Starting with 2008 and then 2011 at the bottom..

2008 featuring Drew Larman, Keaton Ellerby, Jordan Henry, Dan Collins, Franklin MacDonald, Tanner Glass, Michael Caruso, Riley Emmerson, Jason Garrison, David Shantz, Andrew Sweetland, Michal Repik

2009 featuring Tyler Plante, Mike Duco, Andrew Sweetland, Jimmy Bonneau, Shawn Matthias, David Brine, Brady Calla, Luke Beaverson, Evgeny Dadanov, Michal Repik, Jason Garison, Alexander Salak

2010 featuring Jacob Markstrom, Adam Comrie, AJ Jenks, Evgeny Dadanov, Brady Calla, Scott Timmins, Colby Robak, PJ Fenton, Eric Selleck, Paul Baier, Michael Caruso, Tyler Plant.  I’m missing two faces here, who are they?

2010 Bloopers

2011 Version:

Bloopers:

Enjoy!

The Amerks 12 Days of Christmas 2008 to 2011 is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

As Kevin O wrote, the Graham Mink trade has finally paid off as TJ Fast has been called up to join the Amerks.

It would’ve been great to see Carl Hudson called up to play a hard hitting role on a soft Amerks defense. In 29 games with the cyclones he has three assists and 77 penalty minutes. Not sure how he’s really played with the Cyclones but at the tail end of the Amerks season last year he made a big impact. It seems as though Hudsons disputed/unreported injury last season has created some spite and the Cats are punishing him.

In 41 games with the Amerks Callahan has tallied three goals, eight assists, 12 penalty minutes and an unimaginable number of soft hits and missed plays.

Could be another tough game tonight against the Monsters but here’s hoping for the best.

Panthers Call Up Joe Callahan, Wilson Could Also Go Up is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Kenndal McArdle, Jason Garrison, Mike Duco, Jordan Henry and Tyler Plante were all extended offers.

Andrew Sweetland, Luke Beaverson, Peter Aston, Dan Collins and Nick Tarnasky were all advised to hit the free agency market on July 1st.

Tarnasky is a player that will stand up for his team but offers little in terms of offensive capabilities.  Assuming Kenndal McArdle can stay healthy he could easily step up to fit the same role and have the ability to score.

Dale Tallon told the media at the NHL draft that he wants to try and get Jason Garrison locked up into a long term contract.  Garrison is likely a full time NHL player for the rest of his career at this point.

Panthers Extend Offers to Five Players is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Thanks to Eric Bourgeois (frequent reader, supporter and die hard Amerks fan) who contributed to this.  There’s a couple things I disagreed with him on and noted.  You may agree or disagree yourself on a lot of things said and I’d love to hear your thoughts.  These grades are based on a lot more than just a stat sheet.

Starting with highest grade to lowest:

Jason Garrison: A-
– He’ll have a full time job in the NHL soon enough.  Eric had him listed as a B+ but I gave him an upgrade.  The Amerks defense had issues all season and without Garrison in the lineup for the post season (2g+7a) things may have been worst.  Once he masters his shot from the point and can use it more effectively he’ll have a long career ahead of him.

Mike York: B+
– He was the heart and soul of this team and his play making was dazzling.  The Amerks were a better team when he was in the lineup than when he was not.  His skill for feeding the perfect pass or stepping out from behind the net to score a goal were always highlight reel material.  Can’t give an A due to the fact that he disappeared for two months out of the lineup.  It doesn’t really matter anymore if something more than knee surgery happened but when he left the Amerks ability to win disappeared as well.

Jimmy Bonneau: B+
– It seemed like a huge mistake when the Amerks released him after the first game of the season but they quickly called him back.  Jimmy did everything that was asked of him throughout the season.  His span of four fights in x games with Jon Mirasty was a memorable moment of the season.  He proved he could stand toe to toe with anyone and also play a regular shift on the ice without being a liability.  He does not strike fear into the eyes of opponents, but they know he’s there and will have to answer to him.  When Steve MacIntyre arrived his role sort of faded, but I’d love to see him back in an Amerks uniform again.

Jordan Henry: B+
– Led team in +/- and really came into his own offensively.  However, sometimes plays too offensive.  He appeared to have a conflicting style of play this season between trying to be offensive but at times not being defensive.  He’s a bonafide NHL prospect that deserves to get a look over other players.  He’s a leader on the ice but also from the bench.  Very few players were as vocal as him on the bench.  I upgraded him from Erics score of a B to a B+ because he played in 76 regular season games and was more consistent than any other defenseman.

Chris Taylor: B
– He needs to be a player-assistant with a reduced role next season.  Maybe 40-50 games.  Looked gassed in the playoffs.  I say he gets 40 points in 40 games playing rested.  Could be more of an asset in the playoffs rested too.  Taylor was the only player other than Jamie Johnson to play in all 80 games, something Taylor would probably say he was fine with.  At the start of the season he was often making great plays at the right times to win games but that magic faded as the season went on.

