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December (Page 3)

Archive for December, 2008

Amerks Pickup First Road Win in Houston

December 10, 2008 - By

The Amerks were able to mess with Texas and pickup their first road win of the season tonight in a 2-1 shootout against the Houston Aeros.  Jacob Micflikier scored the winning goal in the shootout and Mike Brodeur had another stellar game in goal.

Brodeur saved 26 of 27 shots through the end of overtime and then three of four Houston shots in the shootout.  Could he be the answer we’ve been looking for to try and salvage the season?  After playing in three games it sure does seem that way.  Having a goalie the team can count on may give the defense some more confidence, now if only the offense can put the pack past opposing goalies.. we may start, dare I say it, a winning streak!

Dan Collins scored the Amerks only goal of the game and his fifth of the season at 17:30 of the first period, assists to Mike Duco and David Brine.

The power play goal by Maxim Noreau was the only goal of the game for the Houston Aeros.  The Aeros were one for six on the power play.  On the flip side, the Amerks had seven power play opportunities, including a five on [...]Read More

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When Was the Last Time The Amerks…

December 9, 2008 - By

Here’s some “fun facts” I guess you could call them about the last time certain things were achieved by or against the Rochester Americans.  A few items that stick out more than others: The last Amerk to get a hat-trick at Blue Cross arena was Stefan Meyer on December 16, 2006, nearly two years ago.  Scott McCrory was the last Amerk to score four goals in one game over 18 years ago on November 3, 1990.  It’s been less than a year since an opposing player has scored four goals against us.

One item I’ll add of my own: The Amerks have not been shutout yet this season!

Amerks had a shutout:

  • Home: Mike Brodeur vs Albany River Rats, 12/07/08 (game #24), 4-0
  • Away: Adam Dennis @ Toronto, 2/2/08 (game #51), 3-0

Amerks were shutout:

  • Home: Karl Goehring, Syracuse, 4/11/08 (game #78), 0-4
  • Away: Dan LaCosta @ Syracuse, 3/14/08 (game #365), 0-3

Amerks win in overtime:

  • Home: vs Albany, 2/20/08, (game #58), 2-1 (Anthony Stewart)
  • Away: @ Lake Erie, 3/20/08, (game #67), 5-4 (David Brine)

Amerks lose in overtime:

  • Home:vs Toronto, 2/1/08, (game #50), 2-3 (Jeremy Williams)
  • Away: @Binghamton, 3/15/08, (game [...]Read More

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Repik A Good Match For The NHL

December 8, 2008 - By

Michal Repik quickly became one of my favorite players for the Amerks.  He has been a star on a team that hasn’t seen much light.  He is the Amerks’ scoring leader with six goals and eight assists in 24 games.

Only 23:53 into his NHL debut and he scored his first goal on a rebound shot from Ballard.  In only five minutes and thirty three seconds of ice time he already has shown he can make an impact at the NHL level.

He is really having a good debut game with two shots on goal with 6:44 of ice time with 10:00 left in the 3rd period.

Tanner Glass is also playing in tonight’s game in Ottawa.  He had a “fight” with Neil.  I wouldn’t really call it an all out fight.  It was a pretty lame attempt on Tanner’s part.  But, at least he tried.

I hope to see Repik back in the Amerks’ lineup soon.  I want to see him go to the AHL All-Star game so I can see what he has to offer in that game.

As far as I am concerned, the Panthers can keep Tanner Glass.  He has been mostly invisible [...]Read More

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Amerks Send The River Rats Back To The Sewer; Win 4-0

December 8, 2008 - By

Mike Brodeur made his first start in goal with the Amerks a memorable one last night when he shutout the Albany River Rats.  He made the Rats (who just beat the Norfolk Admirals 8-1 on Friday night) look like a mess on the ice.  But, he wasn’t the only player who really stepped up to show what they can do.

Tanner Glass, who has been invisible most of the season, stepped up to grab a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.  He tried to fight Dwyer right off of the opening faceoff, but was just handed a slashing penalty which really didn’t do anyone any good. 

He scored the Amerks’ 4th goal in the third period and got into a fight basically right after coming out of the box for his first penalty.  It’s really too bad that it takes the Florida Panther’s GM being in attendance to get something out of Glass. 

He was rewarded for last night’s play with a call up to the Panthers to play in tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators.  Also, getting a deserved call-up for tonight’s game in Ottawa is Michal Repik, the Amerks points leader.

The Amerks certainly all played their best [...]Read More

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Glass and Repik Called Up; Fitzpatrick Out

December 7, 2008 - By

Tanner Glass earned his first call up of the season to the Panthers following a strong performance with a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in Sundays win against the Albany River Rats.  Glass is currently seventh on the team in scoring with four goals and five assists.  Hopefully he’s not gone for too long for our sake, up until tonight he may not have shown he was ready for the NHL, but he’s been a big part of the Amerks.

Michal Repik will also be joining him in Ottawa in the morning for his NHL debut.  He got the nod less than 24 hours after I mentioned he should represent the Amerks at the AHL All-Star Classic.  Repik leads the team in points with six goals and eight assists.

