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Rochester Americans Game Preview: Friday, November 15 vs. Cleveland Monsters

November 15, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW

- The Rochester Americans (8-3-1-2) put the finishing touches on three-game homestand tonight as they host the Cleveland Monsters (8-6-0-1) at The Blue Cross Arena for Military Appreciation Night. Both teams will wear special Military-themed jerseys and matching socks as a tribute to the U.S Armed Forces. Tonight's 7:05 p.m. matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

LAST TIME OUT

- The Amerks scored three goals in the first period and held off a late push from the Syracuse Crunch to come away with a 4-3 win over their intrastate rivals Wednesday night at The Blue Cross Arena. The win was Rochester's third straight over the Crunch this season, sending the Amerks into the weekend in a three-way tie atop the AHL's North Division standings with Toronto and Laval.

- Rochester has now earned 19 out of a possible 28 points through its first 14 games of the campaign and has picked up points in nine of the last 11 contests overall, going 6-2-1-2 over that span.

- Rookie forward Brett Murray tallied his first pro multi-point game as he recorded a pair of assists while Kevin Porter, Jean-Sebastien Dea, Tyler Randell and Eric Cornel all scored for Rochester, which improved to 9-4-1-1 in the last 15 games against Syracuse.

- Goaltender Jonas Johansson (3-2-2) stopped 28 shots during his eighth appearance of the slate while earning the win.

ROAD AHEAD FOR ROCHESTER

- Rochester closes out a stretch of three games over four days on Saturday, Nov. 16 as they make their third trip of the season to the Adirondack Bank Center for a North Division matchup with the Utica Comets. The Comets claimed first meeting back on Oct. 19 by a 7-1 score before the Amerks flipped the script to earn a 6-0 win on Nov. 2 for the first shutout win of the season. Saturday's opening faceoff is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV

SABRES, AMERKS MAKE ROSTER MOVES

- The Buffalo Sabres announced today that the team has recalled forward Rasmus Asplund from the Rochester Americans. In a corresponding move, Amerks General Manager Randy Sexton announced today that the team has recalled forward Shaw Boomhower from the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL).

- Asplund, 21, earns his first recall of season to Buffalo after beginning the 2019-20 campaign with one goal and seven assists in 13 games for the Amerks. In 88 career contests with the Amerks, Asplund has posted 11 goals and 38 assists while also skating in three Calder Cup Playoff games. During the 2018-19 campaign, the Filipstad, Sweden native led all Amerk rookies with 31 assists in a career-high 75 games in his first season with the club. Additionally, his 41 points and 10 goals also topped all first-year skaters while being honored as the Amerks Rookie of the Year.

- Boomhower, 21, earns his first recall to Rochester after starting the 2019-20 campaign with two points (1+1) in 11 games in his second season with Cincinnati. In 37 career games with the Cyclones, Boomhower has accounted for four goals and five assists along with 124 penalty minutes. Additionally, he has registered 12 penalty minutes in four Kelly Cup Playoff games.

SHOOTING GALLERY

- One of the biggest factors attributed to Rochester's early season success is the fact that the Amerks have outshot their opponents in every game so far this season, including a season-high 50 shots in Springfield back on Oct. 27. The Amerks come into the contest ranked third in the AHL in total shots (489) and are averaging 34.93 shots per game, the most behind only the Iowa Wild. Rochester owns one of the top two shooters in the league in Tage Thompson (59) and currently remains the only team this season to have outshot the opposition in every game to start the 2019-20 campaign.

THOMPSON CONTINUES TO TORMENT THE OPPOSITION

- Despite being held off the scoresheet five times so far this season, Thompson has totaled 23 points (14+9) over his last 25 games with the Amerks dating back to last season, including the two goals he scored in the first round of the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Marlies. More impressively, Thompson has scored 12 goals in just 22 career regular-season games with Rochester, easily surpassing the total he set over a 30-game stint with San Antonio during his rookie season in 2017-18. The third-year pro leads all Amerks skaters 12 points and is tied for the lead in goal and assists through his first 14 games of the season. He also is second in league with 57 shots on goal and is averaging at least four shots per game.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE

- The Amerks come into the week owning two of the AHL's top point-producing defensemen in Zach Redmond and Casey Nelson. 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 11 games of the season. The reigning Eddie Shore Award winner and two-time AHL All-Star has collected eight points (1+7) in his last 16 games dating back to last season. Much like his counterpart, Nelson, too, is playing at almost a point-per-game pace. His two goals are tied for 11th-most in the AHL amongst defensemen while his team-best plus-10 on-ice rating is tied for second. The fourth-year pro enters play tonight showing six points (2+4) over his last four games, including a career-high three-point effort (2+1) against Binghamton to open the month of November.

WORKING OVERTIME

- Rochester's 4-3 shootout loss to Binghamton last Friday was the sixth game so far this season that went beyond regulation for the Amerks, the most behind only Hartford. The Amerks, who tied an AHL record during the 2017-18 season with 29 overtime games, are 2-1 in the bonus period this season and show a 1-2 record in the shootout.

MALONE ON THE MOVE

- After being held without a point in his first four games of the 2019-20 campaign, Sean Malone has recorded three goals and four assists for seven points in the last seven games, a new career-high for the third-year pro. With points in each of his last six games, Malone has the second-longest active point streak in the AHL coming into tonight.

SCOUTING THE MONSTERS

- The Monsters enter tonight's matchup having dropped their last three contests, giving them an 8-6-0-1 record on the season.

- Cleveland returns to Rochester fueled by captain Nathan Gerbe, who spent five seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization from 2008-12. He was named the AHL's Rookie of the Year in 2008-09 after leading all first-year players with 56 points (30+26) in 57 games for the Portland Pirates. Gerbe, who leads the Monsters in assists (8) and points (12), shows eight points (4+4) over his last nine games.

SERIES NOTABLES

- Amerks assistant coach Toby Petersen spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons behind the bench with the Monsters. Petersen helped the team earn its first Calder Cup in 2016.

- Tonight is just the 10th meeting between the Amerks and Monsters since the 2015-16 season. Rochester holds a record of 26-7-3-3 over Cleveland since the start of the 2011-12 campaign.

- Rochester opened the 2018-19 season-series with the Monsters by claiming the first four games by a combined score of 14-4, including 8-3 on home ice.

- Zac Dalpe leads all Cleveland skaters with a team-high six goals through the first 15 games of the campaign. The former Amerk and Buffalo Sabre finished the 2018-19 season tied for second in the AHL with a career-high 33 goals.


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