Jeff Taffe: B
– Scoring 28 goals and 28 assists were a huge part of the Amerks offense all season but still less than what he produced the year before with the WB/S Penguins.  He’s more of a play maker than a goal scorer but scoring goals is what was expected of him in Rochester.  Expecting something out of a player that he is not is a great way to screw with the way he plays.  Taffe is on a one way contract with the Panthers for the 10/11 season which means unless they send him through waivers he may not be back.

Shawn Matthias: B
– The only game he’ll ever play again in Rochester should be with the Florida Panthers when they play their preseason game here in October against the Boston Bruins.  He’s an NHL player and when matched up with better players he steps his game up.  Playing on a third line in the AHL was slowing his career progression.

Jamie Johnson: B
– Played in all 80 games for the Amerks through the good times and the bad times.  He’s consistently productive and plays hard.  If he had been more of an offensive threat in the playoffs his score would have been higher.  He’s the type of player you’d love to have on your team every season if he stays as productive.  He has clearly stated he would not return next season as he pursues his goal of playing in the NHL.

David Brine: B
– He is what he is – a checking center.  He’s good on draws and the penalty kill.  He showed promise as an NHL player when he played in nine NHL games in the 07/08 season but since then has played to the calibre of being an AHL’er.  He’s not considered a veteran yet 245 career AHL+ regular season games.  He’ll earn a job somewhere but it’ll be somewhere else, not playing for the Panthers or Amerks.

Graham Mink: B
– A back injury in a game against the Hershey Bears cost him an A, but he’s the type of guy you build this team around…not the guy you scratch for a game 7.  BIG, Plays hard, fights, scores, good around the net and in the room.  Goalies hate when Mink is in front of them because of his size.  He may not get a real chance in the NHL but he enjoys playing in the AHL and if the Amerks can continue giving him a great experience here he could stick around fora while.

Steve MacIntyre: B
- Knocked down Mirasty, Knocked OUT Yablonski, took out the Heat bench.  He is THE deterrent in Hockey.  Don Cherry says he’s the best heavyweight in hockey.  Eric said he was not appreciated here AT ALL.  I think it just took some time for fans to realize players are literally afraid of him and did not want to ever fight.  Players do feel safer knowing he’s around.  When he’s given the chance he can look somewhat decent in a semi-regular shift.

Maxime Gratchev: B
– He was inserted into the lineup and did not have the luxury of really knowing players since he only played in 13 games.  Gave us much needed speed, would be an excellent depth signing for next season.  There may not be room in the lineup every game for him but having him on standby with the Florida Everblades would be a great thing.

Daniel Steiner: B
– The guy can produce, but due to the vet rule there may not be room for him in Rochester.  When Mike York was out of the lineup Steiner was vital to this team.  If he decides to stay in North America next season he’ll likely be invited to an NHL camp somewhere and should be a leader on an AHL team.

Kenndal McArdle: B
– Will Florida re-sign him, will he be healthy?  Is he the 10-11 version of Tanner Glass?  Has to play physical to be effective, but gets injured playing that style.  Tanner Glass recovered from similar injuries and spent the season playing in the NHL, the same should happen with McArdle.  If he would’ve been healthy all season he likely would have earned an A.

John de Gray: B
– He’s going to be the “enemy” next season playing in Syracuse.  He’s a solid defensive defenseman that got better as the season went on and was reliable to not give up the puck.  He needs to learn to use his body more than just the long reach of his stick, in other words he seemed to play too nice sometimes.  He was a quality player to get on loan from the Ducks when the defense was really hurting.

Tyler Plante: B
– A solid AHL goalie.  He would make a nice veteran goalie to have around, especially with his fire.  He needs to be given the chance to play or he seems to get rusty.  He protects his crease and is not afraid to get physical or allow the physical part of the game to get to him mentally.  The Panthers have a logjam of top goalie prospects coming in (Cheverie, Markstrom and Salak) so his time may be over due to the numbers, not his skill.  Watch out for him to come back and haunt the Amerks like David Shantz did this season.

Jason Cipolla: C+
– A lot of people questioned how he became an assistant coach in the AHL but he has done a good job with what he has had to work with.  It’s been widely discussed the issues players seemed to have with Benoit Groulx but no one had any issues with Cipolla.  He was the coach on the ice with players well after practices had officially ended.  He was constantly working with players and always talked with players during games.  Eric had given him a much lower score, but I think Cipolla did the best he could do with what he had to work with and even possibly allowed to do.

Evgeny Dadonov: C+
– He becomes invisible, but was only a rookie AND in a foreign country.  He will continue to become a better player and probably needs to be put on the same line as players with more speed.  Playing with Graham Mink and Chris Taylor will teach you a lot, but those two are not the fastest.  He needs to work on his ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone.  He will be better next season and should grow into an NHL player.

