“I give a lot of credit to our guys coming back from Texas and being able to bounce back at home and put the effort there,” said Head Coach Ron Rolston.  ”I think they did that tonight so we were very happy with that.” (from the Amerks press release)

Drew MacIntyre had a solid night in net for the Amerks and besides the one goal allowed he made a number of big time saves, including a glove save late in the third period that we’ve seen gone in during other games.  This was the type of game everyone would love to see out of him every night.

#Amerks MacIntyre: "We're quick to get frustrated..that was kind of the weekend in TX. Definitely positive to go into the break like this."

December 21, 2011 10:09 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@DropThePuckWHTK

Rob Sanderson

#Amerks G Drew MacIntyre: "I felt calm and cool and let everything come to me, which was not the case the last game."

December 21, 2011 10:15 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@DropThePuckWHTK

Rob Sanderson

(thanks to Rob Sanderson at DropThePuckWHTK for Tweeting these quotes)

Ron Rolston, Chad Cassidy and Jay McKee and the rest of the coaching staff are really working some magic getting as much as they can out of this group of players.  They all know that players would be great but that’s not slowing them down at all.  They’re finding ways to play every player and make things happen.  It’s also noticeable how active the coaches are on the bench acknowledging players after a great shift as well as giving them guidance throughout the game.  It may seem like coaching 101 but it’s things that we haven’t seen in recent years.  Rolston is getting these players ready to win and also advance their careers.  Everyone appears to enjoy playing for him, hopefully that continues.

The Amerks scored two power play goals in under 90 seconds halfway through the first period and it was a lead they were able to hold on to throughout the entire game.  Mark Voakes scored the first with assists to Travis Turnbull and Marcus Foligno.  Voakes was right where a player should be on a power play, on top of the crease waiting for rebounds or a way to deflect the puck and in this instance he got the rebound.  Dennis Persson scored the second with assists to TJ Brennan and Phil Varone.  Persson took a slap shot that somehow found a path to the back of the net.

There was no scoring in the second period but the Monsters had a number of chances with a 12-4 shot advantage over the Amerks.

The Amerks had a 5 on 3 power play opportunity early in the third period but they weren’t able to get much going.  There was puck movement but not enough to catch the Monsters defenders or Desjardins out of position.  Lake Erie Monsters head coach David Quinn had been ejected from the game after Quinn had shared an objection about a play.  From my seat I could see the coach upset but couldn’t tell exactly what was said or done that warranted the ejection.

Hugh Jessiman made it a one goal game when he scored 11:52 on the power play in the third period.  Jessiman brought the puck across the blue line and as he approached Dennis Persson he made a motion as if he was going to cut to the middle, Persson bought the move, Jessiman put a wrist shot between the pads of MacIntyre.

It was less than three minutes later when Evan Rankin gave the Amerks a two goal lead again when he scored his seventh goal of the season in 12 games.  Rankin had taken a shot on goal that was deflected behind the net by Cedrick Desjardins but Rankin followed the puck back there where he was able to get off another shot from behind the goal line that bounced off of Desjardins and into the net.  This kid has made a big impression since being called up from the Toledo Walleyes in the ECHL.  He signed a 25 game professional tryout so the Amerks have until the end of January 28th to sign the kid to an American Hockey League contract to finish out the season.

#Amerks Evan Rankin: "It's always nice to play at home. It's slowly becoming my home here in Rochester."

December 21, 2011 10:06 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@DropThePuckWHTK

Rob Sanderson

#Amerks Rolston said he didn't expect this much production from Rankin. "He's come in and really taken a hold of his opportunity."

December 21, 2011 10:08 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

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Rob Sanderson

Marcus Foligno closed out the scoring with an empty net goal with 23 seconds left on the clock.  That’s not too bad for a guy who just finished playing five games in six nights spread out over 2,000 miles.  He played the three games on the road for the Amerks in San Antonio, Austin and Houston.  He then flew back to Rochester and drove to Ottawa to play with the Sabres on Tuesday night before returning to Rochester for Wednesday night.  After all of that travel he ended the night with a goal and an assist.

Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mike Foligno, and father of Marcus, was in the stands at the War Memorial watching his son play some hockey.  He also got to see Marcus play on Tuesday in Ottawa.  He’s unemployed after being fired from the Ducks, maybe the Sabres should offer him a coaching position too!

#Amerks @marcusfoligno after playing 5 games in 6 nights: "Legs are feeling a little tiredness now but that's what the break is for."

December 21, 2011 10:10 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@DropThePuckWHTK

Rob Sanderson

The two new players had little impact on the game but they had their moments.  Igor Gongalsky was strong along the boards and was winning some battles for the puck.  Scott Campbell didn’t play much after the first period but won a few face offs.  Campbell had to catch a midnight flight out of Las Vegas and travelled overnight to play in Rochester on Wednesday.

Shaone Morrisonn sat the game out serving his one game suspension for an elbow last Friday against the San Antonio Rampage.

Here’s an additional view of the game from a long time Amerks fan named Ted (insagt1) that posted the following in the forums:

Amerks probably had no business winning this game tonight. But they did. They led all the way. They were outshot 34-17. Lately they haven’t been getting many shots. Or power play goals. Tonight they scored two quick improbable power play goals in the 1st period; then went into a defensive almost desperate shell in the 2nd and 3rd but still came away with a 4-1 win.

They don’t give you the two points for form or style or even entertainment value. They award the points for scoring more goals than the opponent. Mission accomplished in front of (IMO) a surprisingly decent Wednesday night crowd of just over 4.300.

How big was the win? They built on the surprise win in Houston and they now go on a week’s break with 2 straight wins under their belt and a little bit of hope for better things to come. Rankin with another goal. A big goal to restore a two goal lead in the 3rd. The guy is making an impression. And then Foligno, playing his 5th game in 6 days potting the empty netter to seal the deal.

MacIntyre was sensational and kept the team in the game when they fell asleep in the 2nd and hung on for dear life in the 3rd.

For me tonight, ALL that mattered was that they won. I don’t care how they did it; or if they were pretty ragged doing it. Look at that lineup and tell me you weren’t impressed that they beat a divisional opponent. Or beat anyone for that matter.

Major props. Big win. Nice job guys.

I agree with everything that he said!  It was a great win for a team that has everything stacked up against them but they continue to put everything they have on the ice and support each other.  When they do these things they win games.

The Amerks are now off for Christmas break before heading to Oklahoma City next week to play two back to back games on the road and will return home next Friday December 30th against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Box Score:

Lake Erie Monsters 1 at Rochester Americans 4 – Status: Final
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 – Blue Cross Arena

Lake Erie 0 0 1 – 1
Rochester 2 0 2 – 4

1st Period-1, Rochester, Voakes 3 (Turnbull, Foligno), 12:25 (PP). 2, Rochester, Persson 1 (Brennan, Varone), 13:49 (PP). Penalties-Newton Le (hooking), 12:07; Rissmiller Le (slashing), 13:09.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Mauldin Le (interference), 7:05; Voakes Rch (interference), 11:55; Mercier Le (unsportsmanlike conduct, goaltender interference), 13:23; Crawford Rch (holding), 13:53.

3rd Period-3, Lake Erie, Jessiman 12 (Gaunce), 11:52 (PP). 4, Rochester, Rankin 7   14:12. 5, Rochester, Foligno 10 (Rankin, Turnbull), 19:37 (EN). Penalties-Brennan Le (roughing), 8:16; served by Bordeleau Le (bench minor – unsportsmanlike conduct, game misconduct – coach), 8:21; Turnbull Rch (slashing), 9:58; Legault Rch (tripping), 17:07.

Shots on Goal-Lake Erie 7-12-15-34. Rochester 8-4-5-17.
Power Play Opportunities-Lake Erie 1 / 4; Rochester 2 / 7.
Goalies-Lake Erie, Desjardins 7-5-1 (16 shots-13 saves). Rochester, MacIntyre 5-9-1 (34 shots-33 saves).
A-4,390
Referees-Keith Kaval (40), Darcy Burchell (42).
Linesmen-Fraser McIntyre (94), Chris Woodworth (17).

