3 seconds remaining in regulation. He's the first Amerk to have a four-goal game since Rochester native Derek Whitmore single-handedly outscored Hamilton on Nov. 25, 2011 (5-2 W).

Playing in just his 27th game of the season (March 18 against Cleveland), Quinn became the first Amerk to score 20 goals in the fewest number of games since Luke Adam reached the mark in 31 games during the 2013-14 campaign.

He was named the AHL's Rookie of the Month for October after leading all first-year players with 10 points (5+5) through the first month of the regular season. In just six games to begin the season, Quinn surpassed his offensive output from his truncated 2020-21 campaign, and became the first AHL player to reach the 10-point mark this season.

Quinn was held scoreless just 14 times all season and had not gone more than two games without recording a point. He recorded a team-leading 19 multi-point performances this year.

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