Clay Wilson: C+
– He was one of the top scoring defensemen in the AHL this season and a great power play QB but his size in the defensive zone was often an issue.  He’s a small player and was never afraid to stand up to another player but was easily overpowered.  He made costly turnovers that resulted in the other team scoring, something often overlooked because he would make an offensive play to make people forget.  Even though we gave him a C+ I would have no problems seeing him in an Amerks uniform again.  The Panthers saw enough interest to offer him a two way NHL contract and he deserved the call up which he finally got at the end of the season to try and show something more.

Michal Repik: C+
– Invisible in the playoffs and down the stretch.  Can’t sustain a good game over the course of a full season.  Eric said he can’t envision him being in the NHL at this point.  I disagree.  I think he’s like Shawn Matthias and he’ll play better in a better league.  His development may have been hindered due to the number of veterans that seemed to get more ice time than he did.

Mike Duco: C+
– When he plays like like Mike Duco is supposed to play he could be an energy NHL’er.  When he doesn’t play physical he isn’t worthy of an AHL roster spot.  When he did play physical he was a force on the ice and the type of player that other teams are frustrated by and fans love.  Some games he played with that force and energy, many he did not.

Rory Fitzpatrick: C
– He had a horrible end to his career but looking at the bigger picture it’ll just be a small note.  He played okay for the most part when he was healthy and could play.  Someone players relied on for assistance on and off the ice.  If anyone could predict injuries he never would have been signed but in theory it was the right decision to sign him.

Luke Beaverson: C
– A reliable defenseman when others are injured but he’s likely going elsewhere.  He’s got the size but too much depth hurt his chances to really try and move up the rankings.  Some time in the ECHL playing full time will help him try and get noticed by someone else.

Michael Caruso: C
– He was never bad but was never great either.  He struggled in the middle of season.  Definitely not a top prospect anymore.  Maybe not a prospect anymore?  You’re either a vet contributor or a true prospect.  Caruso could turn out to be the type of defenseman that suffered from not having a solid defensive coaching staff.  He’s not a player you’re worried about having in the lineup but he’s also not a game changer.

Alexander Salak: C-
– There’s two ways people will look at Salak, one way would be off of the stat sheet and the other would be for those who saw him play.  He was near the top of the league with 29 wins and only 14 losses but he needs help.  As the season went on he was not an AHL goalie.  His desire to compete gets him hot and is something to build on but that desire also seemed to have an impact on his game, unlike Tyler Plante.  Salak was new to North America and started off the season on a streak but opposing teams quickly figured him out.  He was easy to get out of position and score goals on.  If he would have had a goalie coach working with him all season instead of about 10 days total he probably would have been much better.

Victor Oreskovich: D
– Is it effort with him?  History suggests it is.  He was physical the last 2 games, and shows signs of promise, but was not consistent and not offensive at all after the first 5 games of the regular season.  After taking two years off it was probably too quick for the Florida Panthers to call him up and rely on him for half the season.  Once his productivity slowed he was sent back down and he never had that fire and passion he had at the start of the season.  If they had allowed him to continue playing in the AHL and building upon his game he may not have regressed as the season went on.

Keaton Ellerby: D
– He has regressed.  That is not arguable.  Defensively he’s a huge liability (and he doesn’t posses a Wilson type of offense).  Unless you’ve watched him play on a regular basis you’ll probably disagree with this grade.  His avoiding a hit to gain the red line on an icing in game 7 was the type of play that took momentum away from the team.  A horrible giveaway in game 6 that the Heat turned into a goal was a play that costs the Amerks the series.  It’s not entirely his fault, but it could be argued that the Amerks were worst defensively with him on the ice.  The scouting reports from Juniors questioned him, and now we have our own questions.

Peter Aston: D
– He was a warm body that knew how to play defense when someone else was called up or injured.  Players spoke highly of him in the locker room but will never be a top six defenseman in the AHL.

Andrew Sweetland: D
– One of the most baffling comments ever was when Benoit Groulx said he was the best player on the ice after a game.  It’s amazing to think he played in 51 games this season.  If the Panthers had thought so highly of him they should have had him playing in the ECHL to improve his offensive game, not playing on the fourth line in the AHL.

Benoit Groulx: F
– After what many felt was a terrific rookie season where he never made excuses, team played hard, and he said all the right things…this year everything fell apart.  After a hot start where we still were playing subpar some nights, we had many injuries and recalls and when the players came back nothing clicked.  Line juggling, no emotion (almost took a nap as Mirasty attacked the Amerks bench), getting out-adapted by an always in motion Playfair in the playoffs are all examples of why he had a terrible season.  Rumors of players not respecting him have turned out to be true as exit interviews with Johnson and Fitzpatrick indicate.  His willingness to yank a goalie is a strength, but his decision to go with Salak in game1 may have cost us a sweep.  His decision to sit a winner with proven playoff experience in Mink was as bizarre a move as I’ve ever seen by a coach.  Him not sitting down with Fitzpatrick and explaining his scratching in Game 1 was wrong.  For all this – he needs to be removed as head coach of the Rochester Americans.  His lack of awareness and poor communication aren’t helping us win a cup, sell seats….nor is it helping Florida develop players.