Grit, Guts and Goaltending Leads to Amerks 4-1 Win is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Greg Mauldin scored at 16:06 of the first period to give the Lake Erie Monsters the 1-0 lead to end the first period.

Michael Ryan scored a goal assisted by Corey Tropp at 5:08 of the 2nd to tie the game 1-1.

TJ Brennan scored the game winning goal on the power play at 16:54 of the second period, assists went to Corey Tropp and Michael Ryan.  Brennan scored the goal going to the net.

Derek Whitmore scored his first goal of the season for the Amerks at 7:38 of the third, assisted by Nick Crawford and Mark Voakes.

Updated: Credit for the goal was changed and given to Zack Kassian, assisted by Derek Whitmore and Nick Crawford.

I wish I could give more details on the goals but missed each of them and the Lake Erie Monsters don’t believe in showing replays of anything.

David Leggio played a good game, the defense also didn’t give the puck up as much leaving him helpless.  Considering he tallied the win it’s likely he earned the start on Sunday against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

It’s great that the team pulled out the win and it’s something to build off of.  They needed to get this first win to boost their confidence and bring that back home for Sundays home game.  It also has to be pointed out that the Monsters are not nearly as talented as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins or Hamilton Bulldogs.

It’s all a step in the right direction!  See everyone on Sunday.

3rd star: Michael Ryan

2nd star: TJ Brennan

1st star: David Leggio

———

Rochester Americans 3 at Lake Erie Monsters 1 – Status: Final
Friday, October 14, 2011 – Quicken Loans Arena

Rochester 0 2 1 – 3
Lake Erie 1 0 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Lake Erie, Mauldin 2 (Barrie, Elliott), 16:06. Penalties-Brennan Le (interference), 12:26; McNabb Rch (tripping), 14:03.

2nd Period-2, Rochester, Ryan 1 (Tropp), 5:08. 3, Rochester, Brennan 1 (Tropp, Ryan), 16:54 (PP). Penalties-Turnbull Rch (tripping), 8:25; Boychuk Rch (roughing), 13:48; Brennan Le (roughing), 13:48; Liffiton Le (roughing), 15:17.

3rd Period-4, Rochester, Whitmore 1 (Crawford, Voakes), 7:38. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Rochester 11-8-5-24. Lake Erie 12-15-8-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Rochester 1 / 2; Lake Erie 0 / 2.
Goalies-Rochester, Leggio 1-1-0 (35 shots-34 saves). Lake Erie, Cann 0-3-0 (24 shots-21 saves).
A-5,942
Referees-Darcy Burchell (42).
Linesmen-Jesse Pletsch (51), Steve Marofsky (58).

Amerks Score Some Goals and Record Their First Win is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

If you’re watching on AHLLive or listening here’s the roster sheet for tonight.

We do know that scratches for the Amerks due to injuries will be Paul Szczechura, Drew Schiestel, Jacob Legace, Maxime Legault and possibly Dennis Persson.  The starting goalie will be up in the air, both Drew MacIntyre and David Leggio will want to make up for their losses.

The key to winning this game is going to be to score some goals.  It’s that simple.  To win you have to score.  The defense will also need to play much better to prevent quality chances from the Monsters.

Who’s going to score these goals?  That’s still anyone’s guess at this time.

The Buffalo Sabres have their home opener tonight so it’s doubtful too many eyes will really be on this game which could be good for the Amerks based on the last two performances.  The Amerks need a strong victory on their backs to ride some momentum into two upcoming home games.

Here’s the roster, click to enlarge

As always follow along and discuss things further on Twitter @letsgoamerks or on Facebook at facebook.com/letsgoamerks.

Gameday: Amerks at Monsters, Scoring Will be a Necessity is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Thanks to Admirals Roundtable for the rankings.  Looking back at the 2010/2011 rankings Ryan from Admirals Roundtable wrote this:

- The Calder Cup finalists were ranked 16th and 27th overall.
- The division winners were ranked 19th, 3rd, 14th, and 18th.
- Four of their top 10 didn’t make the playoffs (Chicago, Worcester, San Antonio, Grand Rapids)

It’s that time of year where everyone makes predictions just because it’s the thing to do.  Everyone knows (or should know) that a season can change in a matter of weeks due to injuries, call ups, trades and even a group of players not living up to their expectations.

