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AHL Rochester Americans

Rochester Americans Game Preview: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at Charlotte Checkers

February 11, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW

- The Rochester Americans (27-15-2-4) continue their four-game road swing tonight with the first of back-to-back meetings against the defending Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers (27-17-3-0) at Bojangles' Coliseum. The 7:00 p.m. matchup is the third of four this season between the two clubs with each earning a win during the two-game set back on Dec. 6-7 in Rochester. All of this evening's action will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

LAST TIME OUT

- Despite nearly 40 shots, including 17 in the first period alone, the Amerks were unable to solve Toronto Marlies goaltender Joseph Woll as the Amerks concluded the weekend with a 4-0 loss north of the border Saturday afternoon at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

- The defeat was Rochester's first road loss after winning the previous four games outside the Flower City dating back to a 3-2 overtime victory at Cleveland on Jan. 22. The Amerks remain in second place in the AHL's North Division standings behind only the Belleville Senators.

- Playing in his 400th career game in the American Hockey League, Amerks veteran defenseman and assistant captain Andrew MacWilliam shared the team lead with Rasmus Asplund as they both registered four shots each. Eyeing his fourth straight win in the crease, goaltender Andrew Hammond (13-10-2) earned the start but took the defeat despite making 21 saves on 23 shots he faced.

ROAD AHEAD FOR ROCHESTER

- The Amerks close out their season series with the Checkers on Wednesday, Feb. 12 in the second half of the two-game set at Bojangles' Coliseum. Following Wednesday's matchup, Rochester closes out its four-game road trip on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Upstate Medical University Arena against the Syracuse Crunch. Both 7:00 p.m. games will be carried live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

A FULL FEBRUARY

- The month of February continues to be the busiest for the Amerks, who in all, will play a total of 10 games over a 19-day stretch beginning with their two-game road set against the Checkers Tuesday and Wednesday. The busiest stretch of the month comes later this week when the team embarks on a season-long six-game homestand over a 13-day span. Of Rochester's 10 remaining games this month, eight will be played against North Division opponents with the only exceptions being the two in Charlotte and the final meeting of the season against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21 at The Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.

TEAM AND LEAGUE LEADERS

- Jean-Sebastien Dea, who remains the only Amerk this season to reach the 30-point plateau, continues to pace the team in goals (14) and points (31) through 43 games. Coming into week, Dea, who is also second among all Amerks forwards with 85 shots on goal, has 10 points (4+6) in his last 13 games since the turn of the New Year, including goals in two of his last three outings.

SHARING THE CREASE

- Anchored by the goaltending tandem of veteran Andrew Hammond and third-year pro Jonas Johansson, who's currently on recall with the parent Buffalo Sabres, the Amerks own one of the top defenses in AHL having allowed only 129 goals through the 48 games of the season, the fourth-fewest in the AHL coming into this week. The duo has also combined for six shutouts and rank among the AHL's goaltending leaders as they both have 13 wins on the season.

- Hammond, who is 13-9-2 on the season, is tied for second among all netminders in shutouts after notching his fourth of the year back on Dec. 14 in a 5-0 win over Laval, a new career-high. With four shutouts through 27 games this season, he remains on pace to tie the franchise record for most shutouts in a season (8) set by Ryan Miller during the 2004-05 campaign.

- Johansson, who made his NHL debut with the Sabres on Feb. 4 against Colorado and made his first career start two nights later against Detroit, owns a career-best 13-3-3 record with two shutouts this season. Despite being on recall, he has the fourth-best goal-against average in the league (2.19) and ranks fourth among all netminders with a .925 save percentage in 20 games. Dating back to Nov. 13, the 2020 AHL All-Star boasts an impressive 11-1-1 record with two shutouts, a 2.11 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage while allowing just two goals or less in eight starts over that span.

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 2019-20 season is just a different chapter in the same story for the 31-year-old Redmond, who hasn't gone more than five games without a point all season. The two-time AHL All-Star and reigning Eddie Shore Award winner is presently 17th in scoring amongst all defensemen with 27 points and is tied for 13th with a team-high 22 assists, nine of which have come on the power-play.

- Back with Buffalo for his fourth recall of the season, Pilut has 17 points (5+12) over his last 22 AHL games dating back to Nov. 15, including goals in four of his last nine outings. Having already established a new AHL career-high in goals (6), the former SHL Defenseman of the Year is also on pace to set a new mark in points.

- Nelson is tied for sixth among all blueliners with a team-best plus-20 on-ice rating through 43 games this season.

SERIES NOTABLES

- Rookie Jacob Bryson is tied for 14th among all first-year players with a plus-9 on-ice rating while being tied for 13th with 17 assists in 47 games.

- Tonight is just the 11th all-time meeting between the Amerks and Checkers. The Amerks have earned at least one point in four of the last 10 contests between the two teams.

- Rochester claimed the first get-together of the season with a 4-0 win back on Dec. 6, snapping a four-game skid against the Checkers dating back to last season and giving the Amerks their first win in regulation over Charlotte at The Blue Cross Arena.

- Rochester comes into tonight having allowed 129 goals in 48 games while Charlotte has given up 131 in 47. The clubs rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in the AHL for fewest goals allowed.

- Checkers forward Janne Kuokkanen paces Charlotte in assists (28) and points (39) through 46 games.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2020


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