Other players worth noting but never really played enough to be given a grade…

Brady Calla
– He’s not a goal scorer, he’s not a great passer and he’s not really a physical player.  What role does that leave him to fill?

Ernie Hartlieb
– 2 stints, 10 games…represented us well.  I wanted to give both he and Andrew Lord kudos for helping out this season.  Lord took a lot of punches the week he was here, and deserves a look in September.  If guys like Carlson, King and Delory were signed for depth than players like Lord and Hartlieb deserve to be kept on speed dial in times of need.

Carl Hudson
– Just what the doctor ordered.  A young angry D not afraid to hit, punch or slash.  I want him here next season.  Florida ought to think about signing him even… not just us.  At the end of the 08/09 season I said the same thing about Matt Duffy and he never really progressed, but certainly worth keeping around as he could become one of those rare finds.

Matt Duffy
– A solid defenseman for depth in times of need but never really continued on the same path he had at the end of the 08/09 season.  He may have been another casualty of depth.

Mathieu Roy
– He’s a 7th defensemen in the NHL.  He has the toughness for the position.  He didn’t get a grade as he was really only seen in the playoffs and even then it seemed as if he was still favoring his ankle at times which may have slowed him a bit.  He seems to want to play in the NHL more than the AHL which is fine, but not the type of distraction needed from a player here next season.

Grading the 2009-2010 Amerks Player by Player is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Currently Under Contract for 10/11:

Coaches: Benoit Groulx and Jason Cipolla

Goalies: Alexander Salak, Marc Cheverie

Defense: Michael Caruso, Keaton Ellerby, Adam Comrie, James DeLory

Forwards: Evgeny Dadonov, Michal Repik, Brady Calla, Graham Mink, Chris Taylor, Shawn Matthias, Victor Oreskovich, Eric Selleck, AJ Jenks

One Way: Clay Wilson and Jeff Taffe are signed but to one way contracts with the Florida Panthers.  If they don’t fit into their plans it’s still possible the Panthers will try and have them clear waivers to be sent to the Amerks.

***** Shawn Matthias has probably played his last game in the AHL and should be able to earn a job with the Panthers going forward.  Keaton Ellerby will be trying to earn a job as well but he has some work ahead.  It’s amazing that James DeLory is still under contract but has never been given a chance in the AHL.

Likely To Sign:

Goalie: Jacob Markstrom

Defense: Colby Robak

Forward: Scott Timmins

Restricted Free Agents:

Goalies: Tyler Plante

Defense: Jason Garrison, Jordan Henry, Peter Aston, Luke Beaverson

Forwards: Andrew Sweetland, Kenndal McArdle, Dan Collins, Mike Duco

***** It’s a no brainer that Jason Garrison will be offered a contract and likely battle for a full time job in Florida.  Jordan Henry, Mike Duco and Kenndal McArdle should be made offers as well.  The status of Tyler Plante will likely depend on what the Panthers have in store for Jacob Markstrom and if they’re going to try and trade Tomas Vokoun.  We can probably say goodbye to Peter Aston, Andrew Sweetland, Luke Beaverson and Dan Collins.

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Goalies: Chris Beckford-Tseu

Defense: Mathieu Roy, Rory Fitzpatrick

Forwards: Steve MacIntyre, Jimmy Bonneau, David Brine, Jamie Johnson, Mike York

***** Jamie Johnson has made it clear he’s not coming back.  Mike York was on an AHL contract with the Amerks and said he’d love to come back.  MacIntyre had an NHL contract, Bonneau was AHL only with the Amerks.  It’d be nice to have at least one of them back into the lineup.  They both proved they could be enforcers and also play the puck as well.  Fitzpatrick is retiring and Roy will likely be looking for an organization that can offer him a real chance in the NHL.  The same can probably be said about David Brine, I imagine he’ll be chasing the dream elsewhere.  Chris Beckford-Tseu, well we all know he won’t be back.

Others:

Daniel Steiner, Matt Duffy, Carl Hudson, Maxime Gratchev, John Scott Dickson, Andrew Lord, Corey Syvret, Scott Hotham, Ernie Hartlieb

***** These players were all either signed to AHL, PTO or ATO deals by the Amerks throughout the season.  I could see Daniel Steiner getting another look if he can’t find an NHL deal somewhere.  Carl Hudson was a tough gritty defenseman who may have earned himself a look somewhere.  Gratchev and Hartlieb could be a couple of players offered deals but spend a lot of time with the Florida Everblades.

There’s always a lot going on when it comes to the status of players and contracts.  I think I have everyone but open to feedback if anyone see’s an error somewhere.

Contract Status for Amerks Players Heading into Next Season is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The only other time in Amerks history that they had a 3-1 series lead that eventually went to a game seven they won the series on their way to a Calder Cup in 1983.

