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.

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.

Jordan Henry and Michael Caruso were the teams top two defensemen on Wednesday and had assistance from Luke Beaverson, Matt Duffy, Carl Hudson and Corey Syvret.  Those guys work hard at what they do but that’s more of an ECHL calibre defense than that of a 2nd place AHL team.  Rory Fitzpatrick did not make the trip, I assume he’s resting up his groin for the weekend.

Here’s the teams official recap:

For Immediate Release
April 7, 2010

GRIFFINS DOUBLE UP AMERKS TO HALT WINNING STREAK

(Rochester, NY)… The Grand Rapids Griffins scored twice in each period en route to a 6-3 win over the Rochester Americans tonight at Van Andel Arena. With the loss, Rochester (43-32-2-1) saw its current three-game winning streak come to a halt and was denied its chances for clinching home-ice advantage in the first round of the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Amerks now lead the Abbotsford Heat by three points after their 5-4 shootout loss to the Lake Erie Monsters tonight.

Riley Armstrong (2+0), Justin Abdelkader (1+1) and Jamie Tardif (0+2) each tallied two-point nights to earn first, second and third star honors, respectively. Thomas McCollum made 29 saves to pick up the win for the hometown Griffins.

Jamie Johnson (1+1) and Mike York (0+2) also collected two points each for the Amerks, while Tyler Plante and Alexander Salak split time between the pipes, combining for 38 saves.

Armstrong and Corey Emmerton scored first-period goals to give Grand Rapids a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.

Jeff Taffe opened the scoring midway through the second stanza to cut Rochester’s deficit in half with his team-leading 27th goal of the season. Johnson and York each picked up their first points of the night with assists on the play at 10:16.

Grand Rapids went up 4-1 in the latter part of the period with goals from Jan Mursak and Abdelkader just over three minutes apart from each other to jumpstart a four-goal run for the Griffins. Mursak netted his 23rd of the season at 16:04 before Abdelkader followed with his 11th with 39 seconds left in the period that chased Plante, who made his sixth straight start and played in his 100th professional game tonight.

The Griffins quickly extended their lead to 6-1 early in the final frame with two more tallies in a span of 2:13 to take control of the game. Armstrong notched his second of the game at 2:29 and NHL veteran Brad May put his fifth in the net at 4:42 to give his club a five-point cushion.

Rochester once again cut Grand Rapids’ lead in half with back-to-back third-period markers from Michael Duco and Johnson to make it a 6-3 game. Johnson now needs just one point to hit the 70-point plateau, becoming the first player since the 2004-05 season to reach the mark.

Rochester closes out its home slate on Friday, April 9th as the Toronto Marlies make their way across the border to The Blue Cross Arena. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will be the eighth and final get-together for the divisional foes this season and will be broadcast live on Sports Radio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester’s Sports Talk. Fans can also tune in to watch live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet Channel 26. With a win over Toronto, the Amerks will clinch second place in the American Hockey League’s North Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Amerks show a 6-0-0-1 record this season against the Marlies, after falling short in a 4-3 shootout loss in the previous encounter back on March 28th. Rochester has outscored Toronto 26-13 this season and is 18-21-2 all-time against the Baby Maple Leafs.

That night, the Amerks will show their support for breast cancer awareness and will don the traditional pink jerseys and socks as part of the annual celebration for the cause. The Amerks will auction off the game-worn items and fans can place their bids up until the start of the third period of the game. Those paying with cash can take their jerseys right off the players’ backs after the game. The funds raised will go to the Knighthawks/Amerks Charitable Foundation, Inc., which will distribute the money to local cancer-related charities. The Amerks will also showcase their pink dashers, which will be the first of their kind in AHL history.

The Amerks will also have their annual awards night prior to the game, honoring the best performances of the season. Friday’s game falls on the final installment of the Amerks Dollar Dogs ‘N’ Drafts promotion. Friday night will be the last chance for fans to take part in the “Dollar Dogs ‘N’ Drafts” promotion and purchase Zweigle’s Hot Dogs and Draft Beers for just $1 each!

Griffins Double Up Amerks to Halt Winning Streak is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Well, I should be careful how I use the term great play.  It’s not really great that the penalty kill unit allowed three goals against.  It could be time to take Chris Taylor and Jordan Henry off of the penalty killing unit.  I don’t have an answer as to who should replace them, but when something is not working it can’t hurt to make a change.