They say everything happens in three’s, and that’s the case tonight as well.  We learned that Rory Fitzpatrick will be out until at least Christmas recovering from surgery to repair torn meniscus in his right knee.  He suffered a knee injury in Grand Rapids on November 29th.  Rather than play injured which he could have done, he’s making the smart decision to get his knee fixed.

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Game Day 12/7/08: Brodeur to Start Against River Rats

December 7, 2008 - By

On Saturday morning at the end of practice Benoit Groulx let newcomer Mike Brodeur know that he would be getting his first start tonight at home against the Albany River Rats.  Brodeur was signed to a 25 game PTO on Thursday from the defunct Augusta Lynx.

The distant cousin of Devils goalie Martin Brodeur could be our only hope at this point.

On Friday night the Amerks lost 4-1 against the Iowa Chops.  The team was slow out of the gate and it cost them big time.  The Iowa Chops scored only 28 seconds into the game.  Less than seven minutes later with Jordan Henry in the pently box the Chops scored a power play goal to make it a 2-0 game.  This threw the whole first period into a downward spiral.  They just couldn’t keep up with the Calder Cup Finalists (the Iowa Chops were the Portland Pirates of last season).

Thankfully the Amerks will have two of our top points leaders in Janis Sprukts and Kenndal McArdle back in the lineup after short call ups to the Florida Panthers.

Sprukts had been called up on Saturday morning, he played in the Panthers loss against the Bruins [...]Read More

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2009 AHL All-Star Classic Voting; Which Amerk Should Represent the team?

December 7, 2008 - By

The American Hockey League has announced that 2009 AHL All-Star Classic Fan Balloting presented by Reebok will began today (Monday, December at noon EST, exclusively on the official Web site of the AHL, theahl.com/balloting

Fans will have the opportunity to vote for the most deserving AHL players by visiting theahl.com and completing the official Reebok AHL All-Star Fan Ballot. The players receiving the most votes by position will earn berths in the starting lineups of both the Canadian AHL All-Star team and the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications, to be held Jan. 25-26 in Worcester, Mass.

A committee of AHL coaches will select the remaining All-Stars, and all 29 clubs will be represented on the final rosters.

Which raises the question, who from the Rochester Americans should be represented at this years All-Star Classic?

The top two choices at this point would be Michal Repik, Janis Sprukts, or Jason Garrison.  Repik would probably be the top choice since he currently leads the team with 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists).  Janis Sprukts isn’t too far behind with 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists).

Depending on the rest [...]Read More

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Game Day Skate, Preparing for the Chops

December 5, 2008 - By

The team had a short practice this morning as they prepared to take on the Iowa Chops tonight at Blue Cross Arena.  The Amerks are coming off of their most successful three days of the season last weekend when they collected two points beating the Lake Erie Monsters and gained another point in a loss to the Toronto Marlies in a shootout.

Jacob Micflikier is back after he was sent down to the Florida Everblades on November 22nd.  Micflikier has six points (1+5) in 13 games with the Rochester and 21 points (9+12) in just eight games with the Everblades.  Hopefully his burst of points with the Everblades continues up here.

The Amerks also signed goaltender Mike Brodeur to a 25-game Professional Tryout (PTO). The 25-year-old netminder appeared in eight games with Augusta Lynx of the ECHL to start the season, posting a 2-4-1 record with a 3.02 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.  His record does not seem that great, but he’s considered a great player who was on a really bad team.  Jack Birch said that he played very well in the games he was able to see him in, which [...]Read More

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Noah Welch Assigned to Amerks for Conditioning

December 5, 2008 - By

Florida Panthers defenseman Noah Welch was assigned to the Amerks for two weeks of conditioning.  Welch has only played in 14 games for the Panthers this season during which he recorded one goal and one assist.

Welch played in only four games during the 07/08 season due to a shoulder injury he suffered last October that kept him sidelined due to injury.

Having Welch should help a struggling defense.  While it’s talked about over and over about the team needing a goal scorer, I think solidifying the defense would be a better way to start.  Our team is full of players that should be scoring goals but aren’t, maybe this is also an experiment to see if investing in the defense will be a turning point.

Welch is expected to play against the Iowa Chops on Friday night.

A player can take a two week conditioning trip to the AHL without having to clear waivers as long as the player agrees to it, and if questioned the team can prove he needs it.

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Booster Club Meet the Players Dinner

December 5, 2008 - By

The Rochester Americans Booster Club held their annual Meet the Players Dinner at the Carriage House in Chili on Wednesday night, it was a great way to get to know the team and meet other fans.

I wasn’t sure if I’d have a good time or not, but it was a lot of fun.  I had never been to one of these dinners, if you’re in the same boat as I was make sure to go the next time.  Also, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to others, everyone is an Amerks fan.  The more we get involved the more I notice how close the community is in friendships and dedication.

The night started with a cocktail hour followed by a sit down buffet dinner.  The players were spread out around the room ensuring that no matter where you sat you would be nearby someone.

We sat next to Keaton Ellerby and Michal Repik, both are funny guys.  They kept us more than entertained throughout dinner.  Not much was actually discussed regarding the team on the ice.

At events like this many people seem to think that the players are either keeping to themselves, or not very friendly.. [...]Read More

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