That’s what we have to hope at least.  On to the game….

The Abbotsford Heat scored three goals in a span of two minutes and nine seconds that turned out to be too big of a hole for the Amerks to climb out of.  The Heat won the game thanks to speed, passing, bad giveaways and poor defensive coverage by the Amerks.

Evgeny Dadonov gave up the puck after being chased down by Mikael Backlund in the Amerks zone which led to a goal by Jason Jaffray.  It only took 41 seconds for the Heat to score again as Jon Rheault went flying past Keaton Ellerby on the outside and back in to beat Tyler Plante with a fancy move.

Jordan Henry made a bad move on the Heat’s third goal as he went chasing after the puck to the side boards which was the same side that Mathieu Roy was already covering.  That allowed Mikael Backlund to feed a pass to Jon Rheault who turned on the accelerator to go into the Amerks zone on a breakaway and score on Tyler Plante.

Here’s the description of the goal from the Heat’s press release:

In eerily similar fashion to his goal in Game 5, Rheault provided the Heat with a three-goal cushion by taking  a beautiful breakaway pass from Mikael Backlund then deking Tyler Plante out of his pads, guiding the puck thru the wickets of the Amerks goalie.

The crafty forward said it was his ‘go to move.’

“Most goalies think I’ll pull it to my backhand and then I pull it back and get them five-hole. [Backlund] made a great pass that allowed me to go in there,” he said.

That was the game in the first period.  The Heat have the clear advantage in this series with speed and the way they have prevented the Amerks from getting the puck behind their defense.

Tyler Plante was pulled from net after the third goal scored by the Heat but he was not to blame, as usual his teammates left him hanging out to dry.  The strategy by coaches in pulling a goalie is to try and create a change, get something going, change of scenery.  When the goalie is not to blame it can be debated how effective that really is.  If anything Keaton Ellerby and Evgeny Dadonov should have been glued to the benches but they were back out on the ice minutes later.

Jamie Johnson scored the lone goal for the Amerks giving some sense of hope but there wasn’t much to be found.  Mike York took the initial shot on the side along the boards and Johnson stood in front of the net to hit in the fumbled rebound by David Shantz.

I was not at the game so we’ll have to wait for the morning edition of the Democrat and Chronicle for quotes from the Amerks about the game.  I assume it’ll be talking about not thinking about the past, what they have to do and getting it done.

———–

Abbotsford Heat 5 At Rochester Americans 1 – Status: Final
Apr 25, 2010 – Blue Cross Arena

Abbotsford 3 1 1 – 5
Rochester 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Abbotsford, Jaffray 1 (Van der Gulik, Backlund), 9:09. 2, Abbotsford, Rheault 3 (Sutter), 9:50. 3, Abbotsford, Rheault 4 (Backlund, Sutter), 11:18. Penalties-Mink Rch (goaltender interference), 3:31; Salak Rch (holding), 18:43.

2nd Period-4, Rochester, Johnson 2 (York, Garrison), 8:25 (pp). 5, Abbotsford, Van der Gulik 2   17:51 (pp). Penalties-Murray Abb (roughing), 2:59; Henry Rch (roughing), 2:59; Pelech Abb (tripping), 7:29; Pelech Abb (tripping), 12:15; Henry Rch (cross-checking), 16:15; Murray Abb (roughing), 20:00.

3rd Period-6, Abbotsford, Rheault 5 (Sutter), 7:26. Penalties-Baldwin Abb (interference), 2:48; Brine Rch (hooking), 8:40; Latendresse Abb (fighting), 18:39; Taffe Rch (fighting), 18:39.

Shots on Goal-Abbotsford 13-13-15-41. Rochester 6-11-6-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Abbotsford 1 of 4; Rochester 1 of 4.
Goalies-Abbotsford, Shantz 3-2-0 (23 shots-22 saves). Rochester, Plante 3-2-0 (7 shots-4 saves); Salak 0-1-0 (34 shots-32 saves).
A-3,185
Referees-Chris Ciamaga (41).
Linesmen-Brian Lemon (25), Derek Sylvester (76).

Amerks Feel the Heat and are Forced to a Game 7 is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Well, David Shantz has been the starting goalie for the Heat so it’s not that far fetched.

Tyler Plante stopped 46 of 47 shots on Wednesday night.

The Amerks have outscored the Heat 18-6 since last Thursday and just about every player on the Amerks roster is producing points in this series.  They’re playing the way a team should play in the playoffs.  Ignoring game one, they’ve done a decent job not taking as many dumb penalties.  They’ve scored big goals in the second period to build leads.  They’ve had strong goaltending.  They’ve played physical and proved that they could not be pushed around.

The chemistry that this team had back in October as they won game after game is back.