“Our power play was pretty good and we matched specialty teams,” Benoit Groulx said after Saturdays game.  “At this time of year you can’t lose on specialty teams.”

The specialty teams is something that the coaches and players are aware have been an issue and are an issue that they need to resolve quickly before the playoffs start.

Mike York commented on that after the game saying, “You don’t want to fall behind in special teams and that’s a situation that will win or lose you a game and especially coming around playoff time it’s an import aspect of the game.”

Justin Hodgman put the Marlies up with a goal at 2:47 of the first on the power play.  Skating in from the side and in front of Plante he beat Plante glove side.

Mike York followed up 42 seconds later to tie the game 1-1.  Luke Beaverson shot the puck in from the point at which point Jamie Johnson got his stick on it and then Mike York poked it in past Marlies goalie Joey MacDonald.

The Amerks took the lead at 16:47 of the first with a power play goal scored by Victor Oreskovich.  Jamie Johnson fed a perfect pass to the stick of Oreskovich who was in front of the net and it went right in.

David Brine scored his 12th of the season from John Scott Dickson and Jordan Henry.  Dickson was skating into the zone along the side boards and Brine through the slot.  Dickson passed the puck to Brine and MacDonald made the first save but Brine was able to score on the rebound.

The game winning goal turned out to be the one Clay Wilson scored at 4:31 of the second period on the power play.  Wilson shot the puck from the blue line high on MacDonald who was not able to make the glove save.  The goal was scored only four seconds into the power play.

“I was a little bit lucky, I dont usually find the back of the net like that,” Clay Wilson said.  “It’s usually from screens or little floaters.  It was a little bit of luck and hopefully can keep that luck going.”

Tyler Plante had no chance at saving the goal scored by Juraj Mikus on the power play at 7:09 of the second period.  Alex Foster looked like he was shooting the puck but it turned out to be more like a pass and appeared to go off the shaft of Mikus’ stick and into the net.

Mike York scored a highlight reel goal at 9:46 of the second period that gave the Amerks a 5-2 lead.  Clay Wilson was skating in on the right side drawing the two Marlies defenders and goalie to his side.  Wilson continued towards the net as if he was going to shoot it but instead waited until Mike York was all alone to put the puck in the net.

“I probably had another 5 or 6 seconds.  I had  along time,” Mike York said when I asked him how much more time he had.  “It was a great pass from Wilson.  I think he saw me, I didn’t call for it, didn’t want anyone to come towards me.”

Clay Wilson saw the play developing in front of him and knew exactly what to do.  Wilson said, “Jamie (Johnson) hit me high and there was a wide open lane right to him (York) for the back door.”

The Marlies did not quit though and Ryan Hamilton scored another power play goal for the Marlies at 17:36 of the second period.  A rebound was in front of the net and as John de Gray tried to find the puck Hamilton was able to back hand it into the net.

Clay Wilson scored his second of the game five seconds into a power play opportunity that gave the Amerks a 6-3 lead, another goal scored from the blue line.  Jamie Johnson finished off the scoring at 3:08 of the third period for his 24th goal of the season.

Which Amerks team shows up on Sunday afternoon is unknown.  The Marlies still have not been eliminated so they’ll be coming on strong.  If the Amerks play the same way they did on Saturday they should have no issues.

Saturdays game was filled with a lot of pushing, shoving and punches but no straight out fights took place.  It appeared as if the Amerks were going after them showing they were not going to back down but the Marlies looked like the ones not wanting to finish what would start.

The game starts at 3:05pm and it’s also team picture day.  The first 5,000 fans will receive a 2010 team photo courtesy of the D&C.  There will also be a post game autograph session after the game.

—-

Rochester Americans 7 At Toronto Marlies 3 – Status: Final
Mar 27, 2010 – Ricoh Coliseum

Rochester 3 3 1 – 7
Toronto 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Toronto, Hodgman 7 (Mikus, Scott), 2:47 (pp). 2, Rochester, York 12 (Taffe, Beaverson), 3:28. 3, Rochester, Oreskovich 6 (Johnson, York), 16:47 (pp). 4, Rochester, Brine 12 (Dickson, Henry), 17:05. Penalties-Taffe Rch (holding), 2:38; Wilson Rch (roughing), 6:05; Simon Tor (roughing), 6:05; Engel Tor (high-sticking), 11:49; Duco Rch (roughing), 16:15; Berry Tor (roughing), 16:15; Deveaux Tor (roughing), 16:15.

