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Rochester Americans Game Preview: Friday, October 18 vs. Cleveland Monsters

October 18, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


TONGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW

- After taking four out of a possible six points over their three-game swing through New England this past weekend, the Rochester Americans (3-1-0-0) return to home ice tonight for a 7:05 p.m. puck-drop against the North Division rival Cleveland Monsters (2-2-0-0) at The Blue Cross Arena). All of the action can be heard live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

LAST TIME OUT

- By scoring twice in the final period of regulation, the Amerks closed out their first three-in-three weekend of the season with an incredible come-from-behind shootout victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack Sunday afternoon at the XL Center.

- Tage Thompson picked up his second multi-point effort of the season with two assists to lead Rochester to its first shootout win of the campaign. Remi Elie also turned in a two-point (1+1) performance, igniting the comeback early in the third period while also setting up Zach Redmond's game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining.

- Andrew Hammond improved to 3-0-0 on the year while making 33 saves and stopping all three Hartford skaters in the shootout.

ROAD AHEAD FOR ROCHESTER

- Following this evening's matchup with the Monsters, the Amerks close out the weekend with a 7:00 p.m. face-off against the Utica Comets on Saturday, Oct. 19. All of the action can be heard live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

EARNING POINTS EARLY ON

- Rochester earned four of a possible six points this past weekend and have claimed six points overall through its first four games of the 2019-20 campaign. All four contests have been one-goal games, including a pair of wins beyond regulation. The Amerks are just six teams in the AHL this season to earn a win in the extra session but are the only club to take the extra point in both games.

THOMPSON TORMENTING THE OPPOSITION

- Despite being held off the scoresheet Saturday night in Providence for the first time this season, Tage Thompson has totaled 16 points (10+6) over his last 15 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 eight goals in just 12 career regular-season games with Rochester, matching the total he set over a 30-game stint with the San Antonio Rampage during his rookie season in 2017-18. The third-year pro leads the Amerks with five points (2+3) and enters the weekend tied for 11th among the AHL's top point-getters. He's tied for third in the league in shots (16) and ranks among the league leaders in assists (3) coming into tonight's matchup.

RED-HOT REDMOND: THE SEQUEL

- The start of the 2019-20 season is a different chapter in the same story for veteran defenseman Zach Redmond, who's currently tied for fourth amongst all AHL blueliners in scoring after averaging a point-per-game through his first four games of the season, including the game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in Sunday's shootout win at Hartford. The reigning Eddie Shore Award winner has collected five points (1+4) in his last eight games dating back to last season. His three assists tie him for eighth-most in the league among blueliners.

HAMMOND AMONG LEAGUE'S BEST

- In his first three appearances as an Amerk, netminder Andrew Hammond shows a perfect 3-0-0 record to go along with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. His three wins are tied for most in the league while his save percentage and goals-against average rank 11th and 12th, respectively, among his fellow goaltenders who have played in more than two games this season. Hammond also ranks fourth in the AHL in minutes played (187) and sixth in saves (80).

AMERKS BEGIN SEASON UNDER DINEEN

- Prior to the start of the season, Gord Dineen assumed Rochester's head coaching duties on an interim basis as Chris Taylor joined the Buffalo Sabres coaching staff in the absence of Sabres assistant coach Don Granato, who took a medical leave from the team.

- Dineen is currently in his 18th season as an AHL coach and third with the Amerks in 2019-20. He became the 33rd head coach in franchise history and the very first to start the season behind the bench on an interim basis. Never before in the 64-year history of the franchise have the Amerks began a new season under an interim head coach. That all changed on opening night as Dineen became the first in his position to open the season with a coaching win.

SCOUTING THE MONSTERS

- The Monsters enter the matchup after starting the season with a pair of road wins but have dropped their last two contests at home for an even 2-2-0-0 record, good for fifth in the AHL's North Division standings. Following tonight's contest, Cleveland, beginning its first three-in-three of the season tonight, heads north of the border for a two-game set with the Toronto Marlies to close out the weekend.

- Cleveland's Zac Dalpe currently holds a share of the team's scoring lead as he has two goals along with an assist through the first four 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, 10 of which came on the power-play. Dalpe also produced 22 assists and finished with 55 points in as many games for Cleveland.

- Monsters captain Nathan Gerbe spent five seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization from 2008-12 and 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.

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 ninth meeting between the Amerks and Monsters since the 2015-16 season. Rochester holds a record of 26-7-2-3 over Cleveland since the start of the 2011-12 campaign.

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