Here’s the scoring:

1. RCH Johnson, (1) (Garrison, Matthias), 8:49 (PP)
2. ABB Meyers, (1) (Backlund, Sutter), 4:14
2. RCH Henry, (3) (Johnson, York), 7:03 (PP)
2. RCH Henry, (4) (Matthias, Taffe), 8:21
2. RCH Garrison, (2) (Taylor, Taffe), 18:22 (PP)
2. RCH Repik, (1) (Dadonov, Brine), 18:50
3. RCH Taylor, (1) (Repik, Taffe), 4:43 (PP)

For a complete recap of the game check out Kevin’s live blog here.  He’ll probably have a post up soon as well with post game thoughts and quotes.

—————–
Rochester Americans 6 At Abbotsford Heat 1 – Status: Unofficial Final
Apr 21, 2010 – Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre

Rochester 1 4 1 – 6
Abbotsford 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Rochester, Johnson 1 (Garrison, Matthias), 8:49 (pp). Penalties-Repik Rch (boarding), 5:55; Backlund Abb (cross-checking), 7:01; Mink Rch (high-sticking), 17:35.

2nd Period-2, Abbotsford, Meyers 1 (Backlund, Sutter), 4:14. 3, Rochester, Henry 3 (Johnson, York), 7:03 (pp). 4, Rochester, Henry 4 (Matthias, Taffe), 8:21. 5, Rochester, Garrison 2 (Taylor, Taffe), 18:22 (pp). 6, Rochester, Repik 1 (Dadonov, Brine), 18:50. Penalties-Meyers Abb (hooking), 6:07; Wilson Rch (tripping), 9:31; Latendresse Abb (holding), 10:58; Henry Rch (tripping), 14:40; Pelech Abb (interference), 17:41.

3rd Period-7, Rochester, Taylor 1 (Repik, Taffe), 4:43 (pp). Penalties-Duco Rch (kneeing), 1:28; Watt Abb (interference), 3:37; Pelech Abb (cross-checking), 5:47; Roy Rch (holding), 13:17; MacIntyre Rch (fighting), 19:51; Watt Abb (fighting), 19:51.

Shots on Goal-Rochester 4-12-6-22. Abbotsford 23-12-12-47.
Power Play Opportunities-Rochester 4 of 6; Abbotsford 0 of 6.
Goalies-Rochester, Plante 2-0-0 (47 shots-46 saves). Abbotsford, Shantz 1-1-0 (22 shots-16 saves).
A-2,633
Referees-Frederic L’Ecuyer (48).
Linesmen-Trevor Boudreau (60), Trent Knorr (91).

Amerks Win Gives Them a Commanding 3-1 Series Lead is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The win gives the Amerks a 2-1 lead in the series heading into the next game on Wednesday night.  The win also guarantee’s at least one more Amerks home game whether it’s the end of this series or the next round.  Keep the ice cold and the locker room doors unlocked, the Amerks will be coming back home!

I wrote prior to game one that Shawn Matthias has the big game experiences this time of year and it doesn’t come down to just the veterans and he’s proving that.  Mike York and Graham Mink are also playing huge but Matthias has been the one to step up in these past two games.

David Shantz was pulled in the game and replaced by Leland Irving before Shantz was put back into the net.  Getting into the minds of the opposing goalie is certainly something that will favor the Amerks.  Tyler Plante stood tall again even though four goals were scored against him.  We’ll always be left to wonder, “what if” he had started in the first place.

The game should give the Amerks a lot of confidence that they can play hard, score goals and feed off of each other.  It should not only give the players confidence but every fan as well that this team should just be starting to gain some steam as the playoffs go on.

Unfortunately my real job is interfering with me covering these late night away games in depth like I usually do so here’s some links on over to Hockey O-Zone – Check out his live game log and also his follow up with quotes from players.

Here’s a couple quoted quotes:

Matthias was terrific all game. Actually, he has been terrific all series. He looks very much like an NHLer, which he was for half the season.

“I like being on this team,” he said. “I don’t want an early summer.”

Said York: “He’s playing with a lot of confidence.”

Said Groulx: “Shawn was a big factor in the games in Rochester and tonight with York and Taffe, those three were our best line.”

Enjoy the rest of the quotes in the link above!!

———-

Rochester Americans 8 At Abbotsford Heat 4 – Status: Final
Apr 19, 2010 – Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre

Rochester 1 4 3 – 8
Abbotsford 2 0 2 – 4

1st Period-1, Abbotsford, Backlund 1 (Weller, Lammers), 1:44 (pp). 2, Abbotsford, Rheault 1 (Pelech, Murray), 17:56. 3, Rochester, Wilson 1 (Garrison, Taylor), 18:57. Penalties-Wilson Rch (tripping), 1:09; Henry Rch (roughing), 13:17; Wahl Abb (roughing), 13:17.