2nd Period-5, Rochester, Wilson 13 (Repik, Duco), 4:31 (pp). 6, Toronto, Mikus 5 (Foster, Gysbers), 7:09 (pp). 7, Rochester, York 13 (Wilson, Johnson), 9:46. 8, Toronto, Hamilton 14 (Foster, Engel), 17:36 (pp). 9, Rochester, Wilson 14 (Taylor, Taffe), 18:38 (pp). Penalties-Berry Tor (slashing), 2:22; Calder Tor (hooking), 4:27; Bonneau Rch (hooking), 5:24; Bonneau Rch (roughing), 12:45; Rosehill Tor (roughing), 12:45; Caruso Rch (tripping), 15:43; MacDonald Tor (tripping), 18:33.

3rd Period-10, Rochester, Johnson 24 (Repik, Taffe), 3:08. Penalties-Repik Rch (hooking), 0:35; Taylor Rch (interference), 7:20; Taffe Rch (hooking), 13:24; Simon Tor (interference), 16:16.

Shots on Goal-Rochester 10-8-4-22. Toronto 10-14-11-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Rochester 3 of 6; Toronto 3 of 6.
Goalies-Rochester, Plante 9-11-0 (35 shots-32 saves). Toronto, MacDonald 14-19-3 (18 shots-12 saves); Reimer 11-6-1 (4 shots-3 saves).
A-4,308
Referees-Mark Lemelin (84).
Linesmen-Jason Finley (6), Kendrick Nicholson (56).

Amerks Defeat Marlies with Seven Goals and Inch Closer to Playoffs is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The Panthers traded d-man Jordan Leopold on Monday morning to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2nd round draft pick in 2010.  That move will likely result in Jason Garrison being called up for the remainder of the season.

There’s also a rumor that Dennis Seidenberg could be on the trading block as well.  If that happens we can say goodbye to Keaton Ellerby as well (some might say that would be a good thing).

Luke Beaverson will likely be returned and play on defense.  If Ellerby is called up as well we’ll likely see Matt Duffy called up from the Everblades.  No matter how it’s looked at these two moves alone hurt the Amerks.  We just have to hope AJ Thelen does not get the call.

So far the Panthers are not showing any indication of helping out their prospect pool with players, just draft picks.  That’s fine for them but not good for the Amerks as they try and make a run for the playoffs.  The next 48 hours will be an interesting one.

If you want more immediate news of moves and trades bookmark these two links:

– http://twitter.com/letsgoamerks

– http://twitter.com/onfrozenpond

Let’s just hope that Ted Nolan and Jody Gage are working the phones as well to try and make something happen to improve things here in Rochester.

Beware Amerks Fans, Panthers Start Trading is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

After the game Jimmy Bonneau said what a lot of us already know saying, “We have major problems and we have to switch things around really quickly.  I think it’s everybody.”

One of the problems is not Jimmy Bonneau.  He’s playing his role.  In the second period he put defenseman Logan Pyett into the boards hard, Pyett was slow to get up and made his way to the bench.  Later in the same period he leveled Evan McGrath and right after that hit Ryan Stokes dropped the gloves to fight him.  Bonneau got an extra two minutes for interference but it was a penalty worth taking as he tried to create a spark in the team.  It didn’t work.  A video of the fight will be uploaded soon.

“Lately it seems that we’re doing the same mistakes over and over again,” Benoit Groulx said postgame.  “Some guys are far from performing the way they can.”

One line that I thought performed well was Jamie Johnson, Jeff Taffe, and Daniel Steiner.  That line was the reason the second and third goals were scored.  Steiner has a way of controlling the puck and making plays.  He’s not afraid to go to the net or play the puck along the boards.

Groulx disagreed with my comment about their line.

“I don’t think so.  So far to me Andrew Sweetland was our best player,” he said.  “I can’t pinpoint another guy who had a very strong game.  I’m not saying they were bad, I’m saying we can do much better than that.”

Of course a lot everyone can do better than they did on Friday night.  As I think back on the comment I’m not sure if he was really serious.  Sweetland wasn’t bad, but the best player?

The problem is that the “team” effort seems to have disappeared.  That talk about being proud to be a Rochester American.  Pushing themselves to work harder.  Being one unit.  The emotion left Blue Cross Arena on November 27th in the third period of the home game versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and has not come back since.