Here’s the rankings:

East (first to last): Hershey Bears, W-B/Scranton Penguins, Portland Pirates, Springfield Falcons, Manchester Monarchs, Syracuse Crunch, Worcester Sharks, Connecticut Whale, Binghamton Senators, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, St John’s Icecaps, Albany Devils, Norfolk Admirals, Providence Bruins, Adirondack Phantoms

West (first to last): Charlotte Checkers, Peoria Rivermen, Chicago Wolves, Rochester Americans, Toronto Marlies, Houston Aeros, Hamilton Bulldogs, Lake Erie Monsters, Texas Stars, San Antonio Rampage, Rockford Icehogs, Grand Rapids Griffins, Abbotsford Heat, Oklahoma City Barons, Milwakee Admirals

There’s a small snippet of information with each prediction but you’ll have to get a copy to read that.  I don’t think The Hockey News would want me reprinting the whole article.  I see no real reason to disagree with Kevin on any of the predictions, that’s about as much of a prediction I’ll make on the upcoming season.

The Hockey News Ranks Amerks to be 4th in the West is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The Monsters outshot the Amerks by a tally of 14-3 in the first period and then 19-5 in the third period.  WTF??  How do only three shots get through at a goalie in 20 minutes?  That does not even seem possible, leave it to the Amerks.  At least they kept it close out shooting Lake Erie 11-7 in the second period.

There’s always Friday night in Syracuse.  Or maybe Saturday in Hershey?  Doubtful.. but as a fan I’ll always be hopeful.

There’s Always the Next Game.. Amerks Winless in 6 Straight is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

A big issue this past weekend was the penalty killing.  The Amerks gave the Monsters eight power play opportunities and were able to kill off every one of them.  A great improvement over last weekends six power play goals against.

Evgeny Dadonov scored his 15th goal of the season only 34 seconds into the game, assisted by Clay Wilson.  Only two minutes and four seconds later Jordan Henry found the back of the net for his 12th of the season to give the Amerks that 2-0 lead they would hold onto until the third period.  Dadonov and Beaverson assisted on his goal.

Based off the sound of the game from Don Stevens the 24 save performance by Tyler Plante was an impressive one.

Sounds like a pretty simple formula to winning a hockey game.  Score a couple of early goals, kill off your penalties and have a game where you can rely on your goalie.  When the Amerks play that game they win.  The problem has been that team effort for a consistent 60 minutes.

Ending this upcoming weekend with a four game winning streak will do wonders for the standings and team confidence and excitement.  The Amerks are home on Friday night vs Binghamton, on the road in Toronto on Saturday, and back at home on Sunday against Toronto.

Which team will show up?  You’re guess is as good as mine but the hope walking into a game is the successful one.

Amerks Win with an Early Goal and Penalty Killing is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The Moose got within two points of the Amerks with a win over the Bulldogs on Tuesday and they play again tonight.  The Hamilton Bulldogs have first place in the North Division locked up.  The real battle now is for the second spot and home ice advantage in the first round.  That is still up for grabs to the Amerks, Moose, and Heat.

With the Monsters and Marlies both playing decent hockey recently they are two teams that could find a way to sneak in as well.  Three out of the final 10 games for the Amerks is against the Marlies.  With other games against Hershey, Hamilton, and Binghamton it could be time to really hit the panic button.

After practice on Tuesday when Benoit Groulx was asked about getting into playoff mode here’s his response:

I think every team in the league who’s in the playoffs or battling for positioning in the playoffs or chasing a spot that they’re all in the same boat.  Every game is important.  The intensity is higher than a month ago.  Points are tough to get.  When you look at Binghamton they’re one of the best in the league in the last two weeks.  Wilkes-barre has a good team.  We’re all in the same boat.  We want to make the playoffs and have the best position possible and everyone understands the importance of having a strong finish.

They’re all important, one game at a time.  I think we all understand that.  I think we understand if we beat them tomorrow it’s going to be tough for them to get back (Lake Erie into a playoff position).