2nd Period-4, Rochester, Matthias 1 (York, Taffe), 8:03. 5, Rochester, Henry 2 (Mink, York), 10:01 (pp). 6, Rochester, Wilson 2 (Matthias, York), 13:54. 7, Rochester, Mink 2 (Johnson, Garrison), 19:52. Penalties-Henry Rch (roughing), 4:06; Sutter Abb (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:35; Murray Abb (slashing), 10:01; Henry Rch (roughing), 12:02; Bancks Abb (roughing), 12:02; Johnson Rch (fighting), 20:00; Spurgeon Abb (fighting), 20:00.

3rd Period-8, Abbotsford, Sutter 1 (Baldwin, Seabrook), 3:32. 9, Rochester, Matthias 2   6:04. 10, Rochester, Mink 3 (Garrison), 7:47. 11, Rochester, Ellerby 1   8:09. 12, Abbotsford, Sutter 2 (Wahl, Backlund), 12:23 (pp). Penalties-Meyers Abb (fighting), 0:00; Repik Rch (roughing), 3:32; Wilson Rch (roughing), 3:32; Backlund Abb (roughing), 3:32; Seabrook Abb (roughing), 3:32; Henry Rch (roughing, fighting), 8:09; Cunning Abb (holding), 12:23; Duco Rch (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:14; Hudson Rch (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:14; Oreskovich Rch (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:14; Baldwin Abb (elbowing, misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:14; Murray Abb (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:14; Seabrook Abb (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:14.

Shots on Goal-Rochester 7-15-6-28. Abbotsford 12-9-15-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Rochester 1 of 4; Abbotsford 2 of 3.
Goalies-Rochester, Plante 2-0-0 (36 shots-32 saves). Abbotsford, Shantz 1-1-0 (19 shots-14 saves); Irving 0-1-0 (9 shots-6 saves).
A-3,010
Referees-Kyle Rehman (37).
Linesmen-Kiel Murchison (35), Nathan Vanoosten (96).

Huge 8 to 4 Win for the Amerks in Game 3 is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

“It’s playoff hockey and both teams were trying to set the tone and trying to get the teams going,” Shawn Matthias said.  “It’s going to be a long series so we wanted to show them we’re not scared of them.  If you watch they’re always starting things after every whistle so we’re responding well and trying to play a hard nosed style.”

That’s not a style of hockey the Amerks have had to play every other night but it’s what they’re going to have to do in this seven game series against the Abbotsford Heat.

“We knew we needed to win this game,” Tyler Plante said talking about the game.  “Tonight it really felt like playoff hockey, we worked hard for 60 minutes and I really give the team credit for that.”

Plante was excellent in net and proved he should have been the starter to begin with in this playoff series.  The only goal scored on him in this series was not all his fault.  Plante plays a no nonsense style of hockey in net.  If a player gets into his crease he’ll stand up and clear the player out.  If someone hits him he’ll hit them back.  His level of confidence in the crease is what is needed this time of year.

Plante said, “Sometimes in playoffs you get a little heated more than you usually do.”

“It’s a style he likes.  He’s very intense.  He doesn’t let anyone abuse him obviously but one thing is that he got involved but kept his poise,” Benoit Groulx said.  “They’re job is to get his focus out and I really feel he was in control tonight.”

During the post game press conference Benoit Groulx was asked if Plante was getting the start on Monday night and Groulx laughed and said, “I’ll think about it and announce it the day before.”

At the end of the second period as Plante was skating off the ice he had some words with the Abbotsford Heat bench.  Supposedly one of the Heat players squirted water at Plante and he answered back by tossing his water bottle at the bench.  Some more words were exchanged before Tyler was yelled at to get off the ice.

Here’s some more and a summary of the scoring…

John Lammers scored first at 15:43 of the first period to give the Heat a 1-0 lead.  Mark Mitera took the initial shot from the blue line and Mathieu Roy pretended to be a goalie for a minute stopping the puck with his glove but as he did that he lost sight of it.  The same happened to Tyler Plante.  Lammers was the first to find it and put it through the five hole of Plante.

When asked if there was any type of panic after going down by a goal early Jeff Taffe answered, “I think we realize what we have to do and its a different story if we’re not playing well in the first period and we’re not getting any chances.  There was no panic and I think it was one of our better games in a really long time.”

Victor Oreskovich had a great chance about two minutes into the second period to beat Shantz glove side into an open net but unfortunately his stick was not able to connect with the puck.

A couple minutes later Jason Garrison tied the game with a slap shot from the blue line that deflected off of the pads of David Shantz and into the net.  Graham Mink was doing a great job screening Shantz in front of the net.  The pad of Shantz was angled in just a way that the puck slid off of it and into the net, about half an inch pointing further out and it would have gone off to the side of the net.

Mike Duco scored the game winning goal at 9:00 of the second period off a poorly played puck by Shantz.  Carl Hudson dumped the puck in from behind the blue line and Jamie Johnson raced in after it and was able to poke it away and Mike Duco was there to put it in the net.