The loss does not paint a very bright outlook for the game Saturday afternoon against the Lake Erie Monsters or the game on Sunday versus the Binghamton Senators.  As much as I try and think of an optimistic outcome I just can’t.

“We can’t put things together out there,” Groulx said.  “When we need a goal we don’t score.  When we need a big play we don’t have it.  When we need a big stop we don’t have it.  When we need a big power play we don’t have it.”

That raises the question, who gets the blame for all of those things?  Things certainly can’t be blamed on injuries and call ups anymore.  They had a week of practices so that’s not the reason.  Is it the defense?  Is it the offense?

Groulx responded, “We’re not a very good skating team so when we don’t have our legs like tonight it seems very tough to sustain pressure and to be first on the puck and keep on going on forecheck.  We gotta have our best legs to be on the puck and that was not the case tonight.”

How can a group of professional hockey players not have their legs after being home all week?  They didn’t spend the week traveling by bus.  They didn’t have any games.  They had two long practices on Monday and Tuesday.  They had Wednesday off.  A practice on Thursday and regular gameday skate on Friday.

Alexander Salak returned to action and looked like he never missed a beat.  Unfortunately he allowed six goals on 35 shots.  He made a number of saves that will likely make a highlight reel but on some others it was obvious Grand Rapids had him figured out.  The formula seems pretty simple and it’s something that was likely to be picked up on by other teams sooner or later.  Take the puck along one side of the ice, send another guy to the opposite side, make a big cross ice pass and you have an open net as Salak slides to get back into position.  That’s just how he plays and that’s where the defense needs to prevent those plays from happening.

Rory Fitzpatrick and Luke Beaverson both returned to action after being out for a while with injuries.  Fitzpatrick was himself and I thought played his game early on.  He wasn’t afraid to hit anyone in front of the net, an aspect of the game that has been missing.  Beaverson on the other hand needs some playing time with the Florida Everblades.

Michael Caruso left the game early and did not return.  I forgot to ask what happened to him.

John de Gray has played in four games with the Amerks on loan from the Mighty Ducks and has been invisible.  I’ve seen him on the ice but can’t think of one play he made.

That leaves the defense with Keaton Ellerby, Jordan Henry, and Clay Wilson.. a trio that will not be able to carry this team to a Calder Cup.

Sundays game is the 40th game of the season, the half way point of the season.  We’ve heard the lines that championships aren’t won in October, but now is the time that teams start distancing themselves from everyone else and standing above the rest.  That’s the opposite of what the Amerks have done in the second quarter of the season.

In October it appeared that this time had the tools to make the playoffs and be a contender, that is questionable now.  The only players missing from the lineup are Kenndal McArdle, Mike York, Mike Duco, and Jason Garrison.  I think that Steiner has stepped in well to play where York was.  Mike Duco would help to try and play a more physical game but it has been debateable how much of an impact he has really had in 20 games.  McArdle has only played 10 games so i don’t think he would be the difference maker.  Jason Garrison was certainly an asset but I don’t think he would be a game changer.  I don’t even think of Victor Oreskovich anymore.  He’d be awesome to have but he only played five games.

The whole situation with Mike York is odd.  We’ve been told he’s on personal leave and then tonight after the game Benoit Groulx said that York had his knee checked out by the doctors today and they said he was not ready to go.  York told Kevin Oklobzija that he had some family issues.  We’ve been asked to respect his privacy which I think everyone has but these little bits of information just do not make any sense.  At this point sign Daniel Steiner to take that veteran roster spot to ride out the rest of the season.

Kevin Oklobzija got a few more quotes from the locker room at Hockey O-Zone:

“The swagger, the mojo, whatever you want to call it, it’s not here right now,” Fitzpatrick said.

He said it was very apparent between the second and third period. The score was 2-2. In October and November, there was no chance the Amerks would lose the game. On Friday, the feeling in the room was different.

“The confidence is not here right now,” Fitzpatrick said. “This team has enough talent here. We should be competing and playing and winning hockey games.”

Center David Brine agrees. “We need to get that swagger back.”

How? “You keep it simple. You get pucks deep, get pucks to the net, win a shift, win a period, win a game.”

They’ve played 38 games, it’s time to look at the banners hanging from the rafters, look at the pictures hanging in the locker room, look at all of the names painted on the walls of the locker room and get that excitement back of playing for the Rochester Americans earn their money.