We’ve got to get our team ready for the playoffs.  I really feel our intensity in practice and intensity in games is  much better.  I really feel that our guys understand where we’re at right now.

Actions will speak louder than words, we’ll see how intense they are tonight.

The special teams have been an issue with the Amerks penalty kill unit being scored on six times in the past two games.  Here’s Groulx’s response to the penalty kill being an issue:

You can’t win hockey games if the specialty teams are the difference in a negative way.  To me what you look for is for your team to be solid five on five and at least match the other teams specialty teams and its something we have not been able to do the last three games.  We’ve got to find a way to do much better the closer we get to the end.

As mentioned above, the race in the North Division is really up for grabs.

“You can’t rule out anybody,” Jamie Johnson said after practice.  “We just have to not so much worry about them but just worry about ourselves and win as many as we can.”

When the Amerks were hot in October and November the players all gave the right response that you don’t win a championship that early in the season.  With only 10 games left though it’s time to get into playoff mode.

I asked Johnson if they were getting into that mode and he answered, “I think we have to.  We have not been very good lately.  We have to make sure we get a final spot in the standings.”

Talking about why they have not been playing good lately Johnson said, “I think its inconsistency.  We seem to come out good for some games and real flat some other games.  It’s unacceptable.  You don’t go very far in the playoffs playing like that.”

“It seems to be the biggest problem of our season, playing a full 60 minutes,” Jamie Johnson said.

When we’ve seen the Amerks play a full game they’ve been successful.  Why they can’t seem to put together a consistent 60 minute effort is up for debate.  Assuming the team makes the playoffs the only thing we can hope for is that everyone will step up their game and play as hard the first shift and the last shift.

Amerks vs Monsters tonight at 7pm.  You can listen to the game on 1280 WHTK or watch it online through AHL Live.

Gameday: Amerks at Cleveland, Thoughts from Groulx and Johnson is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Based on the comments after Fridays game the only thing I can think to say is that the team needs to work hard like they say and they’ll start winning again.  Hopefully they are on to something.

The stats do not paint a pretty picture for the game but I’ll be walking through the doors of Blue Cross Arena excited and hoping for the best like I always do.  The puck drops at 7:35pm, not the usual 7:05 start time.

With only 27 games remaining in the season and letters going out to season ticket holders about renewing and playoff tickets, is it time to hover our hands over the panic button?

Take a look at these stats that Kevin posted on Hockey O-Zone:

The Amerks have a 17-1 record against Syracuse, Binghamton and Toronto. Against everyone else on their schedule, they’re 13-20-1.

That second record is just awful. It translates to a .397 points-earned percentage, which by itself would be the worst record in the league.

The players are not concerned.  The coach is not concerned.  Management says they are not concerned.

Taking a look at the standings there is only six points separating the Amerks in second place with 62 points and the Moose, Monsters, and Heat all tied with 56 points.  The Amerks and Monsters face off tonight.  The Amerks also have games on Tuesday and Friday against the Manitoba Moose.  I hate to have my finger on that panic button but by next weekend the Amerks could be in a position where they’re going to be battling for a playoff spot instead of where they’ve been sitting comfortably for a while now.

As of this morning here’s the North Division standings:

Bulldogs – 76 points
Amerks – 62 points
Moose – 56 points
Heat – 56 points
Monsters – 56 points
Griffins – 49 points
Marlies – 48 points

In the D&C on Friday the following quote appeared by Ted Nolan:

“Curt put a lot of time and a lot of energy into this team,” Nolan said. “We’re not just going to sit and watching things slide.”

Well, from a fans viewpoint that’s exactly what they have done, sat and watched.  Yes, Daniel Steiner and John de Gray have been good additions to the team but the team has still continued to slide in the standings.

The attendance has also continued to slide and can you really blame people?  If it wasn’t for the $1 beers and hot dogs on Friday nights I’d be concerned what the numbers would be.  These articles probably don’t help but what can really be said?  I wish I could go back to writing about exciting hockey.

At one point not too long ago the Amerks had a 20 point lead over the Monsters and now after the game tonight that gap could be closed to four points.  We’ll know more later tonight.