Graham Mink added a goal at 17:40 of the second period to make it a 3-1 game as he deflected a Jason Garrison shot past Shantz.  Mink seems to be a different player after only two games into the playoffs.  The puck seems to be finding his stick more than it was already in the second half of the regular season.  As the playoffs go on we’ll see how valuable Mink is to this team.  He’s the type of player that goalies absolutely hate having to deal with.

The fourth goal of the game by Jeff Taffe was the type of goal we’d expect to see out of this team.  Mike York fed a perfect pass to Shawn Matthias skating down one side of the ice.  Matthias had Taffe on the other side on a two on one and fed a pass to Taffe who easily beat David Shantz.

“It’s a dog fight now, we’re going to have to play every game like it’s game number seven,” Tyler Plante said after the game.

The Amerks were taking a bus to Toronto after the game and flying out of Toronto on Sunday morning to Fraser Valley where the Abbotsford Heat play.  It’s going to be a long day of travel for both teams but it’s something they all say that they are well prepared for.  The Heat have not been at home since April 6th and have been a better road team all season than home team so the next game in terms of mentally should be in favor of the Amerks.

I’ll probably fire up the live chat on Monday night for game 3.

———————

Abbotsford Heat 1 At Rochester Americans 4 – Status: Final
Apr 17, 2010 – Blue Cross Arena

Abbotsford 1 0 0 – 1
Rochester 0 3 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Abbotsford, Lammers 1 (Mitera, Backlund), 15:43. Penalties-Plante Rch (roughing), 2:48; Pelech Abb (fighting), 4:14; Roy Rch (fighting), 4:14; Baldwin Abb (high-sticking), 6:14; Spurgeon Abb (interference), 10:15.

2nd Period-2, Rochester, Garrison 1 (York, Taffe), 3:53 (pp). 3, Rochester, Duco 1 (Johnson, Hudson), 9:00. 4, Rochester, Mink 1 (Garrison, York), 17:40 (pp). Penalties-Duco Rch (hooking), 2:15; Seabrook Abb (elbowing), 2:34; Sutter Abb (hooking), 3:33; Weller Abb (delay of game), 17:27; Taylor Rch (hooking), 18:25; Murray Abb (roughing), 20:00; Roy Rch (roughing), 20:00.

3rd Period-5, Rochester, Taffe 1 (Matthias, York), 5:23. Penalties-Bancks Abb (fighting), 17:58; Matthias Rch (fighting), 17:58; Mitera Abb (fighting), 18:19; Murray Abb (roughing, misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:19; Spurgeon Abb (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:19; Weller Abb (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:19; MacIntyre Rch (roughing, roughing, misconduct), 18:19; Mink Rch (fighting), 18:19.

Shots on Goal-Abbotsford 8-7-16-31. Rochester 5-14-4-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Abbotsford 0 of 3; Rochester 2 of 5.
Goalies-Abbotsford, Shantz 1-1-0 (23 shots-19 saves). Rochester, Plante 1-0-0 (31 shots-30 saves).
A-3,597
Referees-Chris Ciamaga (41).
Linesmen-Tim Kotyra (53), Brian Lemon (25).

Hard Nosed Hockey Leads Amerks to Tie Series is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The game plan should be pretty simple, stay out of the penalty box, create some battles in front of David Shantz and do not let Keith Seabrook shoot the puck from the blue line.  Seabrook had two goals on Thursday night, the first and the game winner.

Attendance should be better tonight for game two at 7:05pm at Blue Cross Arena.  The Red Wings are scheduled to open their season today at home but the weather does not look to be very baseball like.  Pass the word, get some fans in the building to cheer on the hometown team.  The Sabres play at 1pm so keep the day going with more WNY playoff hockey!

A few other things….

** If you read this before 10am tune in to ESPN Radio 950am for The Blue Line Radio Show.  I’ll be a guest on at around 10:25 or so and you can hear me talk Amerks hockey with host Matthew Coller.

** The two Amerks goals on Thursday night were scored as a result of Graham Mink tying up opposing players in front of their net and getting the puck free.  If he can keep that up and it’s something he’s great at we’ll see more goals scored.

** Tyler Plante is definitely getting the start in net tonight.  He should have been the starter on Thursday, but that game is in the past and tonight is his night to shine.

** Panthers GM Randy Sexton has told players like Shawn Matthias, Michal Repik and Jason Garrison that how they perform in the playoffs will go a long way towards determining their futures with the Panthers.  George Richards of the Miami Herald wrote the story with those details, check it out here.

** Staying out of the penalty box has been an issue for the Amerks all season but it’s been the same way for the Abbotsford Heat who had more penalty minutes than any other team in the league.  I don’t think anything will really change but the key will be the power play unit but also scoring five on five.  Easier said than done.

** The loss on Thursday night was depressing to fans but the players were not down on themselves.  They lost but they did not back down from the Heat and who knows what the outcome would have been with a different starting goalie for the Amerks.  It’s a seven game series and tonight they have a chance to redeem themselves.

See you at the game tonight!

Game 2: Stay Out of the Box and Play Physical Near the Net is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.