Or maybe it’s the coaching?  Something is going on and I suspect Jody Gage and Jack Birch are going to start having people ask them questions again much like early on last season.  This team has gone from an unstoppable threat to a team that probably wouldn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs if they could make it there.

I wish I could have written a better article that would encourage people to want to go to the game on Saturday afternoon but it was not possible.  If the team did not have their legs tonight I wonder what they’ll have playing another game less than 24 hours later.

Game time on Saturday vs Lake Erie is at 2pm.

Grand Rapids Trounces Amerks; Time to be Concerned? is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

I had planned to write more about all of those things in the first sentence but Graham Mink did all the work for me after practice on Tuesday morning.  I asked Mink if the lack of practices has had anything to do with the recent skid to which he replied, “We need to start playing better hockey, there’s no doubt about it.  Maybe it does (losing due to no practices), i don’t know.  We’ll see this weekend.”

Asking about the injuries and call ups he said,”There’s always injuries and call ups.  I’ve played against teams that have been missing a lot of guys and played really well.  We cant use that as an excuse we’ve got to look in the mirror and play a lot better this weekend.  We just have to win battles, I don’t think we’re working as hard as it should be.  Call it what you want, fatigue travel, we’ve got to get a job done and we haven’t been doing it.”

All of those things seem pretty obvious and actions will speak for themselves this weekend when the Amerks play three straight home games.  The Amerks are 13-2-2 at home this season so the odds are in their favor.  If there’s a place you want to be successful it’s at home.

Practice looked like a training camp with more than enough players but it sounded like a mid season practice of a team not playing up to their potential.  The team was on the ice for almost an hour and a half and by the sound of things it was the same length yesterday, not including long workouts prior.  If a player did not complete a drill to the end Benoit Groulx stopped practice to point it out and share a few words.

There’s no doubt that the defense more than anyone else was in need of some long tough practices to get back to the basics.  They need to play more physical.  They need to play smarter.  They need to control the puck better.

I’d say the practice was a positive thing.  It’s easy to talk about the shortcomings of the team but at the same time they know what they need to do and worked on those things.  Chris Taylor is typically one of the first players off the ice after a practice but on Tuesday he was one of the last.  He was spending extra time one on one with Evgeny Dadonov at one end of the ice.

Some more tidbits from practice:

* Alexander Salak and Tyler Plante were the two main goalies.  If everything goes as planned I expect Salak to play on Friday and Sunday with Plante starting on Saturday afternoon.

* Ryan Mior was not on the ice and sent back to the ECHL.

* Steve MacIntyre was called up for Tuesday nights Panthers vs Maple Leafs game.

* Daniel Steiner is still with team and will hopefully stick around.  The guy is living the dream, I’m hoping to have a story on him finished tomorrow.

* As mentioned above every player recently mentioned in my injury report were all on the ice in full contact practice.  The list includes Alexander Salak (shoulder), Tyler Plante (knee), Mike York (personal), Mike Duco (foot), Shawn Matthias (knee), Rory Fitzpatrick (hernia), and Luke Beaverson (shoulder).

The last thing I wrote down was the different offensive lines during practice.  Chances are they could change prior to the next game but a lot of people ask.

Matthias, Brine, Repik
Dadonov, Taylor, Mink
Steiner, Johnson, Tafffe
Duco, Beaverson, York
Calla, Sweetland, Bonneau

The team has the day off on Wednesday and will have another practice on Thursday prior to three games this weekend.

Mink Says No Excuses, Amerks Injuries Healed is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Mike York, David Brine, Tyler Plante, Rory Fitzpatrick, and Luke Beaverson were all on the ice. Rory said he’ll be back on January 8th. I did not get the chance to talk to anyone else, was only at ESL to get my kid signed up for a camp and happened to get there near the end of practice.

The team is getting back in the right direction and should be just about back to the full team by the time they play Grand Rapid on January 8th. Next week they’ll have a week of practice which will help out even more.

Next game is Wednesday night on the road in Hamilton and on Thursday at 5pm against Lake Erie. I’ll have the live chat going for Wednesdays game.

Team Canada All-Star roster is announced at 2pm. I asked Jody Gage who was going and he said he was sworn to secrecy.

Wow.. Amerks Have a Practice Tuesday Morning is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.