Gameday: Amerks Host Monsters; Playoff Panic Button? is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

I’d say that paints a pretty optimistic outcome for the game tonight!

Alexander Salak has not yet played against the Monsters so I would hope that he gets the start.  Plante was the winning goaltender in the only win against the Monsters this season.  He also has one of the losses along with Ryan Mior and Chris Beckford-Tseu.

The Monsters have turned their season around from last place and are currently one point out of fourth in the division.  This game is not only important for the Amerks to continue chasing the Bulldogs but also slow down the Monsters from gaining in the standings.

The team will be counting on the line of Jamie Johnson, Jeff Taffe, and Daniel Steiner who seem to be the offensive firepower.  It’d be nice to see Chris Taylor have a breakout game to get out of what seems to be a slump.  The defense has been playing much better recently and will need another strong game.

Seventh-year pro Jamie Johnson, presently in the midst of a season-high nine-game winning streak (5+9), currently paces Rochester’s offense in all offensive categories in goals (19), assists (30) and points (49). Averaging just over a point per game, Johnson, who assisted on both game-winning goals over the weekend, is sixth in the AHL in overall point production after collecting 45 points (19+26) in his last 37 appearances. Further, his 19 goals and 30 assists rank him 10th and eighth in each category among the AHL’s top scorers, respectively.

Veteran defenseman Clay Wilson, who shows six points in his last eight games, has a team-best 16 assists on the power-play this season, good enough for second in the AHL in that category. Wilson continues to be Rochester’s top scoring defenseman with 33 points (7+26) and remains tied for fourth in scoring among league blueliners. Amerks tough-guy Jimmy Bonneau is first on the team and seventh in the league with a team-high 143 penalty minutes. Third-year defenseman Jordan Henry owns the team’s best on-ice rating with a plus-16.

If you’re sitting around watching or listening the game stop by the live chat by clicking live chat above or going directly to http://www.letsgoamerks.com/livechat.  I’ll fire it up around 7pm.

Gameday: Amerks at Lake Erie Monsters is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Americans ushered in the start of 2010 on the losing end this evening, dropping a 5-1 decision in a New Year’s Eve matinee to the Lake Erie Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena. The loss was Rochester’s second straight on its current three-game road trip as the Amerks fell to 22-12-2-0. With the win, the last-place Monsters improve to 14-18-0-3.

Second-year forward Michal Repik netted Rochester’s lone goal as goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu posted 28 saves in the losing effort.

Lake Erie’s Darren Haydar, Brian Willsie and Marty Sertich each scored a goal and assist for the hometown Monsters who have now won five of their last six. T.J. Hensick assisted on two goals and fifth-year pro Tyler Weiman garnered his 12th win of the season with a 14-save effort between the pipes.

Haydar gave the Monsters a 1-0 lead at 7:44 of the opening period with his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Ryan Stoa and Brian Fahey were each credited with assists on the play.

Lake Erie extended its lead to 2-0 just under four minutes later on Willsie’s 10th of the season at the 11:21 mark.

Repik responded with his 10th of the campaign on the power-play at the 14:00 mark to cut the deficit in half and put the Amerks within one heading into the second stanza. Jamie Johnson collected his team-high 33rd point with an assist on the goal and defenseman Clay Wilson became the American Hockey League’s leader in power-play assists with his 14th helper on the man advantage.

The Monsters regained their two-goal lead as Sertich found the back of the net at 11:37 of the middle frame to make it a 3-1 game. Lake Erie would maintain the two-point cushion heading into the third before Cedric McNicoll scored at 7:53 to increase the lead to 4-1.

Stoa rounded out the scoring with his 13th of the year on the power-play at 15:58 to secure the 5-1 win for Lake Erie.

The Amerks open their 2010 slate and complete their three-game in four-night stretch as they face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, January 2nd at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. The 7:05 p.m. non-divisional matchup will be the second of four get-togethers for the Amerks and the Baby Penguins and will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester Sports Talk. Rochester is 1-0-0-0 this season and 11-6-6 all-time against the affiliate of defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Amerks Lost Second in a Row on New Years Eve is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.